Skin type/behavior reference: I'll be 50 this month and my skin's mostly-dry combo, prone to dehydration, very inflammation-prone, and fairly sensitive. I use vitamin A to reduce hyperpigmentation and boost collagen production, but it's also helped my skin texture. All my visible wrinkles are under my eyes and I'm not super annoyed by them—I mean, I've earned those lines after decades of facial expressions—but retinoids do soften them.
Notes: you don't necessarily need a high strength retinoid product. Retinol's been proven effective at strengths as low as 0.01-0.02%, and it's not even the "most powerful"/fastest-acting member of the vitamin A/retinoid family. Also, some folks claim OTC retinol and retinaldehyde are ineffective compared to Rx tretinoin (which is basically retinoic acid). They're wrong: tretinoin simply works faster than retinaldehyde, which works faster than retinol. All 3 are effective, and none of them are overnight miracles. Patience is key with retinoids.
Products I've used: First Aid Beauty FAB Skin Lab Retinol Serum 0.25% Pure Concentrate 1 oz/ 30 mL was my first vitamin A product. I used it to see if my skin would tolerate this ingredient at all. My face didn't throw tantrums over it, hooray!
The INKEY List Retinol Fine Lines and Wrinkles Serum 1 oz / 30 ml was my step-up from the FAB product. I wanted to see what granactive retinoid could really do (there's not much clinical study/research on this vitamin A derivative compared to retinol and others), and this product's lower cost saved me money. This stuff boosted my skin's natural radiance overnight. I'm not exaggerating. After my first month of using this serum, a friend said I had pregnancy glow.
🤣 Other results like skin tone balance and wrinkle reduction happened much more gradually, of course. I currently use this serum on my neck and under my eyes a couple days a week.
Shani Darden Skin Care Mini Retinol Reform® 0.3 oz/ 10 mL was a curiosity-driven trial. It didn't cause major issues, but this product contains an AHA (lactic acid) that, according to the brand's description, is meant to act as an exfoliant in this formulation. (Sometimes lactic acid's used as a hydrator in products instead of an exfoliant.) I didn't like being forced to use a chemical exfoliant each time I use retinol. (I do use a 10% AHA leave-on exfoliant 1-3 times a week, and sometimes layer it under my retinoid. But I don't always use them together since I'm a nightly retinoid user; using an AHA that frequently can lead to painfully over-exfoliated skin.) I also wasn't fond of the texture and/or finish of this product, so I quickly gave up on it.
SOBEL SKIN Rx 4.5% Retinol Complex Night Treatment 1.7 oz/ 50 mL sounds frighteningly strong, but some of that 4.5% is granactive retinoid instead of retinol. Curiosity made me wonder what difference the higher % would really make. I definitely saw faster results with this than with The Inkey List Retinol. But I also had a couple instances of dry patch irritation, even though I started slowly with this product (used just 1-2 nights a week for a while, then bumped up to 2-3 nights a week, and so on). That was around the time my dermatologist and I discussed the possibility of Rx tretinoin and decided my skin probably wouldn't tolerate it. My derm suggested I try retinaldehyde instead and see how my skin reacts.
Avene RetrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream is the 0.1% retinaldehyde product my derm recommended. I started using it early this year and it's what I currently use everywhere on my face except around my eyes (The Inkey List Retinol gets used there). It's softened and plumped up my skin, and it's gradually reducing my large patches of hyperpigmentation. The only irritation I've experienced with it was the night I accidentally put it on my undereyes and wound up with flaky burning skin there.