If Retinal Is Messing Up Your Skin…

Dr. Andrea Suarez helps us put it right:

Retin-ouch?

First, what it is: retinal (retinaldehyde) is a topical vitamin A derivative that increases cell turnover, thus rejuvenating the skin, and as such can improve the appearance of fine lines, uneven texture, and pigmentation. although it requires one fewer conversion step in the skin than retinol and thus is generally considered more effective*, both can improve visible signs of aging and support collagen production with consistent use.

^{*Which can be a good or bad thing depending on your skin; sometimes more effective is not what you want, when it comes to a product whose mechanism of action involves irritating the cells enough to get your body to jettison them in favor of new ones!}

Now, as retinal increases skin-cell turnover, it temporarily raises transepidermal water loss, which can lead to dryness, peeling, flaking, stinging, and sensitivity during the first few months. Lifestyle factors such as hot showers, heaters, fireplaces, alcohol consumption, and overwashing can make these effects worse.

So, to support your skin while that happens, it can be a good to use only a gentle cleanser, thoroughly rinse away cleanser residue, consider double cleansing with an oil cleanser followed by a mild cream cleanser when removing makeup (if you wear such), apply moisturizers containing ceramides, use a richer moisturizer or occlusive ointment at night if tolerated, run a humidifier while sleeping (if appropriate for your climate), and avoid exfoliating more than necessary.

You can also make things easier for your skin if you:

• start just a few nights per week and gradually increase towards nightly use
• avoid alternating between multiple retinoids
• use the moisturizer-retinal-moisturizer “sandwich method”
• protect sensitive areas such as your eyelids, lips, neck, and earlobe creases with petroleum jelly
• consider short-contact therapy by rinsing retinal off after about 30 minutes if your skin is highly sensitive
• apply only enough product to form a thin film!

For more on all of this plus some visual illustrations, enjoy:

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Want to learn more?

You might also like:

Retinoids: Retinol vs Retinal vs Retinoic Acid vs..? ← for demystifying this list of similar-sounding words and what they all mean and what it means for you 😎

Take care!