Difference between retinol and retinoid

So, is retinoid better than retinol? If strength is your main concern—typically the case for mature patients with moderate to severe skin damage, says Shah—then, yes, retinoids are better than retinol.

Simply put, retinol is the over-the-counter version of a retinoid. It contains a lower concentration of the retinoid, which often means it doesn’t have the effect you’re hoping for. See, retinoids are irritating. And when people use a product that bothers their skin, they return it.

Basically, the more conversions it takes for an ester form to get to the retinoic acid form, the weaker it is,” says Dr. Engelman. Therefore, retinols are milder and less potent—100 times less potent on average than prescription retinoids, according to Bloomfield Hills, MI dermatologist Linda Chung Honet, MD.

You can use a cosmetic retinol product alongside a retinoid product prescribed by a doctor. You decide in which order you apply them. Do keep in mind that more is not always better. If your skin becomes irritated (flaking, redness, sensitivity), then stop using multiple retinol products or reduce the frequency.

Don’t Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol.

Mix your retinol with your moisturizer, or apply your moisturizer first and then your retinol. Always use sunscreen the morning after you apply retinol. Your skin will be especially sensitive to sunlight, so it’s important to protect it.

Use Retinol Only at Night and Wear SPF Every Day

“Retinol makes your skin more sensitive to UV rays and sunlight decreases the efficacy of the product,” explains Bowe, who instructs patients to only use retinoids at night and be diligent about applying a daily broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher during the day.

Wait at least 20 minutes before applying your hyaluronic acid moisturizer. This allows the retinol cream to dry and soak into your skin. After your skin has absorbed the retinol cream, apply the hyaluronic acid moisturized. It’s important to closely follow the instructions provided with the product.

The Best Cream Moisturizer To Use With Retinol Cream

According to Dr. King, the best moisturizer to pair with a retinol is CeraVe’s Moisturizing Cream. Why? “It’s non-comedogenic but very moisturizing,” she says.

The Retinol Mistake We Had No Idea We Were Making

But one such ‘rule’ we weren’t aware of until now, is that retinol needs a decent amount of time to absorb. According to skincare guru and best-selling author, Caroline Hirons, you should allow 20 plus minutes before moving on to the next step of your routine.

No, it’s not necessary. Assuming you‘re not one to hop in the shower when you wake up, Santa Monica, CA, dermatologist Ava Shamban, MD, says washing your face in the morning isn’t necessary. If you used a retinoid, it will have disappeared by morning and soaked into your skin.

Apply retinol products at night.

“Retinol can be slightly inactivated by sunlight, making nighttime application ideal,” says Joshua Zeichner, a dermatologist at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Plus, because you aren’t sweating or rubbing your skin as you sleep, overnight retinol can work its magic uninterrupted.

In general, retinol is one of the more gentle varieties of retinoids, however, “if you’re going to experience shedding it will begin on day three to five of daily night time use, and this usually continues for about five to 10 days depending on your skin type and the percentage of retinol you’ve used,” adds Ejikeme.

“Skin purging happens when new ingredients, like retinol, promote increased cell turnover, which causes clogging and worsening breakouts. “Skin on either extreme will be more likely to purge, as dry skin is more likely to get irritated and oily skin can have more clogging to clear with new products,” says Dr. Farber.

How can retinol cause skin thinning? “This will make your skin look older and accentuate wrinkles” — which is probably not what you‘re going for when you start using the stuff. And there’s no question that retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.

First-time retinol users have reported irritation, including redness, dryness, and peeling. If you use too high a strength or apply retinol more frequently than you should, you may experience further irritation, like itchiness and scaly patches.

How can retinol cause skin thinning? “This will make your skin look older and accentuate wrinkles” — which is probably not what you’re going for when you start using the stuff. And there’s no question that retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.

If your skin gets red or discolored and inflamed to the point where you are in pain, ice the area or apply a cold compress to help soothe your skin. Keep your skin routine as basic and gentle as possible while your skin heals from retinol burn, rinsing with cool water once per day and skipping makeup if you’re able to.

To reap the benefits of Retinol and Vitamin C without irritating or inflaming your skin, try using Retinol one night and Vitamin C the next. If you prefer to use a Vitamin C serum at night, this routine allows your skin enough time to stabilize its pH levels between use of each ingredient.

In short: yes, you can use vitamin C and retinol together; try retinol at night and vitamin C during the day—always with sunscreen.

Use retinol once or twice a week at first to see how your skin reacts, and gradually work up to every other day or three times a week. Another key tip for using retinol is to incorporate it into your nighttime skincare routine only, as it makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight.

Dedicated neck creams are more concentrated and powerful than most face creams, but some facial formulas with retinol, such as RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum, have been shown to work on the neck and chest, too.”