Retinol comes in many forms, but retinol creams for acne are one of the most popular. It’s well-known in the beauty industry for clearing up your face, reducing pimple scars, and providing anti-aging benefits. Retinol works on the surface and middle layers of your skin to unclog pores and smoothen its texture, making it a must-have for those with acne-prone skin.
We’ve listed the top ten best products that you can order online. We’ve also prepared a buying guide, with insights and tips from board-certified dermatologist Dr. Katrina Habaluyas Luz, that will teach you all that you need to know when browsing for a retinol cream, which is very useful, especially for those who are new to using retinol.
Dr. Katrina Habaluyas Luz is the face behind Ask Your Derma. She is a board-certified dermatologist in Metro Manila. She is also an educator and digital creator on all things skin, hair, and nails. She is a Diplomate of the Philippine Dermatological Society and offers online video consultations. You can also catch her on her Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube channel.
Our recommendation articles are carefully researched and crafted by the mybest Philippines team of writers and editors. To stay true to our company’s mission and vision to help users’ selection process easier, we also collaborate with experts from various fields to ensure that our content stays factual and useful.
Experts featured in this article only reviewed the content of our buying guide. They had no part in the selection or ranking of products or services listed.
The products and services listed are ranked independently by the editorial team based on the points mentioned in our thoroughly researched buying guide (as of 01-16-2023).
Here are some key points to consider:
For more detailed information, read through our buying guide below.
Retinol creams usually have a concentration between 0.25% to 2%. That being said, it’s best to start with a lower concentration then work your way up, especially if you’re new to using retinol.
Retinol stimulates cell turnover, so it’s a strong product. If you use too much of it, you may experience some irritation and redness, which will cause more harm than good, especially if you’re trying to combat acne.
So, for the first few weeks, you can start using a product with 0.25% to 0.5% concentration for about once or twice a week. If you don’t experience any side effects, you can move up to a higher retinol percentage or increase your usage. But, if you have dry or sensitive skin, consider sticking to a retinol cream with a lower concentration.
Retinol creams with 1-2% concentrations yield visible results more quickly. This is ideal if you have mature skin or have prior experience using retinol products, as you’re less likely to experience irritation or redness. Moreover, those with oily skin may also be able to tolerate retinol in higher doses. That said, be mindful of limiting your usage to 2-3 times a week. Don’t overuse it in the hopes of seeing quicker results.
Some retinol creams are formulated with additional ingredients that offer various benefits. Aside from helping you fight acne, these ingredients can also calm your skin to prevent irritation. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
Retinol is best paired with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients to prevent transepidermal water loss (TEWL), seeing as retinol tends to dry out your skin. Common examples are peach extract, aloe, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, ceramides, collagen, peptides, as well as vitamins B5, and E. This is very useful, especially for those with acne-prone skin, since their lipid barrier isn’t very strong.
If you’re dealing with acne, you want to look for ingredients with anti-inflammatory or antimicrobial properties. Examples of these are allantoin, acmella oleracea extract, bakuchiol, centella asiatica, and green tea. They can help manage acne and speed up your skin’s natural healing process. Plus, some of these ingredients are also useful for healing acne scars to help you achieve a clear and even skin tone in no time.
To avoid aggravating acne-prone skin, it would be best to go for oil-free and fragrance-free retinol creams. However, not all types of oil are bad for you, as some products may have nourishing oils like grapeseed and jojoba oil as well as fats like shea butter. These ingredients are beneficial, particularly for those with dry skin.
But generally, oils may clog your pores, leading to more breakouts. It may also leave behind a greasy feeling, which may be uncomfortable, especially during the day, given the hot and humid Philippine weather. Additionally, fragrances may cause irritation, which can cause redness and more flare-ups. This can delay visible results and aggravate sensitive skin.
From ₱1,341
Retinol has a lot of skin benefits, including treating acne and preventing future breakouts, especially in higher concentrations. This retinol cream has a 1% dosage, allowing it to work deep in your skin to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation brought by acne scars. It will also protect your skin by preventing new pimples from forming.
If you're looking for a pure retinol product that you can easily incorporate into your skincare, this is the one for you. It's well-loved by customers, and it has garnered hundreds of good reviews! Users say that it's soft and smooth to apply, and that a little goes a long way. They love it and said that they'll repurchase it!
From ₱450
Retinol has a lot of benefits for treating acne, but Revitaglow’s cream is also formulated with other ingredients that will help you get soft and clear skin. Together with 1% retinol, it uses vitamin C, peach fruit extract, and peptides to enhance collagen production, speeding up your skin’s healing process.
It can also reduce the appearance of pores, which will help prevent acne since enlarged pores can get easily clogged with oil, dirt, and other bacteria that may cause pimples. With these features, this cream will help you get an even skin tone and improved skin texture. Customers love it, saying that they can vouch for how effective this cream is.
From ₱249
RRAW Skin Care products are organic, locally sourced, cruelty-free, and ethically made, including this 1% Retinol Cream. It also doesn't contain any fragrances and pigments, so it's suitable for many skin types. For those who are acne-prone, you can expect normalized cell turnover and balanced pigment production.
This means you will get clear and radiant skin in no time! For those who are new to using retinol, you can dilute this cream with your favorite moisturizer to get your face accustomed to this product. One customer said that their acne flattened after using it, so you will surely see visible results quickly.
From ₱1,999
Olay's Retinol 24 Facial Cream will give you numerous skin benefits such as 24-hour hydration, reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, lighter dark spots, and tighter pores. It also has niacinamide, which will renew your skin by treating acne and protecting it from different environmental stressors.
With continued use, you will get plumper, youthful-looking skin that will make you look radiant every day. This retinol cream is best for those with mature skin who are suffering from acne or stubborn acne marks. It's meant to be used at night, so you can wake up in the morning looking fresh and ready to conquer the day.
From ₱500
Retinol can be intimidating for those with sensitive skin because it's quite a strong product. However, this gentle retinol cream will give you a chance to enjoy its benefits, as it only has a 0.1% concentration of retinol, which is guaranteed to be gentle on your skin. It's fragrance-free as well, ensuring you won't experience any irritation.
Even though it uses a lower retinol concentration, users reported that it helped heal some of their pimples and that it made their skin smoother after continued use. They also said that they didn't experience any redness or stinging from it, which they loved. If you're just starting out with using retinol, definitely check this one out!
To ensure that you won't experience any irritation or negative side effects, CeraVe uses encapsulated retinol, which allows it to penetrate deeper into the skin before becoming activated, thereby lessening the chances of irritation. Using this formula will improve your skin's texture, giving you radiant, smooth, and flawless-looking skin.
What's great about this retinol cream is that it also contains Broad Spectrum SPF 30, which will protect you from the harmful UVA and UVB rays of the sun. When you're treating acne, it's important to shield your face from the sun's rays, which is why SPF is important to have in your various skincare products.
From ₱3,642
IT Cosmetics uses free and encapsulated retinol in this cream, which allows it to reach at least 15 layers of your skin. Along with niacinamide, this retinol cream lightens discoloration and dark spots, including those from previous breakouts. If you're trying to get a more even skin tone after healing your acne, this is for you.
Aside from these active ingredients, this product also contains vitamin B5 and vitamin E to soothe and moisturize your skin. This will help you avoid some side effects of using retinol, such as redness and skin dryness. Meaning, those with more sensitive skin can use this since they won't likely experience adverse reactions.
From ₱1,225
If you've been using retinol in your skincare routine for a while now and want to consider getting a stronger retinol product to see more visible results, then this retinol cream has got you covered. For one thing, it is formulated with a powerful 2.5% retinol concentration.
However, to balance out that strong retinol dosage, it is also infused with a variety of nourishing and soothing ingredients, including aloe, hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, green tea, shea butter, and jojoba oil. With this combination, this retinol cream will minimize breakouts and acne scars, calm redness and inflammation, plus soften your skin's texture.
L’Oreal’s retinol cream was made to be used at night to nourish and repair your skin while you sleep. Its combination of retinol and centella asiatica stimulates cell renewal and improves skin texture. Centella asiatica also reduces inflammation and oil production, strengthens your skin, and prevents UV damage, making it an excellent pair for retinol.
Aside from its anti-acne ingredients, this retinol cream uses dermalift technology, which tightens your skin, giving you a firmer and more youthful look. Because of the wonderful effects that it has on the skin, many customers choose to buy it, with some even saying it is part of their nightly skincare regimen.
From ₱790
When dealing with acne-prone skin, it's always best to go for products that are oil-free and non-comedogenic to ensure that whatever product you're using isn't clogging your pores. This retinol night cream by Neutrogena ticks those boxes, as it is hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, and free of drying alcohol, too.
As a result, it will give you healthier and younger-looking skin as it works deep in your skin to address different issues like acne and premature signs of aging. It's also formulated with vitamin B5 and vitamin E for extra nourishment. If you're looking for a moisturizing retinol cream, this is the one for you.
Below are some of the most asked questions on the web answered by Dr. Katrina.
Aside from retinol creams, there are a bunch of other great ingredients and products that can help you fight acne. To get clearer skin faster, you should build a skincare routine that will help dry out your pimples, lighten acne marks, and prevent future breakouts. Check out our other articles below for the best products that will help you.
Author: Bianca Angela Dela Cruz
Editor: J. Cuizon
Our buying guide was carefully researched and crafted by the mybest team of writers and editors, in collaboration with the expert featured in this article. We used the buying guide as a basis for choosing and ranking the product recommendations, and we looked at reviews and ratings from different E-commerce sites like Lazada, Shopee, and more.
When you purchase products mentioned in the article, part of the sales may be returned to mybest.
The descriptions of each product is referenced from the content available from the manufacturer, e-commerce sites etc.
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