Retinoids - All you need to know

What you need to know before adding a Retinoid to your skin care routine

Important tips for those who want to add a retinol to their skincare:

• Do not expect results from retinoids overnight! Retinoids are used at night and should be used at least 12 weeks before you will start to see results
• Always start slow and build up. You might wonder what it means to start slow: start the product with a low frequency and a small amount and increase the frequency and amount over the next weeks. For a retinoid newbie, this would mean to start twice a week with less than a pea-size amount and slowly build up to daily use of a pea-size amount (or instructed otherwise by the specific product). Some people can increase faster than others, everyone’s skin is unique!
• Always use a sunscreen in the morning, always! Especially when you are using a retinoid as your skin will burn more easily
• Moisturise your eyes before applying your retinoid and avoid going with your retinoid close to your eyes, unless it is a product specially developed for the eye area
• If you use more retinoid than is good for you, your skin will become red and flaky. It does not mean you are allergic to it, it means you cannot tolerate it. Stop, let your skin rest and try again if you’re brave enough, but at a slower pace.
• Always introduce only one new product at a time
• Oily skin tends to tolerate retinoids better than dry skin.
• If you have sensitive skin, you might want to work on the skin barrier first before adding in a retinoid.
• Discuss with your practitioner if in doubt of how/when to use retinoids or if you suffer from irritation with the mildest retinoids