Table of content

• What is retinol?
• Can retinol make your wrinkles worse before making them better?
• What are the side effects of retinol?
• Can we apply retinol around the eyes?
• How to use retinol in a way that minimises its side effects?
• Some common myths about retinol
• Products you should not combine with retinol
• What products to combine with retinol?

We all have heard of this holy grail anti-ageing ingredient called retinol but some people complain that their wrinkles are actually getting worse with retinol. in this article, we will examine the possible causes of the problem you are facing.

What is retinol?

Retinol is a type of retinoid which is derived from vitamin A. vitamin A is naturally found in our skin and is obtained through foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, carrots, dark green leafy vegetables etc.

Retinol is incorporated into serums and moisturizers to stimulate collagen production and increase cell turnover. Which helps in improving wrinkles and fine lines, fighting acne, and reversing sun damage.

Retinoids are one of the most important and helpful ingredients to treat and prevent skin ageing backed by ample research.

However, retinol can cause some side effects, like producing redness and irritation initially. It should be used with a daily broad-spectrum sunscreen.

Can retinol make your wrinkles worse before making them better?

Retinol does not make our wrinkles worse before making them better. If you think your wrinkles are getting worse after using retinol it might be due to an allergic reaction you are having to the retinol product. You should immediately stop using that product and your skin will come back to normal after some time. 

Dryness is one of the side effects of using retinol. It’s a common myth that dry skin causes wrinkles which is not true. Dry skin only gives off the appearance of more wrinkles compared to oily skin.

What are the side effects of retinol?

• Skin dryness
• Reddening of the skin
• Skin irritation
• Skin inflammation
• Flushing and facial stinging

The side effects of retinol reduce with time because our skin gradually builds tolerance.

Can we apply retinol around the eyes?

Yes, you can apply retinol around your eyes however you need to be more cautious while applying retinol here because the skin around our eyes is very thin and its ability to absorb is more which also means the potential for irritation in this area is greater.

Using too much retinol here might cause a puffy bag which looks like a huge wrinkle around the eyes for some people. If you are facing this issue you should stop using the product and wait for it to heal.

How to use retinol in a way that minimises its side effects?

Retinol is a type of ingredient for which you have to slowly build your tolerance, which means you have to take some precautions while incorporating it into your skincare.

When you start using retinol in your skincare start with a low-concentration product with a low frequency of use to see how your skin is reacting. This means using it once or twice a week or every other day at night initially and slowly increasing the frequency and concentration.

Also, apply a moisturiser before retinol to reduce penetration. Use products with anti-inflammatory ingredients and reduce products or ingredients that increase penetration.

Some common myths about retinol

• Retinol makes your skin more prone to sun damage – retinol does not increase sun sensitivity and in fact, it protects the skin from UV exposure.
• Retinol thins your skin – retinol actually thickens the top layer of the skin (epidermis)
• Retinol exfoliates the skin – it is not an exfoliator 

Products you should not combine with retinol

Retinol with AHA’s and BHA’s

Retinol and hydroxy acids do not interfere with each other i.e., if they are used together it will not hinder their effects on our skin. However, since retinol increases cell turnover and the hydroxy acids increase exfoliation, it increases the shedding and flakiness on our skin. Which makes our skin look dull and dry. It can also make our skin more irritated.

So until your skin reaches zero irritation levels from retinol don’t use hydroxy acids. After that, if you think you need to exfoliate your skin with the hydroxy acids slowly start to introduce them once a week in the morning and apply retinol at night.

Retinol and vitamin c combination

Both ingredients are safe to use together but both vitamin c and retinol can be irritating to the skin even when used separately so using them together can increase the risk of irritation.

If you want you can use vitamin c in the morning and retinol at night after your skin has become used to retinol.

What products to combine with retinol?

• Moisturizers or serums – they will reduce the dryness and flaking caused by retinol, use a moisturizer or serum with lots of anti-oxidant ingredients.
• Niacinamide – it makes our skin stronger and reduces irritation caused by retinol
• Sunscreen – you should it regardless of what your skincare routine is.