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While vitamin C and sunscreen products tend to get a lot of praise, retinol is another skin care essential that receives plenty of buzz within the skincare space—this form of vitamin A softens fine lines, inhibits redness, and corrects dark spots. So yes, in short, it’s basically the miracle worker those Instagram memes told you it was. However, while dermatologist-prescribed retinol (aka prescription-strength) tends to be most effective, over-the-counter retinol products (which can vastly vary in price depending on the brand and retailer) are arguably just as efficacious these days —they too improve skin tone and tighten sagging skin with continued use. Though, luxury brands tend to get the spotlight for the effectiveness, while budget skincare sits second fiddle.
But, more than willing to shed my prejudices against cheaper retinol products, I decided to give the LilyAna Naturals Retinol Cream for Face a try. After all, since this cream currently has a 4.4-star rating on Amazon, with a whopping 28,136 reviews to boot, I figured it was definitely a must-see for this budget retinol skeptic.