This guide will reveal everything you need to know about Retinol before and after application. Ever applied retinol and woke up feeling like a peeled tomato? Or worse, you broke out even more? Now, retinol is powerful, but only if you use it properly.
Today, we’ll teach you everything you need to know about retinol before starting, especially who should actually avoid it, how to actually apply it properly, and which products to start with, especially if you’re in a humid, hot country like Malaysia, Singapore, or India.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. It’s one of the most studied and proven skincare ingredients in the world.
What Retinol Does
- Retinol speeds up cell turnover.
- Retinol unclogs pores, which is great for acne. It fades pigmentation and acne scars.
- It also helps boost collagen and smoothen out your wrinkles.
Now, think of it as a skin reset button, but it also increases skin sensitivity. So using it wrongly can do more harm than good.
Who should not use retinol?
Now, retinol isn’t for everyone. So here’s a list of people that should consult with a doctor before starting retinol.
- If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
- People with eczema or rosacea.
- Those with extremely sensitive skin or damaged skin barrier.
- Kids or teens with very unstable skin barrier.
Now, you can always use genital options like bucketrol or niacinamide instead if you have sensitive skin.
When and How should You Use Retinol?
Now, let’s talk about timing and routine;
- You only use retinol at night because retinol breaks down and in sunlight.
- Start with once or twice a week and then slowly up it to three times a week when your skin is already used to it.
- Apply it right after cleansing on dry skin.
- Don’t use too much. Use a pea size only for your entire face.
- Follow up with a moisturizer to prevent dryness.
- Always remember to put SPF in the morning because your skin might be sensitive to sunlight.
So why should you apply on dry skin? Because applying retinol on damp skin actually increases the speed of which retinol is absorbed by your skin.
It also means more skin irritation. So what should you expect from retinol? In the first two to six weeks, your skin might go through some sort of adjustment period.
So during this period, you will notice that you might get peeling skin or flaky skin, a little bit of skin tightness, mild skin redness and even tingling sensation when you apply your moisturizer.
In some cases, you might actually get purging which are teeny tiny acne or breakouts. Then over time, it gets better. This is normal because it means your skin is reacting quicker than other people to retinol.
But however, if it gets too irritated, what you should do is this. You just pause it for a couple of days or up to a week. You add in an extra layer of moisturizer and switch to coming ingredients which contains things like centella asiatica or panthenol.
So what should you not mix with retinol? Now, retinol doesn’t have many friends.
Ingredients You Should Never Mix With Retinol
So here’s a list of ingredients that you should never mix with retinol.
- Avoid mixing with AHA, BHA like glycolic acid, lactic acid or salicylic acid.
- Do not put vitamin C immediately after your retinol.
- Do not mix it with benzoyl peroxide.
- Do not ever scrub or use anything with microbeads with retinol and avoid those harsh clay masks.
Now, this is what you should do;
Stick to gentler, more supportive ingredients. Things like hyaluronic acid, centella asiatica, ceramides, niacinamide, and even panthenol.
Pro Tip
If you want to use the acids which are not supposed to be used or something like vitamin C, make sure you apply on separate occasions, like during the daytime or every alternate days.
So if you’re starting on retinol, you definitely don’t want to splurge too much on it.
Budget Friendly Retinols
So here are some budget-friendly retinols that you can use. If you’re on a budget, here are are suggestions.
- You can use the Aldrin’s Retinol 0.2% in squalene
- Can use the Inkey List Retinol
- Can use Braly Retinol Serum
- Sun By Mi Retinol Serum
Now, if you want to splurge a little bit more, you can try the CeraVe’s Resurfacing Retinol Serum, La Roche-Posay Retinol B3, Paula’s Choice 0.3% Retinol, and the Minimalist 0.3% Granactive Retinoid.
However, if you have super sensitive skin, you can go ahead and use probably to switch it over to Bak Chor.
Now, a brand from the plant-based by which trend is actually very good, or you can use encapsulated retinol formulas.
Beginner Checklist Before Using Retinol
- Start slowly, once or twice a week, nighttime only.
- Always use a moisturizer after your retinol.
- Avoid strong actives with your retinol
- Use sunscreen daily.
- Expect a little bit of skin irritation or purging for the first two to six weeks.
- Be patient because retinol takes anywhere between six to 12 weeks to see results.
So remember, retinol only works when your skin barrier is ready for it.
Conclusion
So, starting retinol doesn’t have to be scary. You just need to know the right steps, the right products, and a little bit of patience. If you tried retinol before and gave up, maybe it wasn’t the product itself.
Maybe it’s the way you used it. So, this guide is for your friends or someone who’s struggling with acne or want to use retinol but doesn’t know where to start.
