Best retinol serums UK 2023 – experttested reviews

Score: 86/100

Top of the class is this “tremendous” retinol/retinal blend that visibly improved fine lines and wrinkles and took years off our testers (yes, really, our lab tech proved it). They loved how gentle and hydrating it felt to apply, with a peasized pump spreading a long way.

Many reported a brighter complexion after a month of use, with more smoothness and clarity emerging by the end of the trial. “My skin looks so much healthier and has a lovely glow,” said one happy convert.

Score: 81/100

If dewy radiance is what you’re after – and who isn’t? – then this refillable serum by fashion guru Trinny Woodall is worth a splurge. It champions fasteracting retinal in a bid to help mature skin look plumper and feel silkier more quickly.

Our lab test found it minimised fine lines and wrinkles, with testers finding it easy to dispense and saying they received compliments from friends. Just note that firsttime users may prefer to go for a retinol option.

Score: 77/100

Instant spastyle glow is what our lucky testers enjoyed after sweeping this fastabsorbing serum over their skin. Beginnerfriendly with its minimal 0.15% retinal content, many said their complexion looked brighter and smoother four weeks in, with more firmness and fewer fine lines reported after eight. “My skin has genuinely never looked better,” declared one panellist.

It also impressed our lab team on the antiageing front, albeit not quite as much as our top three.

Score: 77/100

Yes, this punchy retinol serum scored just as highly as a product five times the price. It left most of our panel with more hydrated, glowing skin after a month, with many also noticing their pores shrinking and fine lines firming up – feedback that our lab analysis backed up.

Though runny in consistency, the pipette helped control application and it layered well with other skincare products. Newbies should start with a lower dose – try the 0.2% or 0.5% serums.

Score: 76/100

Here’s another good value retinol formula that earned big ticks in the GHI lab for improving skin texture and making pores and wrinkles less noticeable. Our testers reported similar success, especially in terms of smoothing, and liked how lightweight it felt to apply.

Over half found it “deceptively strong” and struggled with some initial tingling and flakiness, but one panellist said she liked the “sloughing off” effect and was left with a clearer complexion by the end of the trial. Our advice? Use it sparingly at first and see how your skin reacts.

Score: 74/100

If your skin is lacking lustre, let there be light with this brightening serum. It’s made with encapsulated retinol, which helps the active ingredients penetrate more deeply.

It’s a luxelooking product with a price tag to match, but our testers loved how much radiance it gave their tired complexions. They found it lightweight in texture and quick to absorb. Nearly everybody agreed that it shrunk large pores, with our lab team finding it decent at banishing wrinkles.

Score: 70/100

Promising improvements in deep wrinkles after only two weeks, our expectations were high with this low dose retinol serum. Its unique packaging separates the retinol powder to be mixed in on first use, which some testers found a faff, but they all loved the dispensing button that helps to minimise waste.

Impressively, everyone reported firmer skin a month in, with smoother texture, smaller pores and less noticeable fine lines following suit after two.

Score: 74/100

For skin as velvety as a baby’s, this retinol serum is the way to go. Our testers found it luxuriously silky to apply and said it glided on, making for a pampering nightly ritual.

It softened, smoothed and brightened brilliantly, giving almost all of our panel that postholiday glow after a month. It also helped even out skin tone and made deep wrinkles less obvious. Yes, it’s expensive, but it’s cheaper than a flight to the Caribbean…

Score: 74/100

Though relatively slow to get going, with just over half of our panel finding their fine lines and wrinkles improved after a month, this retinol serum got the antiageing thumbs up from our lab team after two.

It excelled in the texture stakes, making dry skin look clearer and feel smoother, and most testers felt more hydrated by the end of the trial. Better still, a small drop spread all over the face, making it excellent value for money.

Score: 70/100

Though not as powerful as other serums on our list, if you’re dipping your toe into retinoids, this retinyl ester formula makes an affordable starter choice. Our testers loved how spreadable it was – thanks to moisturising squalane – and said it left their skin feeling instantly softer.

Many reported improved hydration and some spotted more glow, but a third struggled to notice any difference to their fine lines and wrinkles – go stronger if speed is of the essence.

Score: 70/100

Though not our most shining antiageing star, almost all testers agreed that this stronger serum had brightened and hydrated their skin after eight weeks of use. Infused with antioxidant vitamin E, it spread easily and left a soft, wellnourished feel, but some found it a touch too greasy.

Unsurprisingly given the high retinol content, a third also found it drying and had to apply more moisturiser than usual, but many also said it helped to shrink large pores and minimise fine lines and wrinkles.