According to Dr. Howe, the main reason you should use retinol only at night is because the ingredient can be broken down by ultraviolet light. “If you apply retinol in the morning, you risk inactivating it before it has time to exert its beneficial effects,” he says.
Retinol is typically applied at night, but it can be safely applied in the morning if the formula was made for that. The L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Day Lotion SPF 30 is a great example of this, it's a day moisturizer that contains pro-retinol, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and SPF 30.
Retinol and vitamin C
Both products can cause skin irritation, so you'll want to add one at a time over a period of a couple of weeks. It's best to use a product with Vitamin C in the morning and keep the retinol for nighttime.
Dr. Peredo says all retinoids used during the daytime should be stable. She recommends starting with a low concentration, such as 0.25%, and seeing how the skin reacts. “Then, gradually work your way up to twice a day, if needed, once the skin adjusts.”
On the skincare spectrum, retinol naturally leans toward the more irritating meaning overuse or incorrect use can quickly lead to a negative reaction and if you're part of the sensitive skin club you may react faster.
The best product you can use in conjunction with retinol, according to Dr. Zeichner, is a moisturizer, which can help hydrate skin and reduce the risk of irritation from retinol. “Some people even prefer to mix their retinol with a moisturizing cream to dilute it out,” he says.
After applying your retinol product, it's best to wait roughly 10 minutes before moving on to the next step in your routine.
STEP 4: WAIT UNTIL YOUR SKIN IS DRY
It's essential to make sure to wait until your skin is dehydrated before moving on to applying your retinol. If you use it on wet or even damp skin, there is a greater likelihood that you'll experience irritation. That is because cleansing the skin opens up the pores.
If you used products with potent actives at a very high percentage such as retinols or strong acids on your skin overnight, as a precaution, cleanse your face in the morning.
Should you use retinol under your eyes? Yes, definitely. While it is true that retinol – a form of vitamin A – is a powerful ingredient and that the skin under your eyes is delicate, there's no reason why you should miss out on the amazing benefits of retinol.
They are safe to layer or blend together, and the great thing about using retinol and hyaluronic acid together is that hyaluronic acid helps calm the skin down after retinol use. As mentioned above, retinol can often take some time to get used to — you might even see some peeling at first.
Use retinol once or twice a week at first to see how your skin reacts, and gradually work up to every other day or three times a week. Another key tip for using retinol is to incorporate it into your nighttime skincare routine only, as it makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight.
It is useless to use benzoyl peroxide, which is usually used to treat acne, and retinol together, says Paviol. The ingredients can cancel the positive effects of each other out and leave skin extremely dry and irritated.
You can use retinol with niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Retinol tends to cause dryness and irritation, while hyaluronic acid and niacinamide hydrate the skin and maintain your skin's function as a protective barrier. Do not combine retinol with AHAs, BHAs, or Vitamin C.
However, if you want specific treatment products like retinol to work to their full effect, it's better to use it before the moisturizer step than after, and if you want to reduce the strength of specific treatment products like retinol, It is better to use retinol after moisturizer.
Mix your retinol with your moisturizer, or apply your moisturizer first and then your retinol. Always use sunscreen the morning after you apply retinol. Your skin will be especially sensitive to sunlight, so it's important to protect it.
Retinol Sandwich technique
A Retinol sandwich is just Retinol layered between two moisturiser treatments. Apply moisturiser on damp, cleaned skin to do this. Next, apply your Retinol product as indicated on the packaging, avoiding sensitive areas such as the eyes and mouth corners.
Mild reactions like slight redness or tingling are OK, but anything that feels super uncomfortable, burning or painful is a definite red flag and means you should not continue use. And if the feeling gets worse? Seek advice from a board-certified skincare expert, pronto.
Retinol can be a skin irritant
Dermatitis, erythema (redness), scaling/dryness, peeling, burning or stinging, and irritation of the skin are common adverse reactions reported with retinol use, and, in some cases, the reactions are so bad, that even at low concentrations it cannot be used by certain people.
At Jersey Beauty we don't believe in turning back the clock or anti-ageing miracle products but we do know that healthy skin as you age can have increased levels of collagen production. One of the most powerful ingredients for collagen production and skin tightening is retinol - a form of Vitamin A.