If you're already using retinol or dermatologist-grade retinoids as part of your daily skincare routine, “there's really no reason to use an additional retinol eye cream,” says Dr. Krishna.
Step 1: Wash your face and apply eye cream. An eye cream will help protect the delicate skin around your eyes. Step 2: Wait a few minutes until your skin is completely dry. This is important, because if your skin is at all damp, the retinol will be able to absorb more deeply into your skin and might cause irritation.
When using a retinoid, you should use acid-based products and Vitamin C in your morning skincare routine only. But remember that using different exfoliators can lead to redness and irritation, especially when you first start using a retinoid, so consider sticking to a simplified skincare routine when starting out.
Don't Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol. As for benzoyl peroxide and retinol, they cancel each other out.
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.
Regardless of your skin type or which product you use first, a layer of moisturizer should always be applied after retinoids.
What Are the Benefits of Combining the Two? Good news: Retinol and hyaluronic acid actually have a synergistic effect. “They can be combined so that the benefits of retinol can be achieved more easily with concomitant use of hyaluronic acid, which helps to prevent retinol irritation,” says Hartman.
Also avoid retinol if you're going to be spending a lot of time in direct sunlight without proper sun protection. Retinol can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so it's important to use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 every day — even when it looks cloudy.
L'Oréal Paris RevitaLift Night Serum with Pure Retinol
Goldenberg's go-to recommendation for timing between serums and moisturizers is about one minute. This wait has the same reasoning: Sixty seconds — give or take — gives each product a moment to delve into your pores.
Always apply Retinol products at night, as sunlight can diminish their power. If you're a prescription-strength user, use Retinol as the first layer on your skin after washing your face with a cleansing cream and before applying your anti-aging moisturizer.
In general, most people won't need to use an exfoliant with tretinoin. Instead, the best approach is to let tretinoin work on its own to speed up skin cell turnover and improve your skin, all while managing potential dryness, flaking and irritation through good hydration and moisturizing.
Bare Skin Care - Is it possible for a retinol eye cream to make my under-eye wrinkles worse? First, the answer is yes, retinol can make wrinkles worse, especially when you first start using it. What is happening is a drying effect, and one can get epidermal sliding from separation from the dermis.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off.
Introduce retinol into your eye care routine
Retinol supports the skin's natural renewal process, helping to improve the appearance of dark circles and puffy under eyes.
When using hyaluronic acid and retinol, apply retinol first, then hyaluronic acid.
A combination of retinoids and humectants such as niacinamide, panthenol, glycerin, and hyaluronic acid can help slow down TEWLs during application of retinoid. Hyaluronic Acid is an excellent ingredient to alleviate some of these concerns.
Niacinamide and retinol can be combined in one product, which may be easier and more convenient. But they're also available as separate products. If you're using these ingredients in separate products, it's recommended to apply niacinamide first and to then follow with retinol.
Apply topical retinoids
Retinoids, which are topical vitamin A-based derivatives, may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production. If you use retinoids on your face, extend the treatment area to your neck and chest at night. Retinoid products are available by prescription or over the counter.
To apply a serum with retinol correctly, Smooth it onto clean skin before your moisturizer. Your serum will have a thinner consistency than your moisturizer, which is what determines the application order.
Under-Eye Retinols
While dermatologists say it's safe to use retinol as an under-eye cream, the group weighed in with the recommendations they like to use on the sensitive area.
Can you use retinol every day? Start slow. If you're a new user, your skin may only be able to tolerate retinol once every other day or so. As your skin gets used to retinol, you can apply it more often.
“If you're overusing your retinol, or if you're using a retinol that's too strong for you, it can lead to peeling, irritation, and excessive dryness, which may have led to retinol's association with skin thinning,” she says.
"[but] best to re-start your retinol again when you can." Most dermatologists recommend using it at least twice weekly to see results.