If you lend an ear to skincare chatter, it would be easy to believe that retinol for skin is one of humankind’s most significant discoveries. After all, illumination and light are all well and good, but how about a skincare active ingredient that serves as a miracle worker for turning back the clock? We’ll have some of that, please.
However, for all the buzz around retinol benefits, it helps to bear in mind that it is possible to have too much of a good thing. While the internet is replete with cautionary tales about overdosing on retinol, a mindful approach to this active ingredient can help you cross this bridge with ease. Ready to get started?
So, what’s the hype around retinol all about?
As a vitamin A derivative, retinol’s preferred MO is to plump up collagen production and regulate the skin cell turnover. Long story short: skin appears smoother with reduced visibility of fine lines and wrinkles. Who wouldn’t want in on this skincare lottery? But as it turns out, overenthusiasm can be a common rookie mistake with retinol.
What happens if you use retinol in excess?
Among other side effects of retinol on skin, you will want to remain cautious about retinol burns when using this potent active ingredient as a beginner. If treated with more than required retinol to begin with, your skin can often react with contact dermatitis. This condition makes skin appear red, inflamed and irritated with greater redness and increased sun sensitivity. This can often occur with greater intensity in areas with thinner skin, such as around the eyes and mouth.
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How much retinol should a beginner use?
Now that you have the bad news out of the way, it is time to focus on the positives. It is indeed possible to make the most of retinol as a beginner by introducing this active ingredient to your skincare routine slowly for building up tolerance and then increasing concentration, as needed. Here’s all that you need to know.
How much percentage of retinol is effective?
If you are a complete beginner to the world of retinol, the common consensus is to use a concentration of 0.05% as your starting line. If your skin is more tolerant to new ingredients, you can opt for a patch test with a higher concentration around 0.5%. While it might seem tempting to opt for a higher concentration to start seeing results faster, slow and steady does indeed win the race to clear, glowing skin. The payoff for taking the scenic route comes in the form of greater skin tolerance, which will eventually allow you to level up to retinol serums with a concentration of 1%.
Tira recommends:
The Derma Co 0.1% Retinol Face Serum
Plum 1% Retinol Anti-Aging Face Serum, Bakuchiol Boosts Collagen, Reduces Lines & Wrinkles
Farmacy Beauty 1% Vitamin A Retinol Serum
How much retinol can you use daily?
The answer varies for every individual skin type. If your skin tends to lean on the sensitive side, you will want to start by gently easing retinol into your routine once or twice a week. If you don’t notice any visible side effects of retinol on skin, you can graduate to using it every alternate day and, ultimately, every night before going to bed. Even if your skin is comfortable with everyday usage, it helps to err on the side of caution—you will want to cap off your daily retinol usage to a medium strength concentration of 0.3-0.5%.
Tira recommends:
Minimalist 0.3% Retinol Face Serum For Anti Ageing fine lines wrinkles With Coenzyme Q10
The Derma Co 0.3% Retinol Face Serum
How to soothe skin after retinol?
In case you find that your skin isn’t responding well to retinol, a few helpful precautions can reverse most side effects. For starters, you will want to go cold turkey on retinol to allow your skin barrier some time to heal. During this downtime, you will want to opt for a milder version of your everyday skincare routine. It also helps to double down on hydration and to maintain a steady SPF regimen as retinol increases the skin’s sensitivity to the sun.
Tira recommends:
Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun : Rice + Probiotics With SPF 50+ PA++++
The bottomline: there is a retinol serum for everyone, but its usage, concentration and frequency can only be dictated by your individual skin type and concerns.
