5 Steps for Getting Started with Retinol

Lets jump right into it. I've messed around with retinol for years without any results. Just irration, breakout, dry skin etc.

I finally found the holygrail. My holygrail of how to use and apply trofarotene without irritation. I dare say, I now have silk like korean skin.

Just for reference, I have sensitive T zone oily skin.

1. Wash your face with something gentle that will not break your skin barrier. No more scrubs, or fancy facewash. I use Cerave foaming facial cleaner. Cheap and easy.

2. Fresh out of the shower, put a moisturizer on. Any decent normal moisturizer. Doesnt need to fancy.

3. Get aquaphor or vaseline and put it on your lips, and underneath the eyes and eyelids. Dont be scared to use generously. This acts as a extra protector to the sensitive thin skin in those area.

4. Use a thin layer of trifarotene on your entire face avoiding the areas where you put the vaseline/aquaphor.

5. Put another layer of moisturizer on after applying trifarotene on your entire face. Think like a moisturizer sandwich.

Thats it. I use nothing else for the last 6 months and my face has been glass.

Additional tips

• You need to slowly work your way up using trifarotene. When I first started, I could only use it once every 5 days. If I applied it more often then that, my skin would be bright red and raw. Now after 6 MONTHS can I apply it every other day, if not once every 3 days. That's how slow you might need to go.

• you NEED to use a SPF 30 minimum everyday. I use Aveeno sheer daily moisturizer SPF 30. I can't stand the smell or feeling of SPF. This one feels almost none existent with almost zero smell. If you dont, the sun will irritated your skin to high heaven and be bright read. USE SPF DAILY!! Even on slightly overcast days. Just know, if your going outside, put it on your face, neck, back of neck and ears. Your 50 year old self will thank you.

• If you put on moisturizer and your skin burns, or even slightly burn, you CANNOT apply trifarotene. This can be your "test" to see how often you can apply the retinol. If no burn and your skin is calm, chance using trifarotene and test the next day with moisturizer again.

• on days you cannot put on trifarotene, just use the moisturizer and vaseline/aquaphor on the sensitive spots (under eye, eyelids, lips) as normal. Do not skip this on days you dont use trifarotene. It helps repair your skin inbetween retinol application. Its very important.

• You will breakout when you first start using Trifarotene. Deal with it and continue on with the regimen. Dont give up from non immediate results.

Additional beauty tip

• Brush your lips with your toothbrush once every 2 or 3 days lightly and continue putting on vaseline/aquaphor as regimented. You will now have perpetual thick smooth beautiful lips forever along with your soon to be glass skin.

Summary

Wash your face, moisturizer everyday, use SPF everyday, use trifarotene sparingly.

I'm a dude.... 😐

Lol! I read the entire thing in a woman's voice. And then read the last sentence.

Avoid using hyaluronic acid with retinol. It could increase the chance of irritation. So to start, just cleanse, retinol (on completely dry skin) and moisturizer. Start with the retinol with the lower concentration (0.25%) and work your way up. Most beginner retinols out there are

Skin type: combo/very oily around the T-zone Concerns: red spots left after acne (hyperpigmentation??) and random acne popping up picture 1 picture 2

Till now, I've been using a very basic, hydration-focused routine. It looks something like this:

• A foam cleanser (sometimes just bioderma's micellar water if I'm lazy)

• A toner with hyaluronic acid from The lab by blanc deux

• An hyaluronic acid serum by the same brand

• Aestura's atobarrier 365 cream (ceramides, cholesterol, etc) or Avene's hydration aqua-gel cream

• Roundlab's birch sap sunscreen (i think it also has hyaluronic acid, and it's chemical)

• I also do have Avene's hydrance pre-serum essence-in-lotion but I don't use it anymore

Now I want to start using some actives, and the one thing that caught my attention is retinol. I ordered The Ordinary's 0.25 and 0.5 retinol in squalane because it's the most affordable/available here in south korea where retinols aren't a huge thing.

But how should I apply this? I heard it's prone to water, so I apply my toner and serum before the retinol and then my moisturizer? I can still wear my makeup during the day with the sunscreen on, right? (I know that retinol should only be used in the night)

I also heard that niacinamide works great with retinol, and can I use The ordinary's niacin 10 + zinc 1% with the retinol? And if I do, it goes before the retinol, right?

I'd greatly appreciate it if you can throw me a routine with the products i own (plus the niacin 10% and zinc 1%) 🫠🫠 I really want to make a difference for my skin it's been like this for years . . .

I also do have a 2% BHA solution i can get at the pharmacy should I use that too?? Please enlighten me if there are anything else i should be using retinol with

Did any of y'all try re'equil retinol night cream?

Hi. I am 29f. had joined this sub just to get some knowledge about skincare. Luckily I am blessed with good skin so I never had to use any product on my skin. I use only moisturiser and sunscreen on my skin. A friend of mine was telling me that she recently started using retinol. Is there any right age to start retinol? If yes, then when one should start using it?

hydrate and moisturize well

Any tips for extreme sensitive skin at the corners of the mouth? If I look at a tube of retinol too hard, the corners of my mouth burn and peel for a week :-/ Ive tried protecting with Vaseline but even then it seems like the retinol irritates that skin specifically.

The ideal age to start a retinol or really any retinoid really depends on what exactly its being used to treat and how its being used cuz retinoids are also used to treat things like hyperpigmentation, psoriasis and most importantly acne and the treatment of acne was the first problem it was used to treat, only later was it realized it can also help reduce hyperpigmentation, soften skin or reduce aging in skin. Like, a teenager is obviously not gonna need retinoids for anti aging but they might require it for acne and hyperpigmentation and in that case a dermatologist is the best option because they can give appropriate treatments based on severity and construct an entire routine surrounding the retinoid and when you are using things like prescription strength retinoids it is very important to make sure no other product being used with it is going to cause irritation of any sort. If you are using retinoids for anti aging consistency is key. Stronger doesn't necessarily mean better, a weak one, if used consistently will show results as well. Also remember, don't expect too much when using retinol for anti aging, you'll see a sight difference in wrinkles and softer skin of course but you won't look 10 years younger immediately, aging is mostly dependent on genetics and sun exposure, which is why sunscreen is very important not just for aging but also to prevent skin cancer. You can use certain retinoids in the morning since they can be photostable, just remember to have good sun protection and you'll be fine. If you are confused on whether you can use the retinoid you have chosen in the morning or at night you can check the instructions on the packaging or on the company's website. I would suggest looking at the Retinoid videos made by Lab muffin beauty science one on how to start it and another on myth busting.

Former esthetician here. EXCELLENT advice!

Decide between introducing BHA or retinol first. BHA is going to help with active acne, retinol is better for fading acne marks/scars.

To introduce retinol, add it to your PM routine before moisturizer. When starting out I would use it 1-2x a week. You can slowly increment frequency each week if your skin tolerates it well.

Yes sunscreen and makeup can be used during the day.

Niacinamide is optional, but I would hold off on adding too many new things at once. Your skin should be ok with just retinol

Retinal user for a couple of years here, currently at 0.2% strength. I've got a dry and sensitive skin, and here's some things I've learned along the way!

• Start slow, with a gentle formulation. My dermatologist told me to go with a 1:1 ratio for the amounts of uses per week before increasing the use. One night per week for one week, two nights per week for two weeks, three nights per week for three weeks .. etc. As soon as irritation is noted, scale back. It's what I've lived by, and I've had very little irritation even with an incredibly sensitive skin.
• You really only need a pea-sized amount. More product will not give you better effect, it'll only cause more irritation.
• Find out how the manufacturer is intending for you to use it. Some manufacturers tell you to use it directly on your clean, dry(!) face. Others will tell you to use other products and layer it. The formulations and recommendations differ, and there's a reason behind that, so trust the manufacturer.
• You can always buffer it, if you're nervous about the use! One method that a lot of people go by is "the sandwich method", where you clean your skin, put on a moisturizer -> retinoid -> another layer of moisturizer. That being said, be careful of putting true occlusives (vaseline, oils etc) on top as sometimes that seems to cause extra irritation.
• Don't use retinoids when your skin barrier is damaged.
• Not all areas are optimal for retinoids, and if you increase the strength you might find that some areas won't appreciate it even if they were fine with the lower strength. I personally have two different retinals that I use on different parts of my face, one lower strength for sensitive places like around eyes, neck and the top of my hands, and a higher strength for the rest of my face and decolletage.
• If you get a retinoid product that doesn't work with your face; try using it on other areas of the body like hands, elbows, knees, feet etc. Waste not, want not!

And maybe the most important things of all..

• TAKE PROGRESS PICTURES. Find a well lit room, preferably one where you can re-create the very same lighting settings (like a windowless room). The changes that retinoids bring are often very small and gradual, and if you only keep track of your progress by looking at yourself in the mirror, you are likely to miss the changes.
• Progress takes time. Count on AT LEAST three months of consistent use to start seeing results. For some people it'll take even longer, and it's not uncommon for time frames like 6-12 months to be mentioned. It takes time.
• The effects from a retinoid is not always in "removing wrinkles and spots" and "making skin more plump" whatnot, but also slowing the process of progression. You might not see spots or wrinkles disappearing, but new ones might not form as fast as they otherwise would. You might not see your skin becoming more plump, but your skin might not lose elasticity as fast as it would otherwise. It's often a preventative kind of treatment, especially if used as a measure of well aging, so managing you expectations is important.

My retinal is one of my favourite products! It's a long game kind of treatment but WOW it has transformed my skin and I genuinely cannot wait to see what my skin will be like in 5-10 years, haha

To all our retinol pros, drop some wisdom for the rest of us :)

I found these two blogs very helpful. From a derm. One is step by step guide and the other is a primer.

Hello! I am 38 yr old female and want to begin adding facial retinol treatment into my regimen. I’m not sure what, how, when, etc. to start! Anyone have advice on brand, how much, how often, and how I would progress in amount and frequency? Looking for a simple road map that tells me exactly what to do haha. Wayyyy too much info on the internet, it’s overwhelming!! Plz help! Thanks in advance!

Honestly it's simpler than the internet makes it sound. Quick version:

Start low — a 0.2–0.3% retinol is plenty (The Ordinary Retinol in Squalane, CeraVe Resurfacing, or La Roche-Posay are all solid, cheap starts). PM only, 1–2 nights a week to begin. Pea-size for your whole face on dry skin, and if you're on the sensitive side, sandwich it between moisturizer.

Then just go slow — stay at 1–2x/week for a few weeks and only add a night once your skin's staying calm. A little dryness or flaking early is normal; ease off if it's too much, but don't quit. The one non-negotiable is sunscreen every morning, or the retinol's kind of pointless.

Keep the rest of your routine simple while you adjust, and give it ~3 months to really see results. Slow and boring wins here. 🙂

I just started over a month ago and here’s what I learned. Keep in mind that a lot of my thoughts is more applicable to tret but could work for differen or similar which is OTC too.

Always apply to a dry face. Or else it can cause serious irritation. I was getting so much irritation when I started.

My current method is wash, toner, cream, wait 20+ mins. Then pea size amount of tret , let it dry down for at least 10 minutes then apply a skin barrier cream. I’m only using every other day but I’ve just added an otc retinol on my off days since my skin can tolerate it now. I just don’t feel like using tret daily.

Initially I had a lot of peeling by the chin area and sides of the mouth which has all stopped. When that was happening I was using avene cicalfate serum and lrp b5 over my moisturizer. It’s all cleared up now. My skin seems to have adjusted to tret now.

As other people said it can take months to start seeing improvement but my skin was already pretty good. So this has caused a serious improvement in my skin texture already.

Hello!

I just started using the trader joe’s retinol cream. I have only used it twice about 5 days apart but now my skin started burning after i put on moisturizer. I’m not using anything else new. What could be causing it? Do i need to decrease the retinol use?

I am 22 and I would like to start using a retinol for anti-aging purposes? Any recommendations that are a good price? Opinions on the ordinary one and or ceravae? What changes should i expect to see?

I really struggled to start retinol, I have rosacea and seb derm and super sensitive skin. I saw many dermatologists recommend eye serums to start with, because they are extra gentle. I am now finally able to use a retinol- Dr Althea Flat Iron, but not for the eye area, but like one would use stronger retinoids, ie. sparing around eyes and mouth.

The beauty of Joseon retinAL eye serum is often recommended but has ingredients that might trigger my seb derm.

I just started and I went with the medik8 crystal retinal range. Retinal is better for sensitive skin than retinol and it’s also more effective. Medik8 starts at a super low strength so you can gradually work your way up. I’m currently on the lowest strength twice a week, will go up to every two days next week. All fine so far!