There’s so much pressure to find the “best” retinol. Every brand claims their product is going to transform your skin overnight. But in reality, the best retinol formulas balance effective ingredients with hydrating support to improve skin texture, strengthen the skin barrier, and work into your skin care routine. Smooth sailing was developed to offer visible results without being too intimidating for sensitive skin.
Retinol remains one of the most beloved ingredients in skincare because it can help promote a smoother complexion, brighter skin tone, and less-defined fine lines. Using the right retinol products can change the way your skin looks and feels with continued use.
What Is Retinol and Why Is It So Popular?
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A that’s commonly used in skincare products to improve skin texture, skin tone, wrinkles, and more. Retinol helps increase skin cell turnover and supports collagen production, making it one of the most studied anti-aging ingredients.
Users typically begin incorporating retinol into their skincare routine when they want to target dullness, rough texture, acne scars, or fine lines. With continued use over months, users may notice their skin becomes smoother, firmer, and more radiant. That’s why retinol is consistently ranked as some of the best otc retinol by dermatologists.
The hard part is finding retinol products that won’t dry out your skin or irritate sensitive areas. This is why some search for the best over-the-counter retinol products.
The Smooth Sailing skincare line by Eight Saints was specifically designed to help hydrate skin while using retinol. Instead of focusing on high percentages, these products were developed to strengthen your skin barrier while producing visibly healthier-looking skin. They’re gentle enough for everyday use, too.
How do I Choose the Right Retinol Product?
When it comes down to it, the best retinol products contain more than just retinol. They have supporting ingredients that help your skin retain moisture, calm inflammation, and build a stronger skin barrier.
Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid is one of the most crucial ingredients to look for when using retinol. This ingredient helps lock moisture into the skin. As retinol can cause dry skin or tightness when you first begin using it, having a product with hyaluronic acid can help ease that transition and create a more lasting smooth texture.
Non-Irritating Texture
Another key factor when choosing a retinol product is how it feels when you apply it to your skin. You shouldn’t feel like a heavy or greasy product is sitting on your skin after application. Those types of textures typically discourage users from sticking with a skincare routine.
Smooth sailing products are all built with a lightweight texture that works with your regular skincare products.
Results You Can See
The last thing to consider when searching for “what is the best retinol?” is whether or not the product produces results. If you’re using a retinol product every night, you should expect to see some improvement in your skin’s appearance.
Combine all three of these characteristics and you have the Smooth Sailing skincare line by Eight Saints. Not only do they have retinol, but they’re infused with hyaluronic acid and texture-enhancing ingredients that help you achieve the best skin of your life. It’s gentle enough for daily use, these products can help improve the appearance of wrinkles, texture, dullness, and more.
What’s the Best Retinol Serum?
The best retinol serum is lightweight and improves the texture of your skin with continued use. You should be able to apply it, move on to your moisturizer, and not feel like your neck or face is greasy.
Eight Saints Skincare’s Smooth Sailing Retinol Serum is lightweight and promotes smoother, brighter skin with every use. Unlike other retinol products that irritate your skin, this serum gives you results without the pain.
Adding a retinol serum into your nightly skincare routine is easy. After you cleanse your face, apply a thin layer of the serum. From there, you can top it off with your favorite moisturizer. Over time, you’ll begin to notice your skin looks (and feels) better.
What’s the Best Retinol Cream?
Like serums, the best retinol creams are ones that you can use daily. But what sets creams apart is that they often have a more luxurious, thick texture. If you’re someone who loves rich moisturizers, a retinol cream is a great option for you.
Our Smooth Sailing Retinol Cream is specifically designed to improve the overall texture of your skin. Regular use can help your skin appear smoother and fine lines become less noticeable. Creams are also often recommended for beginners because they often leave your skin feeling more hydrated and protected.
If you’re looking to improve the appearance of wrinkles with retinol, look for a retinol cream. Our customers love how this cream helps their skin fight back against wrinkles and tighten their skin.
Using a retinol cream at night is just as easy as using a serum. After cleansing your face, apply a small amount of the retinol cream. You can apply your regular moisturizer overtop if you’d like. You should wake up with softer, smoother skin.
What is the Best Retinol for Sensitive Skin?
Typically, the best retinol for sensitive skin contains hydrating ingredients. Fragrance-free formulas are also ideal for minimizing irritation. Since sensitive skin has the potential to react to a lot of different ingredients, finding a product that you know won’t irritate your skin is important.
Remember, using too much retinol too soon is also incredibly damaging for sensitive skin. Start by using your retinol product once or twice a week. As your skin gets used to it, you can increase the amount you use it.
If you’ve been searching for the best retinol for sensitive skin, try our Smooth Sailing products. We formulated this line with hydration in mind to help improve the look and texture of your skin. While these products *do* contain retinol, they also have hyaluronic acid which helps fight the dryness often associated with retinol products.
What is the Best Retinol for Fine Lines Around the Eyes?
The best retinol for the skin around your eyes doesn’t irritate or cause redness. Using retinol on your face is different than using it directly on your eyes. That’s why it’s recommended to use a retinol eye cream instead of your regular retinol product if you want to improve the appearance of fine lines.
Eighth Saint’s Smooth Sailing Retinol Eye Cream is designed to help improve the appearance of crow’s feet and fine lines. Not only will you notice your fine lines reduced with regular use, but your skin will look more hydrated and moisturized.
Using retinol eye cream at night is similar to how you’d use any other skincare product. After washing your face, apply a small amount of eye cream to the skin around your eyes. In the morning, you should wake up with brighter, more rested-looking eyes.
How Do I Incorporate Retinol Into My Routine?
As mentioned earlier, you should start slow when incorporating retinol into your skincare routine. Apply your retinol product 1-2 times a week for the first month. Once your skin adjusts, you can increase the usage.
Because retinol promotes skin cell turnover, many experts recommend using a moisturizer after your retinol product. Retinol can make your skin dry and/or tight. Using a moisturizer can help hydrate your skin after.
Similarly, you should always wear sunscreen during the day when using retinol. Wearing sunscreen will help lock in the results you see from using retinol overnight.
Remember, consistency is key when you’re trying to improve the look and texture of your skin. You should always use retinol at night and build a routine that you can actually *stick to*.
The Smooth Sailing line was built with consistency in mind. Not only do our products work alone, but they also work together. You can build your routine using our retinol serum, retinol cream, and eye cream. It’s never been easier to improve your skin with retinol.
What are the Best Over the Counter Retinol Products?
While it’s easy to get discouraged searching for “best otc retinol”, keep in mind that taking care of your skin is a process. You didn’t develop dull skin overnight, and you won’t fix it overnight either.
Establish a skincare routine you know you can follow and use products that you enjoy using. If your routine is simple and convenient, you’re more likely to use your products every night.
That’s why we created the Smooth Sailing retinol line. Pick a serum, cream, or eye cream and watch your skin transform before your eyes.
Which Are the Best Retinol Products for Everyday Use?
Some may be wondering “what’s the best retinol?” and others may be asking “what’s the best retinol for me?”. At the end of the day, the best retinol product is the one that you’re going to use consistently. Whether you want to improve the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, or dull skin, using retinol is a great place to start.
If you want products you can use daily that are gentle on the skin, look no further than the Smooth Sailing collection by Eight Saints.