Think You Can’t Use Retinol on Sensitive Skin? Think Again—These Gentle Options Won’t Burn Your Face Off

Why we love it: Regular ole’ retinol is great for acne, but adapalene is much better because it’s actually oil soluble. This means it can go deeper in your pores to prevent clogging and reduce inflammation. But it can be quite irritating (so much so, it was only available via prescription until the 2010s). Personal Day’s serum uses adapinoid, a gentler version of adapalene, and even combines it with squalane to help reduce its usual harsh effects.

One Cosmo editor says: "This is the newest retinol I've tested, and I am loving how gentle it is. The milky consistency smoothes over my face easily and doesn't dry out or irritate my face. In fact, I kind of find it hydrating—something I've never noticed with any other retinoid."—BETH GILLETTE, BEAUTY EDITOR

Why we love it: This gel uses just enough retinol for beginners to tolerate, but still effective if you're a retinol vet. Plus, it combines a whole host of skin-soothers like aloe extract, allantoin, and centella asiatica to help calm down any potential irritation.

One Cosmo editor says: "I'm picky as hell about retinol serums, but I've been using this almost exclusively for the last month—and it's so dreamy. I love how lightweight the gel texture is, but it's shockingly kind of moisturizing (ty, squalane), so I don't feel like I need to load heavy moisturizers onto my oily skin to avoid peeling or dryness.”—BG

Why we love it: Good news: Retinol speeds up cell turnover, which makes your skin cells less "sticky" to reduce the likelihood of them getting stuck in your pores, getting inflamed, and leading to zits. That can also help smooth texture and fade dark spots. Bad news: Over-the-counter retinols rarely improve my persistent cystic acne (only Rx-strength retinoid typically works to clear up that type of breakout), but this oil-free pick from RoC is a great, lightweight option for your acne-prone skin. It combines retinol with a hoard of lightweight hydrators—including glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E—to help counteract the sensitizing effect of retinol without feeling too heavy.

One shopper says: "I have the most sensitive. acne-prone skin on the planet, and this works perfectly for me. In fact, my acne cleared up a lot after I started using it. Fades fine lines fantastically. Not drying, fragrance-free, and price is great!”

Why we love it: Even though this night cream wasn't specifically made for sensitive skin, it's surprisingly gentle. The fragrance-free formula uses retinol and retinyl propionate—one of the weakest, mildest forms of all retinoids—to smooth, plump, and brighten over time. And remember: If you're still worried about irritation, try alternating with your regular night cream every other night to see how your skin reacts.

One Cosmo editor says: "My mom constantly asks me for anti-aging creams—perks of having a beauty editor as a child—but her skin is hella sensitive. I gave her this about a year ago, and she’s asked me to reup her supply twice since then (a sign she really loves something). According to her, this formula is easy to use and doesn’t make her face splotchy or dry.”—BG

Why we love it: The MVP of this formula is "hydroxypinacolone retinoate, or HPR, a retinoid acid ester that binds to the retinoid x receptors only, which don’t cause any irritation when activated," says dermatologist Dendy Engleman, MD, who partnered with Elizabeth Arden on the launch. Other formulas often refer to it as “granactive retinoid.” "You get all the potency and efficacy with less likelihood of the harsh side effects, like dryness and flaking,” she explains. What I (and Dr. Engleman) love so much about this product is that it combines HPR with pure retinol to increase potency without increasing sensitivity, making it ideal for those who want to bump up their retinol but can't tolerate high-strength products.

One Cosmo editor says: “I have been loving this for my oily skin, because the water-based cream is majorly lightweight. I press down one or two pumps from the airtight container, then massage it over my skin at night after serums. It's moisturizing enough for my skin on its own (shout-out hyaluronic acid and ceramides), but I can easily add an occlusive barrier cream or face oil on top if I need it.”—BG

Why we love it: Another formula featuring granactive retinoid (aka a gentler, stable form of retinol), this beginner serum from The Inkey List makes starting with retinol a much less confusing and frustrating process. The creamy serum uses both granactive retinoid and a 0.01 percent retinal to help smooth and tighten skin. But, really, the star of the show is a complex of anti-inflammatory ingredients like squalane, phospholipids, and bisabolol to help reduce irritation.

One shopper says: "I’ve been using this serum in my nighttime skincare routine for a few weeks, and I’ve noticed my skin looks smoother and more even, especially around fine lines. The texture is lightweight and absorbs quickly without feeling greasy or heavy. I appreciate that it’s gentle enough for my skin, with minimal irritation or dryness compared to other retinols I’ve tried.”

Why we love it: Dermatologist Jessie Cheung, MD, loves this over-the-counter retinolfrom CeraVe. Why? It uses encapsulated retinol, which "allows for deeper penetration and sustained release, making it a great formulation for sensitive skin," says Dr. Cheung. "You are able to deliver the active ingredient where you want it to work deep in the skin, and this lessens any potential irritation at the surface." Plus, the serum contains a whole slew of moisturizers, like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E, to keep your skin barrier healthy and strong.

One shopper says: "I've been really enjoying this retinol serum. The formula is lightweight and absorbs quickly without leaving the skin greasy or heavy. I like that it combines retinol with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which help keep the skin hydrated while improving texture and fine lines.”

Why we love it: The gel serum uses pure retinol, but in a small dose that's ideal for sensitive skin, along with soothing niacinamide, which, Dr. Cheung says "is a powerhouse active ingredient that helps boost hydration, calm irritation, and brighten skin." Plus, it's also got moisturizing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and sunflower seed oil.

One Cosmo editor says: "My BFF has majorly sensitive skin, which is a bummer for me because I constantly need people in my life to test products for me (your girl only has one face!). So when this landed on my desk, I knew she'd be the perfect test subject. And I was right: Now, a year later, she's bought her very own second and third tube. She swears by how gentle and lightweight it is while majorly smoothing and plumping up her skin over time.”—BG

Why we love it: If a retinol cream feels too intense or heavy for your sensitive skin, I highly recommend these face serum drops that use bakuchiol to help smooth and tighten skin over time. FYI: "Bakuchiol is a plant-based retinol alternative that also boosts collagen with less irritation and can be combined with retinol to enhance efficacy while decreasing side effects," says Dr. Cheung.

Massage a few drops over your clean, dry skin before following with the rest of your skincare routine, or mix a few drops in with your regular face moisturizer to dilute the bakuchiol even more (if you're a first-time scaredy cat like I was).

One shopper says: "Makes my skin feel amazing. Have noticed [a] decreased look of lines in my face, especially [the] jaw area."

Why we love it: Little science lesson first: Retinal only needs one step to convert in your skin to retinoic acid, which is what helps boost your cell turnover, making it the strongest retinal available over-the-counter (only second to prescription tretinoin). But that can tend to make it much more likely to potentially cause irritation... unless you combine it with ectoin, like this formula does.

Ectoin is a compound that basically hits the pause button on the inflammation receptors in your skin. This allows your skin to handle retinol without the usual burning, itching, or peeling. Cool, right?

One Cosmo editor says: “I've gone through an entire tube of this magical retinoid. I started by smoothing it all over my face one to two nights a week, but now, I'm able to use it about five nights a week with legit no sensitivity.”—BG