10 Best Affordable Retinols For Acne, Wrinkles, Pigmentation, And More

Best for oily, acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary’s Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a gentle, oil-free formula that delivers a potent anti-aging and anti-acne effect into the skin.

The Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR), which is the main active ingredient in this product, is an advanced form of retinoid, a non-prescription ester all-trans retinoic acid. This means that The Ordinary’s Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a gentler version of prescription retinoids that’s also very effective but way less irritating than prescription-strength options. 

However, no matter how gentle it may be, retinol speeds up cellular turnover, which means there will be shedding, peeling, and mild to moderate irritations when starting with any retinol strength. Therefore, it's important to incorporate a good moisturizer in your skincare routine to help soothe irritations and prevent dryness. Lastly, you also need to use a broad-spectrum, high SPF in the morning to prevent sunburn and skin damage.

Best for combo, dry, acne-prone skin.

The Resurfacing Retinol Serum by CeraVe is one of my favorite affordable retinols on the market. This product can help you get rid of post-acne scarring such as dark spots, but due to several ingredients such as niacinamide and propanediol, it can also work on balancing oil production, soothing, and hydrating the skin while simultaneously strengthening the skin barrier.

It's very mild, and although irritation is unlikely to happen, it's still important to use a good moisturizer, especially if your skin is on the dry side. On the other hand, if your skin is oily, you will probably find this serum moisturizing enough on its own.

Best for dry skin.

CeraVe's Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is slightly different from the Resurfacing Serum already mentioned, and this one is more suitable for dry, sensitive, and even eczema-prone skin. It’s a gentle yet effective daily retinol serum that provides a variety of brightening and anti-aging benefits thanks to the blend of barrier-strengthening ceramides, soothing and brightening niacinamide, and hydrating hyaluronic acid.

Besides that, the main active ingredient is retinol, which will work on improving everything from brightening and evening out uneven skin tone to smoothing out rough and bumpy texture. And because it's slow-release retinol, likely, it won't cause any excess dryness, irritation, and discomfort.

Best for mature skin.

L'Oréal's Revitalift Night Serum is a product that has been in the making for quite a while, and the team really put their work into this one. The anti-aging serum is packed with 0.3% pure retinol to ensure it delivers significant results and targets not only superficial skin concerns, such as hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone, but deeper lines and wrinkles that occur as a result of the loss of collagen.

According to a 12-week study, 100% of the women who participated showed wrinkle reduction by the end.

To balance out the retinol, the formula includes soothing and nourishing ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid for added hydration. Another great detail about this serum is that it isn't sticky, and it absorbs amazingly well into the skin, which means your skin will be getting all the anti-aging and brightening benefits without it actually remaining on your pillow.

Best for dry skin.

RoC's potent Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Filler is a product that has it all. It's inexpensive, effective, and packed with beneficial ingredients that work to reduce everything from signs of aging, lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, texture, hyperpigmentation, and even excessive dryness.

The creamy serum contains retinol, alongside vitamins C and E that help neutralize free-radical damage and infuse the skin with antioxidant benefits. The formula also contains a specially-formulated mineral complex that offers a healthy dose of hydration and helps boost the retinol’s efficacy, resulting in skin that’s healthy and radiant.

Best for dry, mature skin.

The Regenerist Retinol Night Face is a decadent moisturizer filled with Olay’s famous retinoid complex, which helps the skin become more vibrant, glowy, and smooth. The formula will also make you notice the reduction of fine lines and wrinkles over some time of using it, thanks to the added amino peptides. Lastly, there's also niacinamide which adds a moisture-retaining and gentle exfoliating element while helping to brighten and even out the skin tone and strengthen the skin barrier.

Best for hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone.

Urban Skin Rx Retinol Rapid Repair and Dark Spot Treatment is a lightweight serum that contains brightening ingredients to help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, uneven skin tone, and post-acne spots, as well as fine lines and wrinkles.

The formula contains quite a few pigment-inhibiting ingredients, including kojic acid, niacinamide, alpha arbutin, vitamin C, glutathione, and azelaic acid, which can help reduce redness and irritation. The serum also contains a plethora of moisturizing and softening ingredients to help smooth rough and bumpy skin texture, including squalane, jojoba seed oil, and ceramides. Lastly, calming components are added to the mix, such as Centella Asiatica, to ensure the serum is soothing to the skin and won't irritate it or dry it out.

Best for undereye lines and dark circles.

The Inkey List Retinol Eye Cream is a nighttime eye cream formulated to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles while giving extra moisturizing and softening support to the most fragile skin under the eyes.

The eye cream contains Vitalese, which is a stabilized retinoid compound with a slow-release formula that helps to avoid irritation and dryness usually associated with retinoids. The cream also contains plenty of hydrating ingredients and softening emollients, including glycerin, triglycerides, shea butter, olive oil, and vitamin E derivatives.

Best for all skin types.

The Retinol and Rainbow Algae Repair Serum from Selfless by Hyram is a lightweight and moisturizing serum designed to help reduce the appearance of acne scarring and other pigmentary concerns.

The serum contains a gentle, slow-release 0.2% retinol alongside 1.5% rainbow algae, a powerful pigment-reducing ingredient that plays extremely well with other brighteners such as retinol. The serum also contains 4% squalane, which is an ingredient that's very close to our natural skin oil and is an extremely good moisturizing agent as well as a barrier-repairing component.

Best hand cream for dark spots, lines, wrinkles, and rough texture.

The Retinol Hand Cream contains a vitamin-enriched formula that’s a miracle worker when it comes to wrinkles and dryness. The cream is infused with retinol to help smooth the skin surface and brighten any existing pigmentation, such as those brown sun and age spots that usually start happening as you age.

It's important to note that since this cream contains retinol, it's best to be used as an evening hand treatment. Don't forget to apply a little bit of sunscreen to the back of your hands if you will be exposing yourself to the sun.