When it comes to defense against fine lines and maintaining a healthy glow, there’s no ingredient in skincare more lauded than retinol. But how to use retinol correctly continues to befuddle even the most most skincare conscious. Even though the revolutionary youth-enhancing active is a mainstay of drugstores, department store counters, and dermatologist offices alike, it still manages to mystify. And thus, it’s often underutilized or misused.
Here, experts break down how to carefully incorporate the powerhouse ingredient into your skincare routine to achieve a supernaturally fresh-faced complexion, now and for decades to come.
- Retinol comes with many benefits, such as brightening the skin and boosting collagen production, but it can be drying and irritating.
- Be sure to gradually introduce retinol into your routine and use hydrating and calming ingredients to offset any of the harsh side effects.
- For best results, start using retinol regularly in your mid-20s or early 30s.
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What is retinol?
To bring it back to the basics, retinol—alongside other retinoids, such as retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate—is essentially a derivative of vitamin A, which is one of the body’s key nutrients for boosting cell turnover. Marisa Garshick, MD, board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, explains that retinols must be converted to retinoic acid, which means it can take longer than those prescribed retinoids and can be a less irritating option for the skin that has many benefits.
The Benefits
Retinol is a powerhouse of an ingredient for a reason: it targets most of our top skin concerns. Here are some of the benefits:
Brightening Dull Skin
“Because it helps regulate skin cell turnover, it improves the appearance of both skin tone and skin texture,” adds Dr. Garshick. “By regulating skin cell turnover and encouraging new skin cells to come to the surface, it helps to resurface the skin and give an overall improved appearance to the skin tone, and reduce the appearance of discoloration.”
Reduce Signs of Aging
As New York City-based dermatologist Whitney Bowe, MD explains it, retinol can function like an antioxidant and protect the skin from free radical damage and environmental aggressors.
Boost Collagen Production
Dr. Bowe adds that as a topical product, retinol can boost collagen production and help firm sagging skin.
Reduce Acne
The way board-certified dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD, sees it, it’s the ingredient that does it all in dermatology, both cosmetically and medically. “I consider it a gold standard in skincare and often explain it to my patients as something that sweeps away dead skin cells, clogged pores, and dull skin,” she explains.
Retinol, Retinoids, Etc.
So what’s the difference between retinol, retinoids, and all the other vitamin-A derivatives? As Angela Lamb, MD, board-certified dermatologist, explains, retinoid is a “catch-all” term for all vitamin A-based products on the skin. The different types of retinoids are just different forms of vitamin A and can vary in strength and are used for different things.
Isotretinoin (the most common type you’re probably familiar with is Accutane) is an oral retinoid medication that is used to treat acne. Tretinoin (or retinoic acid), Dr. Lamb says, is the most common prescription retinoid on the market that can target both acne and signs of anti-aging. Retinol is an over-the-counter retinoid product that is not as irritating as the prescribed options and is used to improve uneven skin tone, pigmentation, and texture.
Begin in Your Mid-20s or Early 30s
Thirty has long been the banner year for introducing retinol into one’s routine, but many women are starting before then, motivated by early signs of aging, such as sun spots or crows feet, or simply eager to get a head start and utilize the latest technologies—under the careful watch of their dermatologist. “Your mid-twenties are a great time to start using retinol,” says Ellen Marmur, MD, New York City-based board-certified dermatologist. “Many patients who have used it for years swear by it.”
But the best time to start retinol really depends on your specific skincare concerns. For example, if you’re dealing with acne in your teens, Dr. Garshick says that it can be a good time to start looking into incorporating this ingredient into your routine. For preventive measures against fine lines and other signs of aging (such as fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots, discoloration, etc.), you’ll want to start in your 20s and 30s. To treat those signs of aging skin when they actually occur, you should start in your 40s and 50s.
Integrate Retinol Slowly and Gently
“Balance is critical,” cautions Dr. Bowe. “Retinol can be very irritating if used too frequently or if the formulation is too strong for your skin.” She recommends starting off with a pea-sized amount of a low percentage over-the-counter formula (0.01 percent to 0.03 percent), and using it “two times per week, slowly increasing the usage to give the skin a chance to acclimate.”
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