Which one to start with
Over-the-counter retinoids come in a rough order of strength. Retinyl esters (like retinyl palmitate) are the gentlest. Retinol is the usual starting point. Retinal (retinaldehyde) is a step closer to the active form, so it tends to work faster and can sting more.
Tretinoin is a prescription medicine in Australia, and adapalene is a medicine too. If you're using either, follow your prescriber or pharmacist rather than anything here.
Starting with a low-strength retinol is the conventional advice. A stronger product isn't a faster route if it irritates you into stopping.
How often, and how much
Two or three nights a week to start, on dry skin, a pea-sized amount for the whole face. After a couple of weeks with no irritation, add a night. Build up to nightly only if your skin is happy.
Keep away from the corners of your nose and mouth and from the eyelids, where skin is thinnest. Follow with a plain moisturiser.
If your skin is sensitive, put moisturiser on first and the retinoid over it. It dilutes the dose a little, which is the point.
What the first month feels like
Some dryness, flaking or tightness in the first few weeks is common and usually settles. Burning, swelling or raw patches aren't part of the process: stop and let your skin recover before trying again, less often.
Retinoids work slowly. Most studies measure results over about three months, so judge a product on that timescale, not a fortnight.
The rules that don't bend
Sunscreen every morning. Retinoids leave skin more sensitive to the sun, and the Australian UV index makes that matter more here than most places.
Don't start a retinoid and an exfoliating acid in the same week. Add one, settle, then think about the other — on different nights.
Retinoids are generally avoided during pregnancy and while trying to conceive. Ask your GP or pharmacist.
Common questions
- Should I use retinol in the morning or at night?
- At night. Retinol breaks down in sunlight and leaves skin more sun-sensitive, which is why almost every retinol is labelled for evening use.
- Is retinal stronger than retinol?
- Generally, yes. Retinal is one conversion step closer to the form skin uses, so it tends to act faster and can be more irritating at the same strength.
- How long before retinol works?
- Expect to wait around three months for visible change. Early dryness is common and usually settles in the first few weeks.
