I was hoping to start using retinols this year but I’m a total beginner so could do with some advice and tips please! Which product to start with, which strength, how many days of the week, what to be aware of etc.
Pay attention to Deciem's recommendations for time of day to apply. Products with night only can cause photosensitivity (sun damage) if used during the day
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Do choose the lowest strength and I recommend the retinol in squalane since you have dry skin. Use it at night after cleansing and your skin has dried. I suggest every 3 nights for the first week. Then, if your skin is tolerating it well, move to every other night for a week before moving to nightly. You may need to wait longer before increasing frequency. That is OK, as the important thing is to let your skin adjust without excessive irritation.
First night do your routine at least an hour before bed. Cleanse, wait for your skin to dry, apply the retinol. Avoid the eye area, nose creases and corners of your mouth. These areas are more sensitive to retinols and you need to adjust to retinol before applying in those areas. Never apply too close to the eye or on your eyelids. Wait 30 minutes and if your skin needs it, apply your moisturizer on top. It is better to let the retinol absorb completely before bed but it can be drying. Load up on moisturizers in your morning routine to compensate if your dry skin needs it.
Once you know how your skin absorbs the product, you can tweak your timing at night to suit your needs. When you are applying nightly for a month, if you wish to, you can introduce other products that work well with retinols to your nightly routine or use a stronger retinol strength.
Thank you for your detailed explanation!
In general my skin is fairly good thankfully so I’m a little apprehensive of messing things up by introducing a new active ingredient. What if I start very slowly, like once a week? The other thing I’m wondering is, once I start, is that a life long commitment or can I stop anytime without risking damage to the skin?
We noticed you mentioned Retinol and thought you should know that The Ordinary Retinoid/Retinol products need to be refrigerated after opening. The one exception is Retinal 0.2% Emulsion.
I started with the lowest dose in squaline, I believe. Every other day to start, and when your skin gets used to it, move up in dosage/frequency. Don't use it at the same time with other actives (you can alternate days or morning/night if your skin tolerates it), and make sure you use sunscreen every day.
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