Retinol is fantastic for lightening your skin that may be affected by acne scaring, and ageing (wrinkles).
Retinol is a Vitamin A and an antioxidant, and one of the most effective ingredients for anti-aging because of its ability to produce collagen and regenerate cells.
Getting started with a retinol can be scary, so here's a few steps you can do to introduce it into your skincare.
Picking a retinol
There are different types, so picking the one that's best for your skin is crucial. Retinoic Acid is prescribed by a doctor and it's made naturally by our skin (this is the most bioavailable form of retinol). Due to it being a stronger product, as it's prescribed by a doctor, it usually dries out the skin a lot more than an over-the-counter retinol.
If you want to get started right away, I'd recommend products such as:
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane
Purchase from: Deciem, BeautyBay, CultBeauty
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
Purchase from: Deciem, BeautyBay
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% Emulsion
Purchase from: Deciem, CultBeauty, Lookfantastic
The Inkey List Retinol Serum
Purchase from: CultBeauty, Lookfantastic, Feelunique
Formula and ingredients are important when layering
It's recommended to look for the following ingredients when picking out a retinol, or to use as layering once a retinol has been applied to the skin, as they can help reduce breakouts and inflammation: Jojoba Oil, Salicylic acid, and Hyaluronic acid.
Start slow and work your way up
Work up a tolerance to a retinol, don't apply to your entire face twice a day - that'll be bad for your skin. It's best to start with a little bit, maybe start by using it as a spot treatment (like patch testing) or mix it in with a moisturiser.
Using the product every other day is best to start off with, and then over the course of a few weeks increase the amount/how often you use to nightly.
You can use a retinol either morning, or evening as part of your skincare routine.
You may not see results straight away but if your skin hasn't worsened, stick with the product for at least a month to see effects.
Sunscreen, use it
Don't forget to finish up with a sunscreen in your routine, especially after using a retinol, this is because it temporary thins your skin as it's working faster to regenerate, so it'll be more susceptible to the Sun.
We hope this helps your routine! If you have any questions, please ask away, or start a thread in the Skin Concerns sub-forum.
Retinol is a Vitamin A and an antioxidant, and one of the most effective ingredients for anti-aging because of its ability to produce collagen and regenerate cells.
Getting started with a retinol can be scary, so here's a few steps you can do to introduce it into your skincare.
Picking a retinol
There are different types, so picking the one that's best for your skin is crucial. Retinoic Acid is prescribed by a doctor and it's made naturally by our skin (this is the most bioavailable form of retinol). Due to it being a stronger product, as it's prescribed by a doctor, it usually dries out the skin a lot more than an over-the-counter retinol.
If you want to get started right away, I'd recommend products such as:
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane
Purchase from: Deciem, BeautyBay, CultBeauty
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
Purchase from: Deciem, BeautyBay
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% Emulsion
Purchase from: Deciem, CultBeauty, Lookfantastic
The Inkey List Retinol Serum
Purchase from: CultBeauty, Lookfantastic, Feelunique
Formula and ingredients are important when layering
It's recommended to look for the following ingredients when picking out a retinol, or to use as layering once a retinol has been applied to the skin, as they can help reduce breakouts and inflammation: Jojoba Oil, Salicylic acid, and Hyaluronic acid.
Start slow and work your way up
Work up a tolerance to a retinol, don't apply to your entire face twice a day - that'll be bad for your skin. It's best to start with a little bit, maybe start by using it as a spot treatment (like patch testing) or mix it in with a moisturiser.
Using the product every other day is best to start off with, and then over the course of a few weeks increase the amount/how often you use to nightly.
You can use a retinol either morning, or evening as part of your skincare routine.
You may not see results straight away but if your skin hasn't worsened, stick with the product for at least a month to see effects.
Sunscreen, use it
Don't forget to finish up with a sunscreen in your routine, especially after using a retinol, this is because it temporary thins your skin as it's working faster to regenerate, so it'll be more susceptible to the Sun.
We hope this helps your routine! If you have any questions, please ask away, or start a thread in the Skin Concerns sub-forum.
