WAY TO GO: Retinol.

The major buzz about retinol is that it is a major active skincare ingredient though people struggle with the application. Most of the skincare rookies find it difficult or struggle with the retinol application part but also face side effects of retinol which leads to discontinuation of the ingredient.
In order to see the real effects and the wonders retinol does to our skin, one needs to be consistent.
BUT still, some might face acne, discoloration, redness etc. even on regular application of retinol.
So, the question comes how? How can we actually introduce retinol in our skincare and see amazing results?

Simple answer is to understand your skin or consult with your skincare specialist. Our skin is the largest organ of the body, it is composed of 60%-55% of water. We all should understand the fact that all of our skin type is different because our genetics are different. Therefore, the amount of the retinol usage is different in everyone’s skincare, or if we should either put it on the skincare routine is necessary or not, that is one big question too.

WHO should use Retinol?

Early age group for instance 20 or below should not use retinol, it is not that mandatory that you need to add retinol serums or highly concentrated retinoid creams in your skincare regimen. Because at this stage our skin is already full of collagen and still being structured and growing. So, according to me and most of the sane skincare specialists it is not that mandatory that you add retinol on a daily basis. But yes, if you are going through tough acne problems and your dermatologist suggests then you may!

Retinol basically boosts the collagen production in skin and makes the sun signs fade, so as our skin ages from mid 20’s our collagen production depletes that is why we see a lot of fine lines and dullness on the skin. So, this age group is apt for starting retinol.

How to add retinol in Skincare?

If you’re a beginner just know that it is a process, and you need to understand what your skin is telling you. Start with adding retinol serum in your night skincare.

• Cleanser
• Mild Toner
• Retinol Serum, a little bit of 2-3 drops
• A Layer of Thick moisturizer

Now understand why we are adding retinol serum instead of retinoid cream, Serums are mostly less concentrated and light weight, whereas the creams work more actively and stays on the epidermis. Therefore, we are adding serum as a baby product which will not harm your skin.

The NEXT DAY apply a lot of sunscreens on the skin and do not apply exfoliating cleansers like salicylic acid or Vitamin C serums on your skin. Just cleanse your skin with a mild cleanser and apply sunscreen. I deeply understand you might feel the ick to squeaky clean your face but understand that we just exposed our skin with an active ingredient and now to lock in the new skin we need to protect it.

When you’re new to retinol just use it every alternative day. Do not apply it every single day, because we need to let the skin breathe as well.

Let’s make a note that retinol needs to be secured with sunscreen so be very vigilant to apply sunscreen every 2 -3 hours a day.

Who should not use Retinol?

People with extremely dry or acne prone skin should not use retinol, because retinol when introduced to skin may cause dryness or acne in some cases because it takes out all gunk from the pores deep within. That’s why that skin type is not advisable to use retinol serum or retinoid creams on the skin.