How to use retinol for sensitive skin?Updated a year ago
Even those with non-sensitive skin should be cautious in how they use retinol, so our general advice still applies. That said, we’d like to highlight the following suggestions for minimizing your risk of irritation while helping your skin thrive.
Make sure your routine is at a good starting point
If you don’t have a skincare routine in place, it’d be good to build one before introducing retinoids.
That doesn’t mean that you need a complex routine, though. Make sure you have a sunscreen you love for the daytime, a gentle cleanser that doesn’t leave your skin tight or irritated for evenings, and a skin-fortifying moisturizer that can help boost your skin barrier in the lead-up to introducing a retinoid.
It’s okay to have a more advanced routine, but those are the basics. What’s key is that your routine keeps your skin nurtured. Your skin should be at a point where it isn’t showing active signs of inflammation like stinging or redness, and you feel like any flare-ups are rare.
Introduce it slowly
One of the best ways to prevent your risk of initial irritation with any new ingredient is by not using it too often at first. At the same time, you need to use it enough so that your skin can acclimate to it. We think that for most people with sensitive skin, using retinol 2 to 3 times a week at first is ideal.
Then, you can slowly start using it more often until you work up to your maximum usage, which would probably be everyday or every other day.
Buffering and sandwiching
Buffering is a wonderful concept in skincare, especially if you’re using a very strong retinoid like prescription retinoic acid. Buffering means applying strong or potentially irritating ingredients on top of a thicker serum or moisturizer to slow their penetration rate into the skin. While this likely reduces the impact that a product has on the skin, it also reduces your risk of irritation. For those with sensitive skin, this can be a worthwhile trade-off.
Related to “buffering” is the concept of “sandwiching,” which refers to applying your retinol between two layers of moisturizer. This method works especially well for those with dry, sensitive skin!
Note: Most of our clients wouldn’t need to resort to such measures with the Double Enzyme Retinol Serum.
Combine it with soothing ingredients
Whether you’re buffering your retinoids or not, another great way to prevent flare-ups is to opt for soothing products in the rest of your routine. You can benefit from these ingredients in your moisturizer or cleanser, and they can also come from other products like serums and non-astringent toners.
Some ingredients we suggest combining with retinol for sensitive skin:
- Niacinamide
- Centella asiatica
- Naringenin and naringin
- Fatty acids
- Oatmeal extract
- Any high-quality, comprehensive moisturizing ingredients.