Autumn is the best time for retinol. After a summer break you restart with a low dose, and if you stayed on a low one all summer, now you can increase it. Retinoids, meaning vitamin A and its derivatives, work best when the sun is weaker and there are several months of calm, regular use ahead. Below I have gathered the most important rules in a nutshell, so your return is effective and free from irritation.
Let us start with a quick reminder. What actually works in the skin is retinoic acid, because it binds to receptors in the cells and triggers epidermal renewal and collagen production. Retinol has to go through two conversions in the skin before it becomes retinoic acid, which is why it works more gently and more slowly.
Retinal, or retinaldehyde, is one step closer, so it works faster and more effectively at a lower concentration. Retinoic acid is available only on prescription, and its use is supervised by a dermatologist. In home skincare, then, we mainly move between retinol and retinal.
If you put your retinoid aside for the summer, your skin loses its tolerance after a few weeks. Going back to the same dose you finished on in spring is a direct route to burning, peeling and redness. That is why we start again from a low concentration, for example retinol between 0.1 and 0.3%. For many people this second adjustment goes more smoothly than the first.
For the first two weeks, apply the product twice a week, in the evening, on dry skin. If your skin handles it calmly, move to every other evening, and after another two or three weeks to daily use. We increase frequency first and only then the concentration. For sensitive skin, the sandwich method works well: a layer of cream, the retinoid, and cream again.
If you used a low dose with sunscreen over the summer and your skin did not react with peeling or burning, autumn is the perfect moment for the next step. You can move from retinol 0.2 or 0.3% to 0.5%, or switch from retinol to a low concentration of retinal. You introduce the new, stronger product just as you did at the beginning, starting with two evenings a week. We change only one thing at a time, so we know what the skin tolerates.
During the first weeks the skin may feel slightly dry and tight and peel a little. This is a normal stage of adjustment called retinisation, and it usually passes within a few weeks. Strong burning, red patches or a scalded feeling are a signal to take a step back, pause the product for a few days and focus on rebuilding the barrier. I wrote about this in more detail in my post on retinoid irritation.
Apply your retinoid in the evening, and in the morning always use a cream with SPF 50, even on cloudy days. Do not combine it with acids or grainy scrubs on the same evening. Before in-clinic treatments, especially chemical peels, the retinoid is usually paused for a few days, and the exact time is set individually. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, retinoids are stopped completely.
With couperose skin, rosacea or atopic dermatitis, retinoids require particular caution, and sometimes it is better to skip them altogether. In that case it is worth consulting your skincare routine with a cosmetologist or dermatologist first.
If you want to give your skin a stronger boost, in our clinic we offer the Retix C treatment, a true vitamin A and vitamin C bomb. A high concentration of retinol speeds up epidermal renewal, while vitamin C brightens, evens out skin tone and acts as an antioxidant. We perform this treatment only in autumn and winter, because that is when the skin can go through peeling calmly, without the risk of sun-induced pigmentation. It works best for people whose skin already knows retinoids and tolerates them well.
I know most questions are about specific products, so this weekend a selection of recommended retinoid skincare will appear on our website. You will find options for every budget and different skin types, from a first gentle retinol to a stronger retinal.
If you are not sure which concentration to start with, or your skin is struggling with the return to retinoids, I invite you for a consultation at our clinic in Osielsko. Together we will choose the product and an introduction plan for your skin, in the spirit of slow age, without rushing and without fighting it. Bydgoszcz is only about fifteen minutes away by car.
Do I need to go back to the lowest dose after a break? Yes, it is safer to start with a lower concentration or less frequent use, even if your skin previously tolerated a stronger product.
How long does it take to see results from retinol? The first changes are usually visible after about three months of regular use, and fuller results take longer.
Can retinol be combined with in-clinic treatments? Yes, but it needs to be paused for a few days before some treatments, so always tell your cosmetologist that you use a retinoid.
Katarzyna Gwizdal, MSc, cosmetologist, Skin Laser