The Best Retinol Alternatives for Sensitive Skin

If you’re at all interested in anti-ageing skincare, it’s practically guaranteed that you’ve heard of retinol.

Also known as vitamin A, retinol has been proven time and time again to improve the look of fine lines, uneven texture, dark spots, acne and sun damage, and also boost collagen. Its efficacy makes it the first choice for many people. After all, who likes spending money on a product that makes tonnes of claims but doesn’t actually do much for your skin?

However, as much-loved as this ingredient is, retinol can cause your skin to become irritated or sensitive, and there are many rules around when you can use it and what products you can’t mix it with (see our guide to retinol here).

If you have sensitive skin, are afraid of the side effects of retinol, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, retinol isn’t for you—but luckily there are some great alternatives out there so you can still reap the benefits of retinol, without any of the irritation.

Keep reading for our top three alternatives to retinol for sensitive skin, plus some of our favourite products with each ingredient.

Bakuchiol

The most talked about alternative to retinol is bakuchiol, a powerful skin-smoothing ingredient derived from the babchi plant.

Gentler than retinol, bakuchiol works for all skin types, healing sensitive and dehydrated skin, evening out textured skin and brightening dull complexions.

The bakuchiol vs retinol debate is a long-standing one, and while some say bakuchiol isn’t quite as potent as retinol, this makes it perfect if potency is your concern. With bakuchiol, you also don’t need to worry about staying out of the sun, so you can apply it morning and/or night. And the plant-based ingredient is always vegan, whereas some forms of retinol may be derived from egg yolk and fish liver oil.

Below are a few of the bakuchiol products we love here at Cosmetify so you can add this gentle yet effective ingredient into any point of your skincare routine. You might also want to read Cosmetify’s full guide to the amazing ingredient here.

Peptides

Another retinol alternative we love is peptides, short chains of amino acids that are the building blocks of proteins in our skin and which firm up skin by promoting collagen and elastin.

Both retinol and peptides improve collagen production but peptides are more moisturising, and they also reduce inflammation where retinol can potentially cause it.

Read the full Cosmetify guide to peptides here, then shop our top peptide products below.

Niacinamide

If you’re looking for a great all-rounder ingredient, we can’t recommend niacinamide enough. Niacinamide (vitamin B3) absorbs quickly into your skin to treat a plethora of different conditions.

Niacinamide’s retinol-like benefits include boosting collagen and elastin production, firming up skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and dark spots and helping block UV rays and reducing UV-induced skin damage. For more of this lovely ingredient’s properties, check out our guide to niacinamide here.

Compatible with pretty much everything, niacinamide is a hydrating, ceramide production-boosting option for those who want to avoid retinol. Here’s our top recommendations for niacinamide products so you can load your bathroom cabinets up (and multiple niacinamide products can be safely layered, so don’t be afraid to stock up).

Now that you’ve read up on the best alternatives to retinol, you might want to peruse more products for sensitive skin, from gentle sunscreens to sensitive skin foundation. We’ve also compiled our favourite anti-ageing skincare products here, with everything from eye creams to night creams. Happy reading!