Along with your under eyes, your lips are the most delicate skin on your face and any retinol that comes into contact with them is likely to cause dryness as well as itching and redness, as Doctor Sam Bunting explains.
You might be familiar with retinol — the skincare holy grail that is renowned for its anti-aging and collagen-boosting benefits. However, traditional retinol can be irritating when applied to the lips, which is why we created our AGELESS Phyto-Retinol* Lip Treatments, made with natural plant-based alternatives.
You can also switch to an anti-pigmentation active like retinol or kojic acid on your lips to deal with lip pigmentation. You can add these on your night-time skin care routine for getting rid of lip pigmentation.
People applying topical retinoids such as Tretinoin or Adapalene or taking oral Isotretinoin as part of their medical acne treatment sometimes experience dry and cracked lips as a side effect.
Applying ice to swollen or burned areas of your face can relieve retinol burn pain. Short-term use (less than two weeks) of topical corticosteroids like hydrocortisone cream can also help with swelling and discomfort. Sometimes your pharmacy can combine a 1% concentration of hydrocortisone with your retinol product.
Retinol burn will typically go away on its own, but you may have a few flare-ups before your skin grows used to retinol ingredients.
The telltale signs of retinol burn include skin that is red, irritated, flaky, inflamed, sore to the touch, and/or shedding. "You could also be experiencing breakouts or inflamed acne that is not usual for your skin," adds Idriss.
Retin A will not add volume to your lips and likely will cause irritation if applied daily to the lips. To increase volume to your lips a filler or fat transfer is necessary.
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.
Serious side effects of Retinol
Signs of an allergic reaction, like rash; hives; itching; red, swollen, blistered, or peeling skin with or without fever; wheezing; tightness in the chest or throat; trouble breathing, swallowing, or talking; unusual hoarseness; or swelling of the mouth, face, lips, tongue, or throat.
Yes, you can, retinol is able to work on the upper and lower eyelids and areas of skin. This is because it can penetrate the lower layers of the skin and boost collagen production. This will result in the skin around the eye will become tightened with signs of sagginess, fine lines, and wrinkles visibly reduced.
Board certified dermatologist Zenovia Gabriel, MD, notes that “people with sensitive skin conditions like rosacea cannot tolerate really strong topicals like retinols.” Also avoid retinol if you're going to be spending a lot of time in direct sunlight without proper sun protection.
Avoid lip balms that contain menthol, camphor, phenol or any sort of alcohol. These ingredients may provide an immediate cooling sensation but can irritate the skin. In some cases they even remove the outer layers of skin leaving your lips unprotected and susceptible to environmental hazards.
One of the best treatments for wrinkles around the mouth is night cream formulated with retinol, as it works alongside the skin's natural production of collagen.
Yes, you can safely put retinol creams on your neck. “Retinol can sometimes cause redness or irritation as a side effect, but it is worth the effort. Fortunately, there are beginner formulations that can get skin acclimated gradually,” Dr. Schlessinger says.
At night we might be using night creams that contain actives such as retinol which are not recommended to be used in the morning so it is essential to wash your face in the morning to remove those residual creams/serum.
Engelman agrees: "Retinol is the most potent ingredient that helps build collagen and elastin, which leads to tighter, smoother skin." This mixture has the added bonus of hyaluronic acid, which "can smooth, firm, and tighten the appearance of the skin," Dr. Bowe says.
Lip serum, lip plumper gloss, lip plumping powder and lip plumping balm all basically rely on one of three primary methods to deliver temporary lip volume: They irritate your lips, they use a circulatory stimulant, or they trap moisture in your lips to make them swell.
Collagen lip fillers plump up the lips, adding fullness and volume. While these were once some of the most commonly used fillers for lips, fillers that contain hyaluronic acid (HA) have since become more popular. HA is a naturally occurring gel-like molecule in the body that keeps the skin moisturized.
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.
If you stop retinol and do not begin a prescription retinoid, the benefit of preventing acne will go away. The skin cycle of cells being “born” at the base of the skin and moving to the top, dying and desquamating into the surrounding environment takes about 4-6 weeks.
Regardless of your skin type or which product you use first, a layer of moisturizer should always be applied after retinoids.
In many cases, damage that has already occurred can't be reversed, making early detection important. Your doctor will work with you to determine the best treatment. Treatment of retinal disease may be complex and sometimes urgent.
Peeling, redness, and irritation are common onset reactions for some people when they first start to use retinol. Some reactions get so bad that the common term used to describe the list of effects has been dubbed the “retinol uglies”. Note from a skincare expert: Many things in life get worse before they get better.