How to use retinol for anti-aging?Updated a year ago
We have a few tips that’ll help you introduce retinol into your skincare routine with minimal irritation and in a way that boosts its wrinkle-fading effects.
- Start slow. Retinal isn’t as irritating to the skin as other retinoids, but reactions to it can still vary. We recommend introducing it into your skincare routine slowly. For the first week or two, use it every other day. If all goes well, you can increase the frequency to daily use.
- Use sunscreen. The only product that surpasses retinol when it comes to anti-aging is sunscreen. Since the sun is the main force that leads to extrinsic aging, sun protection is a must in any routine designed to address wrinkles. Make sure to choose a sunscreen with at least 30 SPF and broad-spectrum protection, and use enough of it every day.
- Moisturize. Moisturizing is a must, especially when you’re using retinol. Moisturizers work to infuse the skin with water, which then plumps it up for a springy, glowy complexion. This increase in hydration can immediately improve the look of wrinkles. Additionally, it also helps mitigate some of the dehydration that retinoic acid can cause at the start (although this is less of an issue with retinaldehyde-based products).
- Retinol-boosting ingredients. Retinol works by signaling new and improved skin cell production, but other ingredients can help it work even better. Vitamin C serums, for example, give the skin a protective boost of antioxidants in the morning to inhibit external damage while also further supporting collagen production. If your skin is quite hearty, using a gentle glycolic acid exfoliant promotes the shedding of dead skin cells, to smooth the skin from the surface while retinol works from below.