13 Best Retinol Body Lotions to Firm and Tighten Skin

The increasing variety can make it difficult to parse through all the options, so consider these formulations for every concern and skin type.

Best Overall: Nécessaire The Body Retinol

• Why We Love It: Nécessaire is known for its thoughtful hair and body products, so it’s little surprise that the brand would offer an excellent retinol cream for below the neck. It “works well for anyone who is looking for a higher concentration of retinol and wants an overnight body treatment,” says Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Birmingham, AL. “It provides the benefits of a retinol with an additional exfoliation boost from mandelic and glycolic acids for smoother skin.” Worth keeping in mind: Its smell may be polarizing, but it’s because the formula is fragrance-free, making it all the more suitable for people with sensitive skin.
• Key Ingredients: Peptides, glycolic acid, mandelic acid
• Retinol Concentration: 0.1%
• Size: 5.1 oz.

Best Beginner: Versed Press Restart Retinol Body Lotion

• Why We Love It: For those seeking the bare minimum of retinol to yield firmer, brighter skin, this lotion offers a very low concentration to do just that. Cocoa butter and squalane serve as the primary headliners; they deeply replenish moisture in skin, proving that it’s possible to get the best of both worlds.
• Key Ingredients: Cocoa butter, squalane, vitamin E
• Retinol Concentration: 0.01%
• Size: 6 fl. oz.

Best Intensive: Soft Services Software Update Retinol Body Serum

• Why We Love It: This fast-absorbing serum prioritizes performance, with a blend of 0.25% retinol—one of the higher concentrations on the shelf—as well as 5% niacinamide and 3% glycerin. While niacinamide has natural anti-inflammatory properties, making the retinol more tolerable, the formula is best for those who’ve used retinol in their body routine to some extent—or who are patient enough to use it every few days. While the glycerin does supply hydration, it’s not enough to replace a separate body moisturizer.
• Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, glycerin, grape seed oil
• Retinol Concentration: 0.25%
• Size: 2.5 fl. oz.

Best Drugstore: Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight Body & Face Lotion

• Why We Love It: Retinol-infused body lotions can be hard to come by in the skin-care aisle of your local drugstore, which makes this particular lotion unique. It pairs retinol with peptides, which together help improve skin texture and tone, and it’s gentle enough that you can use it on your face and neck. The blend of jojoba oil, vitamin E, and cocoa and shea butters delivers deep moisture, while niacinamide works to even tone over time. It’s also free of parabens and fragrances, making it suitable for those with sensitivities.
• Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, shea butter, peptides
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 7 fl. oz., 13 fl. oz.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Paula’s Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment

• Why We Love It: If you want to keep your routine streamlined, consider this multitasking formula. “It pairs retinol with antioxidants—vitamins C and E—to fight fine lines and wrinkles, plus shea butter for moisture,” says Dr. Hartman, who notes that his patients with sensitive skin tend to tolerate this well. Despite its robust ingredients, its texture is silky and quick to absorb, making for a more seamless application, too.
• Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, vitamin E, shea butter
• Retinol Concentration: 0.1%
• Size: 4 fl. oz.

Best for Mature Skin: Chantecaille Rose de Mai Body Cream with Retinol

• Why We Love It: Retinol can seem like a utilitarian ingredient, but this houses the results-driven active in a luxurious, velvety cream. It deploys an encapsulated retinol, which allows for a more gradual and therefore longer-lasting release, to work alongside avocado and marine extracts; these help tone skin. As with the rest of the brand’s Rose de Mai line, it harnesses the rose extract to soften and smooth skin.
• Key Ingredients: Avocado extract, shea butter, jojoba esters
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 5.1 fl. oz.

Best for Dry Skin: Naturium Skin-Renewing Retinol Body Lotion

• Why We Love It: Retinol can leave skin dry and flaky, which is why it works best when paired with soothing ingredients. This fragrance-free cream offers just that with a blend of allantoin, shea butter, and sodium PCA, which work together to calm redness and bolster the moisture barrier. Better yet, it’s even been carefully formulated to be at a slightly acidic pH that doesn’t disturb that of skin.
• Key Ingredients: Allantoin, shea butter, sodium PCA
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 8 fl. oz.

Best Firming: African Botanics Advanced Retinol Body Treatment Cream

• Why We Love It: Caffeine is a frequent active among body creams, since it can boost circulation and may smooth uneven skin texture. It’s even more powerful in this body cream, where it works alongside retinol to firm skin on the arms and legs. It does contain a blend of alpha hydroxy acids—glycolic, mandelic, and lactic acids among them—but the addition of soothing niacinamide and allantoin help keep skin comfortable despite its potent ingredients. It also has a fresh, herbaceous scent, thanks to a thoughtful blend of essential oils.
• Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, caffeine, polyglutamic acid
• Retinol Concentration: 0.2%
• Size: 3.4 fl. oz.

Best for Body Acne: Topicals Slather Exfoliating Body Serum

• Why We Love It: While it’s not billed as a body-acne treatment, this serum-like formula is able to clear pores with a blend of encapsulated retinol, lactic acid, and urea—a trio that helps clear dead skin cells and prevents clogs from occurring. Its milky texture is easy to spread into skin, and a little goes a long way. While the squalane isn’t enough to replace a standard body moisturizer, it does help offset any potential dryness.
• Key Ingredients: Lactic acid, urea, squalane
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 5 oz.

Best Smoothing: U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound

• Why We Love It: U Beauty is a brand anchored in science—using technology that merited a white paper in the Journal for Cosmetic Dermatology—so it’s little surprise that its body resurfacing serum is, in a word, excellent. Makeup scion Bobbi Brown swears by this formula, which is packed with retinol, alpha hydroxy acids, and a peeling peptide, for preparing her skin for spring and summer after a long winter. Together, they make quick work of rough, flaky skin.
• Key Ingredients: Peptides, glycolic acid, lactic acid
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 6.7 fl. oz.

Best for Keratosis Pilaris: Shani Darden Body Reform Treatment Serum

• Why We Love It: Los Angeles esthetician Shani Darden, whose roster of clients includes Jennifer Aniston, had a hit on her hands with her Retinol Reform, which paired retinol with alpha hydroxy acids to soften fine lines and wrinkles on the face. This version for the body uses a granactive retinoid—a gentler form than retinol—to trigger skin cell turnover, as well as a patented ingredient to target the bumps associated with keratosis pilaris.
• Key Ingredients: Vitamin C, amino acids, shea butter
• Retinol Concentration: 2%
• Size: 4 oz.

Best for Cellulite: Replenix Retinol Smooth + Tighten Body Lotion

• Why We Love It: Instead of your average retinol, this body treatment uses a version called all-trans retinol, which is more potent than the former. Along with antioxidants and ceramides, that gives this formula the ability to address wrinkled, sagging, or bumpy skin, helping it look firmer and smoother over time. The ceramides—which are designed to mimic those naturally found in the skin barrier—enable it to double as your daily moisturizer.
• Key Ingredients: Ceramides, caffeine, green tea extract
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 6.7 fl. oz.

Best for Dark Spots: Fig.1 Retinol Renewal Body Serum

• Why We Love It: Co-founded by a board-certified dermatologist, Fig.1’s body serum uses an encapsulated retinol for a slow release and reduced side effects. What’s equally important, however, is its lineup of antioxidants—namely, niacinamide and vitamins C and E. These help in their own right to brighten and repair skin, while squalane and meadowfoam seed oil help support the skin barrier, making for a product that’s more than the sum of its parts.
• Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, vitamin C, vitamin E
• Retinol Concentration: Not listed
• Size: 3.4 fl. oz.

Does retinol body lotion really work?

Yes, retinol can be powerful in a body-care product. “If you use a body lotion with retinol, you can count on it being one of the most powerful ingredients with its potential to change the appearance, tone, and texture of the skin,” Dr. Hartman says. It can help firm areas of the body prone to sagging, like around the knees and arms, and can help smooth skin and fade dark spots.

What percentage of retinol do you need in a body cream for it to be effective?

For the body, “a concentration between 0.5% and 1% retinol is typically effective and well tolerated,” says Dr. Arora. However, it’s possible to see concentrations as low as 0.01%, which is preferable for those with very sensitive skin or those just starting out. That may be a good idea for beginners. “Higher concentrations might be too intense for larger body areas, so starting with a lower concentration is often recommended,” he says.

What to look for in a body cream with retinol

Dr. Arora recommends seeking out hydrating ingredients, especially if you want it to do double-duty to nourish skin. Hyaluronic acid or ceramides can help counteract potential dryness, while “formulations that incorporate soothing agents such as aloe or chamomile can help calm the skin and minimize irritation,” he says.

A bonus of hydrating ingredients is that their effects tend to be immediate, whereas retinol can take a few weeks to reveal results, depending on the concentration and your frequency of application. “Adding hydration to the skin will also help smooth superficial fine lines by plumping the skin and evening out shallow lines,” says Dr. Hartman.