Retinoids reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing the production of collagen. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color. Additional benefits include fading age spots and softening rough patches of skin.
Applying vitamin A topically in the form of retinol can include the following benefits: Prevent wrinkles due to its minimizing effect, as well as smooth out existing fine lines and wrinkles. Brighten dull skin by exfoliating at a cellular level, which results in brighter and smoother new skin.
Retinol is best applied at night since it can increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun. When you do go outside, be sure to use sunscreen to protect your face. It's worth noting that you don't need to use retinol on a daily basis for it to effectively treat your acne. Even two to three times per week might be enough.
Apply at Night. Retinol should always be applied at night. It's especially sensitive to light, which is why it's kept in dark packaging or packaging that doesn't let any light through. In order to avoid unnecessary sun damage, only ever apply retinol before you go to bed.
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.
A formula with retinol, like the L'Oréal Paris Revitalift Triple Power Eye Treatment, should be applied after your serums and before moisturizer due to its consistency.
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.
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.
So, should I use vitamin C or retinol for wrinkles? Well, when it comes right down to it, the choice is really in what you're looking to do for your skin. While vitamin C is incredible for the skin because of its ability to help brighten and improve hyperpigmentation, the best active ingredient for wrinkles is retinol.
When spread on the skin, retinoids can unclog pores, allowing other medicated creams and gels to work better. They also reduce acne outbreaks by preventing dead cells from clogging pores. By clearing acne and reducing outbreaks, they may also reduce the formation of acne scars.
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.
Retinol also stimulates collagen production, which is another way it diminishes dark spots. Not only will dark spots be reduced, but wrinkles and sagging skin will also begin to diminish, and the effects of retinol products will continue to work just as effectively over time.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Retinol, also called vitamin A1, is a fat-soluble vitamin in the vitamin A family found in food and used as a dietary supplement. As a supplement it is used to treat and prevent vitamin A deficiency, especially that which results in xerophthalmia.
Retinol (leave to absorb for 10-20 minutes)
Retinol is also an ingredient that should be left to absorb sufficiently into the skin before following up with another product. “It is important to leave a 10-20 minute wait time before applying the next product.
Dr. Mariwalla says coating your skin with Vaseline after applying retinoids or AHA acids would increase penetration of these ingredients, potentially leading to irritation.
Use Exfoliants Sparingly After the Adjustment Period
After two to six weeks of using tretinoin, it's usually okay to start using an exfoliant. However, it's best to use exfoliating products as sparingly as possible while using tretinoin to avoid potentially irritating your skin.
“If the retinol you're using is too strong for your skin causing inflammation, darker skin tones may have a higher risk of discoloration, or hyperpigmentation, from the use of it," she adds. Dr. Icecreamwala recommends starting with a retinol that is 0.3 or 0.5 percent.
Regardless of your skin type or which product you use first, a layer of moisturizer should always be applied after retinoids.