Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Night Moisturizer, 1 fl. oz

Why it's worth it

Neutrogena's Rapid Wrinkle Repair puts stabilized retinol and hyaluronic acid in a light night cream you can find almost anywhere. If you've never used retinol and don't want to commit to a prestige purchase to find out how your skin handles it, start here.

Retinol has the deepest evidence base of anything you can buy without a prescription. Decades of peer-reviewed work back it up for smoothing lines and improving texture, because it speeds cell turnover and nudges collagen production directly. Neutrogena uses a stabilized retinol paired with hyaluronic acid, so you get the active without the full brunt of the dryness that usually comes with it.

It's the product dermatologists name when someone asks where to start. It's widely stocked, easy to replace, and formulated without parabens, mineral oil or dyes. The instructions are refreshingly simple: a pearl-sized amount at night, on a clean face and neck. That low barrier matters, because the main reason people fail with retinol is quitting in week two.

From our review of 10 anti-aging face moisturizers, by Sarah Wright, Editorial Associate

What we like

• +Retinol has the deepest evidence base of anything you can buy without a prescription
• +It's the product dermatologists name when someone asks where to start
• +The texture is light, which is what you want at night
• +Nothing else here costs so little for a genuinely active formula

What to know

• –The first two weeks can be rough
• –It isn't fragrance-free, and the bottle is small
• –There's no sun protection in it, and retinol makes that more urgent