Best Retinol Cream? 750 Reviews of Good Molecules, Drunk Elephant, Ordinary

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Review-analysis guide: 750 customer reviews read on Ulta and Sephora (October 24, 2026), sorted and counted by us; product details from brand and retailer pages checked October 24, 2026. We paraphrase patterns and never copy reviews. Results are patterns that customers described and we counted.

By The Beauty Read · Checked October 24, 2026 · AI-assisted research and editing · Contains Amazon affiliate links

The best retinol cream depends on how your skin handles actives. In 686 usable Ulta and Sephora reviews, the retinoid emulsion from The Ordinary (paid link) drew the fewest irritation reports (6%), the gentle cream from Good Molecules (paid link) sat in the middle (13%), and Drunk Elephant (paid link) A-Passioni drew the most clearer-skin praise (25%) and the most irritation reports (24%).

Best retinol cream: what 750 reviews agree on

We read 750 customer reviews of three retinol cream picks to see which one irritates least and which one reviewers credit with visible change: Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream, Drunk Elephant A-Passioni and The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion. The third is a light emulsion rather than a classic cream: its main retinoid is hydroxypinacolone retinoate, which its listing calls an advanced retinoid alternative, and its ingredient list also includes retinol. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO] [A1] [A2] [A3]

Praise for tone and smoothness is close across the three. About a fifth to a quarter of each product's reviewers say skin looked smoother or lines softer, and 18% to 26% say tone looked brighter or more even. The clear difference is irritation: 24% of A-Passioni reviewers reported redness, peeling, stinging or dryness, against 13% for Good Molecules and 6% for The Ordinary. Breakouts or purging came up in about 9% of reviews for each. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

How we read 750 reviews at Ulta and Sephora

We read the 250 newest reviews per product: Good Molecules on Ulta, A-Passioni and The Ordinary on Sephora. On Sephora we skipped reviews that Sephora itself flags as incentivized or written by staff before reading; that meant skipping 77 among The Ordinary's newest 327 and 6 among A-Passioni's newest 306. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

Another 64 were set aside: 21 too early to judge or not used, 14 about another product or a whole routine, 13 that say the product was free or a sample, 5 with no real text, 4 about shipping or a fake, 4 repeats and 3 not in English. That leaves 686 usable reviews: 224 for Good Molecules, 223 for A-Passioni and 239 for The Ordinary. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

One caution: the Sephora reviews lean older. 151 of A-Passioni's usable reviews are from 2020 and 2021, and 135 of The Ordinary's from 2021 and 2022, while all of Good Molecules' are from 2024 to 2026. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

Good Molecules, a gentle retinol cream for beginners

The Good Molecules cream is fragrance-free, and its listing says it is designed to be gentle and suits all skin types, including sensitive. The listing tells you to apply it in the evening and wear SPF by day. We link the 1 fl oz tube sold by Good Molecules US and shipped from Amazon. [A1]

Of 224 usable reviews, 46 (21%) say skin looked smoother or lines softer, 46 (21%) say it was gentle, 40 (18%) say tone looked brighter and 36 (16%) say skin looked clearer. Twenty-seven (12%) say they would buy it again. Only 6 (3%) say they saw no results. [R-ULT-GM]

Twenty-eight (13%) reported irritation and 16 (7%) blamed it for breakouts; 4 called it purging. Of 10 reviewers who say it was their first retinol, 1 reported irritation. Of 23 who say they have sensitive skin, 5 did, while 16 said it was gentle. Twenty-eight (13%) gave one or two stars. [R-ULT-GM]

See Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream, 1 fl oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 1 fl oz tube sold by Good Molecules US and shipped from Amazon.

Drunk Elephant A-Passioni: most clear-skin praise, most irritation reports

A-Passioni lists 1.0% retinol with vitamin F fatty acids and peptides. Its listing says to start once or twice a week, increase gradually, and pair it with SPF, and that it can be mixed with a Drunk Elephant moisturizer. We link the 30 ml tube sold by Drunk Elephant USA and shipped from Amazon. [A2]

Of 223 usable reviews, 56 (25%) say skin looked clearer, the most of the three, and 48 (22%) say tone looked brighter. Forty-six (21%) say skin looked smoother, 33 (15%) would buy again and 25 (11%) say a little goes a long way. [R-SEP-DE]

It also drew the most complaints. Fifty-four (24%) reported irritation, 24 (11%) saw no results, 20 (9%) complained about price and 18 (8%) had a packaging problem. Seventy-nine (35%) built up slowly, used it only some nights or mixed it with moisturizer. Forty (18%) gave one or two stars. [R-SEP-DE]

See Drunk Elephant A-Passioni Retinol Cream, 30 ml on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 30 ml tube sold by Drunk Elephant USA and shipped from Amazon.

The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid: fewest irritation reports

The Ordinary's emulsion is built on hydroxypinacolone retinoate, a retinoid its listing calls an advanced retinoid alternative; the ingredient list also includes retinol, plus Tasmannia lanceolata extract as an anti-irritant. The listing says to use it in the evening after cleansing and before creams, so it works more like a light lotion or retinol serum than a moisturizer. We link the 1 fl oz bottle sold by Amazon.com. [A3]

Of 239 usable reviews, 63 (26%) say tone looked brighter or more even and 58 (24%) say skin looked smoother, the highest shares of the three. Fifty-four (23%) say it was gentle, 41 (17%) say skin looked clearer and 27 (11%) mention softer wrinkles or firmer skin. [R-SEP-TO]

Only 15 (6%) reported irritation. Its most common complaints are no results (20, or 8%) and texture (17, or 7%), most often stickiness. Seven called it purging and 15 blamed it for breakouts. Thirty-one (13%) gave one or two stars. [R-SEP-TO]

See The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion, 1 fl oz on Amazon (paid link) · This link opens the 1 fl oz bottle sold and shipped by Amazon.com.

Which retinol cream for sensitive skin, acne or wrinkles

Looking for a retinol cream for sensitive skin? Among reviewers who say they have sensitive skin, irritation reports were similar for all three: 4 of 22 with The Ordinary, 4 of 19 with A-Passioni and 5 of 23 with Good Molecules. Those groups are small, so the overall irritation rates above are the stronger signal. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

None of the three listings claims to treat acne, but if you are shopping for a retinol cream for acne, A-Passioni drew the most clearer-skin reports (25%), against 17% for The Ordinary and 16% for Good Molecules. For the best retinol cream for wrinkles, no pick stands out: only 7% to 11% of reviewers mention softer wrinkles or firmer skin, and The Ordinary leads at 11%. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

For a retinol cream for beginners, most first-timers in our reviews did not report irritation: 1 of 10 reported irritation with Good Molecules, 2 of 14 with A-Passioni and 3 of 13 with The Ordinary. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

How each one feels, and how to use retinol cream like reviewers

Good Molecules drew almost no texture complaints (2), and 9% say it felt moisturizing. A-Passioni had 6 texture complaints, and 11% say one tube lasts a long time. The Ordinary drew the most texture complaints (7%), most often stickiness, though 13% say it felt moisturizing. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO]

Easing in was common: 79 reviewers for A-Passioni, 38 for Good Molecules and 35 for The Ordinary built up slowly, used it some nights or mixed it with moisturizer. Good Molecules and The Ordinary list evening use, and A-Passioni's listing says morning or night, so any of them can serve as a retinol night cream. Wear sunscreen by day, as all three listings say; our face sunscreen review covers options. [R-ULT-GM] [R-SEP-DE] [R-SEP-TO] [A1] [A2] [A3]

Keep reading

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• Best face moisturizer: 750 Sephora reviews of FAB, Tatcha and LANEIGE
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Frequently asked questions

What is the best retinol cream for beginners?

In our reviews, the fewest irritation reports came with The Ordinary's retinoid emulsion (6%) and Good Molecules (13%, and 1 of 10 first-timers). A-Passioni drew more irritation reports (24%), so start it once or twice a week, as its listing says.

Which retinol cream is best for sensitive skin?

Among reviewers who say they have sensitive skin, irritation reports were similar: 4 of 22 with The Ordinary, 4 of 19 with A-Passioni and 5 of 23 with Good Molecules. Overall, The Ordinary drew the fewest irritation reports (6%). Start slowly with any of them.

Is The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion a retinol cream?

Not exactly. It is a light emulsion you apply before creams, and its main retinoid is hydroxypinacolone retinoate, which its listing calls an advanced retinoid alternative; the ingredient list also includes retinol. In our reviews, 23% called it gentle.

Does retinol cause purging or breakouts?

Some reviewers say so. Breakouts or purging came up in about 9% of usable reviews for each of the three, and most reviewers did not mention either.

How do I use retinol cream?

Follow the listing: Good Molecules says evening after cleansing with SPF by day; A-Passioni says a pea-size amount, starting once or twice a week; The Ordinary says evening, before creams. Many reviewers built up slowly or mixed it with moisturizer.