While the advantages of retinoids like retinol—firmer, clearer, and brighter skin—are essentially fact at this point, what constitutes the best retinoid is a bit more debatable. That’s because retinoid is not a single ingredient but an umbrella term for multiple vitamin A–derived molecules.

“Think of retinoids as a family of ingredients that all work by communicating with skin cells and encouraging them to behave in a healthier, more youthful way,” says Azideh Shirazi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in La Jolla, California. “The biggest difference is how directly they get to the active form your skin can use.”

Vogue’s Favorite Retinoids

Best Retinol Serum: L’Oréal Paris Revitalift 0.3% Pure Retinol Night Serum, $32

Best Retinal Serum: Medik8 Crystal Retinal 6, $87

Best Adapalene: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment, $40

Best Tretinoin: Musely The Anti-Aging Cream, $35

The active form she’s referencing is retinoic acid. “Typically a prescription, retinoic acid is biologically active and does not have to go through any conversions to work on your skin,” says Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City.

These include tretinoin and tazarotene. Adapalene is similar, working directly on the retinoid receptors in skin without any conversions.

Meanwhile, retinal requires one conversion, while retinol calls for two. Those conversions effectively act like speed bumps, slowing down the ingredient’s effect on skin and therefore making it easier to tolerate.

“Generally, the fewer steps, the more direct and potentially more powerful the ingredient can be,” says Dr. Shirazi.

But for the most part, you aren’t applying retinol on its own in a formulation—or even in your routine. So while it may be tempting to jump to the strongest retinoid out there, “things like the formulation, concentration, and how well your skin tolerates it also make a difference,” Dr.

Shirazi says. Moreover, a stronger formula doesn’t necessarily make it a better one, especially if it causes painful side effects like stinging and peeling, which are fairly common with retinoids.

Rather, “a retinoid that you can comfortably use consistently will usually serve you better than one that leaves your skin irritated and forces you to stop,” she explains.

Before you choose your retinoid, consider what exactly you need. “I usually start by asking my patients three questions: What are we treating?

How sensitive is your skin? And what is your experience with retinoids?” says Dr.

Shirazi. If you have acne, you may benefit more from adapalene than someone who’s concerned about fine lines.

And, for those who are new to retinoids or have sensitive skin (or both), an over-the-counter retinol can help you build tolerance without sacrificing your comfort.

At the end of the day, “you don’t necessarily need the strongest retinoid,” she says. “You need the one that's going to give you results without making your skin miserable.” With that, scroll ahead for the types of retinoids for every concern.

Retinol

Retinol has turned into a catch-all name for over-the-counter retinoids—not because it’s accurate, but because it was the first version to become widely used in skin-care products. That said, it’s fairly weak as far as retinoids go.

“Retinol is less potent than retinal,” says Dr. Camp.

“Skin has to convert retinol to retinal before it turns into retinoic acid.” But because of that, it’s an excellent option for those who’d like to dip their toe into this ingredient category, he says, as well as people with sensitive skin. If that’s the case, “consider sticking with retinols, as opposed to retinals and retinoids, which are stronger,” he says.

Retinal

Retinal, short for retinaldehyde, is a relative newcomer to the skin-care realm, drawing attention for its potency. “Retinal is also known as retinaldehyde and is the strongest retinoid available without a prescription because it is more bioavailable than other forms,” says Dr.

Camp. (“Bioavailable” indicates how much of it can be put to work by skin—meaning it can yield better results.) “It requires fewer conversions than retinol to become its active form.” Because of that, it’s a great starting point if your skin can handle it, or a good way to step up your results if you’ve been using, and comfortable with, retinol for a while.

Adapalene

Adapalene is a bit of a black sheep in the family of retinoids. Like tretinoin, it’s immediately available in the skin—no conversions required.

But it works a little differently: It’s a synthetic retinoid, for one, and has a different structure and activity than tretinoin, according to Dr. Shirazi.

As a result, it “binds to fewer nuclear receptors than retinoic acid,” says Dr. Camp, who notes that it was created specifically for acne-prone skin.

Because of this nuance, “it may be better tolerated than retinoic acid, and is available in OTC and prescription strengths,” he says.

Tretinoin

Tretinoin is retinoic acid. Because of that, “it works more directly,” says Dr. Shirazi. “It’s very well studied for both acne and signs of aging like fine lines, texture, and sun damage.” But it can come with some harsh side effects, like redness, peeling, and dryness, for new users—even those who have used over-the-counter retinoids in the past.

Tretinoin can be especially impactful for those with mature skin, offering the maximum power available to smooth wrinkles and fine lines, not to mention fade age spots—making it worth your while, if you can handle it. However, “keep in mind that mature skin tends to be more dry and that retinols can further exacerbate dryness,” says Dr. Camp. So, pair it with a good moisturizer and ease into your prescription.