Retinol

Retinol is a form of vitamin A (retinoid). It works by affecting the way skin cells (keratinocytes) grow and develop and increase how quickly dead skin cells are shed. This means retinol can reduce clogs in the skin, control the growth of acne bacteria, and decrease skin inflammation. They can also speed up pigment fading with skin cellular turnover.

Like other retinoids, retinol can be irritating to the skin at first, although the irritation will usually fade within a month of use. A very small quantity of retinol should be used in the evening at first, before building up to larger amounts. If irritation, redness, and peeling skin develops, it can be used every other day until your skin adjusts.

Why your skin might love it: Vitamin A derivatives (retinoids) are some of the most evidence-backed ingredients in skin care and are used for treating:

RETINOL

TYPE OF INGREDIENT: Exfoliant

MAIN BENEFITS: Reduces wrinkles, exfoliates, prevents aging.

WHO SHOULD USE IT: In general, people with acne or people who are concerned about the appearance of aging skin. It's not recommended for people with sensitive skin due to its ability to irritate the skin.

HOW OFTEN YOU CAN USE IT: Once a day maximum, typically once every few days.

WORKS WELL WITH: Anything hydrating, to offset the irritation.

DON'T USE WITH: Vitamin C; other exfoliants like glycolic acid, and alpha hydroxy acid (AHA); and astringents, as doing so may irritate the skin.

What is Retinol?

First things first, let's go over the definition of retinol. "Retinol is derived from Vitamin A. Once it is absorbed into the skin, it is converted to the active form, retinoic acid, for which our skin cells have receptors," says Lain. "Once bound to the receptors, retinoic acid causes changes including, but not limited to, faster turnover of skin cells, increased collagen production, and lightening of brown spots."

Benefits of Retinol for Skin

• Clears skin: According to Thomas, retinol has "anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant properties, anti-microbial properties, and enhances anti-acne properties." In other words, it's a powerhouse.

• Lessens wrinkles and scars: "With continued use, vitamin A slowly improves the skin's appearance. It smooths the skin's texture by lessening visible wrinkles, lines, acne scar indents, large pores, scarring, and brown spots," notes celebrity esthetician Renée Rouleau.

• Smooths skin texture: "Retinol works over time to retexturize and resurface your skin," says Christine Chang, the co-CEO and co-founder of Glow Recipe.

But here's the thing: According to Rouleau, most people won't notice an improvement for about two months, which is why you have to stick with the program. "The product is doing something for your skin, whether you are seeing the results right away or not," she says. However, even without any immediate improvement, retinol remains a powerhouse—it just requires a little patience.

Retinol vs. Retinoids

Retinol is the term for over-the-counter vitamin A derivatives; retinoid is the term for all products with vitamin A, regardless of whether they need to be prescribed. All retinols are retinoids, but not all retinoids are, strictly speaking, retinol.1

Side Effects of Retinol

This all being said, many women in the K-beauty community advise against retinol completely. "I never use retinol," says Alicia Yoon, skincare guru and founder of Korean skincare brand Peach & Lily. "I have very sensitive skin and there is always an adjustment period to retinols," she explains. "During this period, skin can become more fragile—thinner, basically—and results in increased sensitivity, and at times, peeling and flaking. I find that a lot of my clients also struggle with the initial adjustment period of using a retinol. On the other hand, with consistent use, after that adjustment period, there are studies that show that retinol can actually help thicken the epidermis.2
There are two conflicting points of view. Those that tell you to never give up on your retinol, make it through the initial adjustment period, and you'll be better off in the end. And, those who believe you should work with the products that keep your skin happy and bright from day one. It's up to you (and your derm) how you choose to treat your skin.

How to Use Retinol

There are safe ways to use retinol. "People with fair, sensitive skin tend to be more susceptible to initial side effects of using retinol, such as redness, peeling, and sun sensitivity," Lain notes. "In order to mitigate these side effects, I often advise these patients to both mix the retinol with moisturizer and start using it every other night for the first 3-4 weeks, increasing as tolerated to every night. Depending on the skin type, and other skincare products being used, I often start retinol in the .3 to .5% range, increasing to 1% after 2-3 months. Care should be taken to avoid pairing a retinol product with other skincare that can also cause irritation or redness, such as hydroxy acids." For extra sensitive skin, we at Byrdie like putting retinol on over our moisturizer to create a barrier to start out with.

But unlike what you're often told to do, Lain doesn't steer clear of Vitamin C. In fact, he often doubles down using Vitamin C to make his retinol more effective. "Vitamin C works very differently than retinol to exert beneficial effects on the skin. As an antioxidant, Vitamin C helps stop free radicals from wreaking havoc in our skin. Free radicals, caused by poor diet, sun exposure, stress, and pollution, cause degradation of collagen, DNA mutation, and overall contribute to premature aging," says Lain. "Since retinol and Vitamin C work in such different, yet mutually beneficial, ways, it is very rare for me not to start a patient on one of these products without the other.” However, we'd recommend that if you have sensitive skin, you don't use the two at the same time to try to avoid serious redness and irritation.

Hirsch has a similar answer to Lain when asked how to start use of retinol. "S-L-O-W-L-Y!" she emphasizes. She even gives us a handy tip: "People almost always use much more of this ingredient than they need to. For the entire face and neck, a drop the size of a pea is more than enough. Pat it on your clean dry skin in the evening, and rub all over. You should be able to take a tissue and stick onto your face and have it fall off; that is a proper application. If the tissue sticks, you are using more than you need and will likely experience irritation. I typically have folks start it 1-2 per week, every 3-4 nights alternating with a very rich moisturizing product on the other nights."

Where To Find It

Many retinoids are prescription-only drugs, but for OTC ease, look for retinol. Retinol is one of the most powerful forms for regular skin care products and can be easily found in the beauty aisle of superstores.

A form of vitamin A, this guy has exploded onto the market in the last five years and is highly regarded as one of anti-ageing’s

biggest heroes. That’s because it works to speed up cell turnover, aid collagen production, slow melanin production and refine the texture of the skin.