If you're wondering if you're clear to use your retinol as a long-term anti-aging strategy without negative side effects (like compromising the strength of your skin), both derms agree the answer is yes — in fact, you'll need to use it continuously if you want to keep benefiting from the effects, says Dr.
He recommends starting with no more than every other day for the first 2 weeks. If, after the first 2 weeks, you don't see any side effects, he says you may want to move up to “2 nights on, and 1 night off.” After a month or so with no side effects, you can likely use it every day if you want.
"We don't live forever," he told Business Insider. "So if you plaster way too much retinol on in your 20s, 30s, and 40s, you could be depleting all of those healthy cell divisions that you really should be storing for cell divisions further down your lifetime."
Chronic toxicities from long term therapy with retinoids may result in skeletal abnormalities, usually mimicking diffuse idiopathic hyperostosis syndrome. Furthermore, the chronic use of retinoids in children may inhibit their growth due to premature epiphyseal closure.
Answer: Absolutely! You should use retinoids (e.g., retinoic acid or tretinoin) all year long, including the summer season. Retinoids can temporarily make your skin more sensitive to the sun due to the fact that tretinoin pulls oil and dry skin cells away from the skin.
Nandi recommends omitting your retinol a few days before and after a summer vacation or beach day to minimize the risk of sun damage to the skin. And, if you are planning to suntan, this period should be longer, for example, one to two weeks before and after.
Retinoids Can Be Used Daily
Loren Franco, a board-certified dermatologist, most people (who aren't pregnant) should be using some form of retinoids in their skincare routine daily—even throughout warmer months. "You absolutely can and should use retinoids in the summer," Dr. Franco says.
Again, there is no definitive evidence that topical retinoids lead to cancer or reproductive toxicity, but the evidence we do have is pretty much on par with that of parabens.
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.
Cons of Retinol
Most results are not seen until 6 months or longer. Skin irritation. The side effects of retinol can include skin irritation like redness, dryness, and peeling. These can be reduced by using retinol less often or by using it with niacinamide.
Using any form of retinol makes your skin more prone to sunburn. Sun damage combined with retinol burn is a recipe for redness or discoloration, inflammation, and more.
“This will make your skin look older and accentuate wrinkles” — which is probably not what you're going for when you start using the stuff. And there's no question that retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Retinol improves signs of aging, and vitamin E repairs and protects from photodamage. What it's for: Fine lines and wrinkles, breakouts. Celebrity fans: Victoria Beckham, Laura Harrier, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
While there's no right or wrong age to begin using retinol, most dermatologists recommend fitting it into your skin care routine during your 20s. The reason? "The production of collagen fibers starts to decline in our 20s," explains Dr. Allison Arthur, MD, FAAD, at Sand Lake Dermatology Center.
Pending potency, OTC retinol can take up to six months to see results." That's not to say you won't see any benefits upon the first few uses. Nussbaum explains that in the short term, the benefits are that your skin will be exfoliated of dead skin cells and your pores will be unclogged.
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 the skin under your eyes is delicate, there's no reason why you should miss out on the amazing benefits of retinol.
But rather than using your standard retinol cream, it's best to use a product formulated specifically for the delicate skin around the eyes. "The under-eye area is quite sensitive as it is some of the thinnest skin on the body," explains New York City-based board-certified dermatologist Anthony Rossi.
Remember, that 'retinoid uglies' are likely to be temporary, and it will take time before you see the end result. You have three skin layers—the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. Your epidermis is your visible layer, and renews approximately every 28 days.
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.
The commonly used retinoids have many of the side effects of vitamin A including dry skin, cheilosis and nosebleeds and hair loss, but are not stored in the liver and do not cause the typical form of chronic liver disease associated with excessive vitamin A intake.
The truth: You can use vitamin C with retinol and retinoids. Get them as separate products so you can tailor the concentration of each and use them at the right time of day. Although vitamin C can be used day or night, it is ideal for daytime use, while retinol and retinoids should be applied at night.
6: Myth: If you have peeling or redness, you should stop using the retinoid. With retinoids, it's often a “worse-before-better” type of situation. Typical side effects include dryness, tightness, peeling, and redness — especially when first starting out.
The Ordinary also have a Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalene or Emulsion formulas. These are more suitable for people with already sensitive or compromised skin and can also be used around the sensitive eye area, unlike the Retinol formulas.
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.