The best retinol creams and moisturizers you can buy

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream is a powerful yet affordable antiaging product.

It has hyaluronic acid to balance the effects of the potent retinol, which fills in deep wrinkles and works to even out skin texture. It promises results in just one week of consistent use, though everyone's results will vary.

This is a gentle formula that can be used nightly, but if you've never used retinol before, it's a good idea to start every other night.

"This cream makes my skin feel luxurious and thoroughly moisturized. My dentist thought I had gotten Botox on my forehead as I had no wrinkles. I am 50. This cream miraculously faded the large deep wrinkles I had there, which I never expected a cream could do," writes one Target shopper.

The product has an average 3.7 rating on Amazon based on more than 700 reviews. It's been featured on Harper's Bazaar and Prevention, which also give the product high marks, and shoppers on the product review site Influenster give it 4.3 stars based on more than 140 reviews.

Pros: Affordable, effective, contains moisturizing hyaluronic acid

Cons: Not as potent retinol content as other options

SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 Maximum Strength Refining Night Cream blends a high concentration of 1% retinol with soothing ingredients like chamomile-derived bisabolol and frankincense-derived boswellia serrata extract to cut down on skin sensitivity.

The air-tight metal tube packaging is designed to keep the ingredients potent and fresh for as long as possible. It's also non-comedogenic and fragrance-free, and is ideal for slightly sensitive skin that has already adjusted to a lower-strength retinol.

"Biggest bang for your buck as far as addressing cell turnover, brightening skin and refining pore size. Non- irritating but start with 0.5 before 1.0," writes one Dermstore shopper.

The product has a perfect 5 out of 5 rating on Dermstore based on 300 reviews.

Pros: Strong OTC retinol, contains soothing ingredients, air-tight packaging

Cons: Expensive, can be irritating if your skin is not used to retinol

StriVectin-AR Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer manages to be both a highly effective OTC retinol and a super hydrating moisturizer in one tube.

The key is the brand's patented Nia-114 technology which claims to help minimize sensitivity to retinol with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and shea butter to hydrate, copper tripeptides to boost collagen, and resveratrol to defend against free radical damage.

"If you want to wake up to instant smoother and brighter skin, this is the moisturizer for you," writes Harper's Bazaar. Editors at Town & Country and Allure are also big fans.

The Intensive Night Moisturizer has a 4.6 star rating on Ulta, based on more than 140 reviews. One shopper writes, "Love this! Just a few drops of star light oil and this on my face at night after cleansing. Has helped clear acne, milia, and blackheads with minimal redness, irritation and flaking. Can't wait to see the results after a few more weeks!"

Pros: Hydrating, works to minimize retinol sensitivity, cruelty-free

Cons: Expensive

Retinol is tricky when your skin is highly reactive to just about anything, but Clark's Botanicals Retinol Rescue Overnight Cream with Calming Colloidal Oatmeal is formulated for sensitive skin.

This moisturizer contains vitamin E, and colloidal oatmeal, an ingredient known to help combat the effects of skin conditions such as eczema and rosacea. And of course, retinol — except, in this case, the ingredient is "released" over time and when it gets applied onto skin so it remains potent even in the jar packaging.

"LOVE this cream! I've seen amazing results - evening out of my skin tone and minimizing my fine lines and wrinkles. Very gentle with the colloidal oatmeal - doesn't dry out skin like other retinol products," writes one Amazon shopper. Overall, the product has a 4.4 average rating out of more than 30 reviews.

The cream has been featured on The Derm Review and Allure.

Pros: meant for sensitive skin, time-release form of retinol, contains colloidal oatmeal

Cons: expensive might not be strong enough for more experienced retinol users

• The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane ($9.60): This affordable serum mixes retinol with squalane oil to hydrate the skin and is very highly-rated (4.7 stars out of 5 at Sephora), but since it's technically not a cream it didn't quite fit on this list.
• Dermalogica Overnight Retinol Repair ($90): This two-step product comes with a Buffer Cream to protect skin and allow you to alter the ratio of retinol to moisturizer as your skin adjusts. It's highly rated, but we didn't love the fact that it's a multi-step process.