The next generation retinol products to add to your skincare routine

Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing Night Serum, $140, Kiehl's

Credit: Kiehl's

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For seasoned users to retinol, an option to consider might be Kiehl’s latest Retinol Fast Release Wrinkle-Reducing Night Serum – it contains 0.3 per cent pure retinol that is said to be able to penetrate up to 15 skin surface layers for increased skin renewal rate. The scientists at Kiehl’s have also paid thought to the bottle’s design – the retinol comes in a powder capsule and it’s only “activated” when you add it to a provided serum base. This is done so that the retinol (an ingredient known to be rather unstable if not preserved properly) is as fresh as possible.

Stem Cellular Anti-Wrinkle Overnight Retinol Serum, $113, Juice Beauty

Credit: Juice Beauty

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Juice Beauty was one of the earliest players in the organic skincare landscape, and now they’ve finally ventured into the retinol game with a serum that encapsulates the retinol in evening primrose oil – presumably so that the retinol is slowly released over time to lessen its potential for irritation. Besides this, evening primrose oil is known for its moisturising benefits, so that likely help to ease the dryness that often comes with retinol usage.

Multi-Retinol Night Emulsion, US$135 (S$194), Marie Veronique

Credit: Marie Veronique

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For the uninitiated, Marie Veronique is a chemist-founded American clean beauty label that tends to focus on protecting one’s skin microbiome. While many brands like to go for high concentrations of retinol, says the label, they prefer to address ageing skin through a more synergistic three-part blend of retinol, retinyl esters and “retinol alternatives” like bakuchiol – the latter being an extract from the seeds of the babchi plant said to have similar anti-ageing properties to retinol, but without the traditional drawbacks.

Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil, $850, La Prairie

Credit: La Prairie

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The star ingredient in the Swiss Maison's latest product is retinol that’s derived from caviar and is exclusively for La Prairie. It is obtained through a specially-designed extraction process, which captures skin-plumping lipids found in the caviar, as well as the retinol.

For all its benefits, retinol is a tricky ingredient – it’s known to be sensitive to light (exposure reduces its efficacy), which is why the brand has thoughtfully designed a dual-chambered bottle (the external cobalt blue layer houses an inner vessel) in order to protect the ingredient from light.

The product also contains La Prairie’s proprietary Celluar Complex, incorporated for the very first time within an oil; the oil medium also means the retinol is very likely to be less irritating to the skin. Use it as the last step in any routine to seal in moisture and let the retinol do the work.

Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, $130, Kiehl's

Credit: Kiehl's

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The American powerhouse’s first retinol serum certainly piqued our interest. It seems to have taken the approach of going slow and steady – and when it comes to retinol, that’s definitely an approach that makes sense. While Kiehl’s has not stated the exact amount of retinol in this serum, they state that it can be used daily, given the carefully calibrated “microdose” (hence the name) that is designed to minimise irritation.

Considering the potent nature of retinol, we agree that using a low dose of it consistently rather than going in hard and fast (and giving up after experiencing irritation) nets you better results in the long run. Additionally, this Kiehl’s serum also includes ceramides and peptides – basically skin-nourishing ingredients that help to fortify your natural skin barrier, which allows you to tolerate retinol better.

Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturiser, $88

Credit: Paula's Choice

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You can always count on Paula’s Choice for reliable formulations that are fragrance-free; it’s better for folks with sensitive skin. While they have many products with retinol, this is one of our favourites as it boasts 0.1 per cent retinol – while the percentage may sound low for newcomers, it will still make an impact (consider how prescription tretinoin starts at 0.025 per cent and you get an idea of how potent this family of ingredients can be).

Not only that, the fact that the brand has incorporated retinol into a moisturiser means one less step to deal with. It’s also packed with other skin-loving nutrients such as ceramides (five forms of it, to be precise), as well as vitamin C, which means you’re getting additional benefits from this well-rounded product.

Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum, $110, Dr Dennis Gross

Credit: Space NK

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If you’re a fan of the brand’s well-loved retinol eye serum, well it just got a makeover – and upgrade. Dr Dennis Gross was one of the earliest brands to introduce a retinol product specifically formulated for the eye area (note: the skin around the eyes is much thinner compared to the rest of the face, which is why gentler products are recommended).

While the serum still features its hero combination of retinol and ferulic acid (the latter is a notable anti-inflammatory antioxidant), it now includes a botanical blend of rambutan as well as the trendy bakuchiol, a plant-derived ingredient that reportedly has similar retinol-like effects without the irritation.

Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream, $216, Allies of Skin

Credit: Allies of Skin

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Homegrown beauty giant Allies of Skin favours a cutting-edge approach to skincare; small wonder this product features retinaldehyde as a key ingredient. For the uninitiated, consider retinaldehyde to be the more effective cousin to retinol – think of it as an in-between option between retinols (less potent, less irritation) and prescription-only forms like tretinoin (extremely potent, but also the most irritating).

Not only that, the retinaldehyde comes encapsulated, which means it’ll slowly release over time throughout the course of the night (it’s generally advisable to apply retinoids primarily at night), further minimising irritation. As with most Allies of Skin formulations, this moisturiser comes brimming with other skin goodies, such as four peptides (four of them), five brighteners and 10 antioxidants.

Like we said, it’s an ambitious multi-tasker – but that also means you get more bang for your buck.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane, $24, The Ordinary

Credit: Deciem

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One of the hero products when The Ordinary first launched was its Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion.

Now you may be wondering what is “granactive retinoid” – it is the trade name of a new entrant to the retinoid family called hydroxypinacolone retinoate. We won’t bore you with the science talk but mostly what you need to know is that its manufacturer says that it’s similarly active as pure retinoic acid (the most potent form of retinoids) but without the irritating baggage it normally comes with. More external studies need to be done but on paper, it seems to be very promising.

Over time, The Ordinary has added more products to the Granactive Retinoid line-up, with this five per cent version being the most concentrated – so if you’re someone who’s more experienced with using retinols, this could be your next step-up up the ladder.



This article was first published on Female.