a woman applying retinol serum on her face | How Many Times Should You Apply Retinol Serum

Retinol Serum for Skin: What is it, Benefits & How to Use

Despite many benefits, several people might be afraid to incorporate retinol into their beauty routine. Whether they’re worried it will make their skin more sensitive or dry or are worried about how it will interact with other products. In reality, it’s easy to start using retinol in your beauty regime, especially if you get to know what retinol benefits your skin.

7 Retinol serum benefits

Gives a fresh look
Removes dust and dead cells
Unclogs pores
Increases cell production
Increases collagen production
Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
Treats hyperpigmentation

Is it good to use retinol serum for face?

Retinol is most widely used for skin issues that are related to the face. The most commonly used purpose is to treat acne breakouts. Let’s look out for what else retinol is used for.

Retinol boosts cell development and turnover, that’s in large part what makes it very effective to be used as a skincare ingredient. Retinol is a powerful acne treatment, and it can also help fade hyperpigmentation and red spots.

It may also prevent the breakdown of collagen which may help to reduce wrinkles. It may also smooth out your skin and provide a more even skin tone.

Tretinoin or retinol?

Tretinoin and retinol are Retinoids that are related to Vitamin A and are used to treat various skin conditions. Our skin is prone to the after-effects of sunlight, pollution, aging, chemicals, cosmetics, and more.

Although tretinoin and retinol are from the same chemical compound, they are greatly varied. Retinol is a vital nutrient, as it stays on the skin for longer periods of time, while tretinoin is a more concentrated version of retinol, which our skin might be sensitive to. Retinol is less severe compared to tretinoin. Tretinoin is prone to more side effects when compared to retinol. So it is best to use retinol as a treatment, however consulting your doctor before using these retinoids is recommended.

Best retinol serum for the face

There are many retinol products available in the market today. Choosing the perfect product from them is definitely time-consuming and risky too. Try our Anti-aging serum with Retinol and Vitamin C extracts from Saturn by GHC. It diminishes the sensitive effects of retinol when applied to the skin. It is trusted by numerous happy customers. The users usually got their results at the beginning of the second month. It improves the skin texture, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, decreases dark spots, treats acne, and fights acne breakouts too.

How to add Retinol Serum to Your Beauty Routine?

While adding retinol to your beauty regime might seem daunting, it’s relatively very easy as long as you follow a few simple steps!

1. Apply at Night

Retinol always needs to be applied at night. It is especially sensitive to light, so it’s kept in dark packaging. To avoid unnecessary sun damage, apply retinol before you go to bed only.

2. Start Slow

One of the very common mistakes people make when they start using retinol is applying it every single night. For many people, it is often difficult to adjust certain products to their skin. To adjust your skin to the retinol, start using it two times a week in the evenings. If you don't experience any redness or flakiness till the next day, you can start using it up to every other day—and then even daily if your skin can handle it.

3. Use Pea-Size Amount

Another mistake people often make is to use too many products. With retinol, a little quantity goes a long way, so you only need a very small amount to cover your entire face!

4. Mix It Up

One tip to help your skin adjust to this is to mix your retinol with your moisturizer and then apply it to your skin. This makes the retinol to be a little gentler on your skin, which is great if you have very sensitive skin. Over time, you could switch to applying the retinol directly to your skin with zero moisturizers.

5. Monitor Dryness

When you start using retinol for acne and gradually increase how often you use it, you can monitor how dry skin and flaky your skin gets. That is usually one of the side effects of retinol, especially in the first few weeks. As your skin gets used to the treatment, you will notice the redness and flakiness minimizes, which is a sign that you can raise the frequency of usage if you want.

6. Give it Time

Retinol is not an overnight solution to your various skin concerns. You most likely won’t see any major visible results for 12 weeks, which is the amount of time typically suggested to use the product consistently. Retinol will provide you with great results over time, so better be patient if you don’t see any results in the first week!

Tips for adding Retinol into Your Beauty Routine

Mix the retinol with your moisturizer, or apply your moisturizer first and then retinol.

Always use sunscreen that particular day afterward when you apply retinol as your skin becomes sensitive to sunlight, so it’s important to protect it.

Follow these steps and add them to your regimen.

Step 1: Cleanser

Step 2: Toner

Step 3: Moisturizer

Step 4: Retinol

Step 5: Face Oil

How often should you use retinol?

Eventually, most people can use it daily if they like. It largely depends on what kind of product you’re using, how delicate your skin is, and what percentage of retinol composition you’re using.

You can limit your use of retinol to once or twice per week initially and gradually increase its usage as it can initially be drying, especially on sensitive skin, so it's good to give your skin time to adjust to the change in your routine.

If you don’t find any side effects on your skin after the first 2 weeks, you can increase the usage to alternate days. After a month of usage or so with no side effects, you can use it every day if you want.

It is usually recommended to use retinol at night as applying it before bed enhances activities that are already happening.

Take Away

If we talk about retinol, slow and steady wins the race. Start by incorporating retinol into your night skincare routine 1 or 2 times per week before moving on to everyday use. If you have sensitive skin it’s better you don’t use retinol. Always consult your dermatologist before taking such sensitive prescriptions on your skin. If you find any side effects stop the usage immediately.

FAQs

How much time does retinol take to work?

Retinol is a single compound that benefits your skin. It takes 40-60 days to see and benefit from the advantages of retinol.

Can you use retinol serum every day?

Yes, you can use retinol serum every day. However, if you have rashes or acne breakouts in the initial days, then it is not recommended to use the product anymore.

How do you know if retinol is working?

It takes several weeks to notice the benefits of retinol. Your skin takes many days to get adjusted to the new chemical that is applied to the skin. After that, you can see visible results.

References:

How does retinol work on the skin? By Healthline, Jan 4, 2022.

Retinol and its properties. By MyClevelandClinic, Jun 17, 2022.

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