Retinol advice please!

[Crabonastick]

Hey all

I started using the ordinary retinol about 6 weeks ago. I started with the 0.5% and I used it every night, my skin did not go red, flake or go dry and so I decided to up it to 1%. After about 3 nights on the trot of using the 1% my skin around my cheeks (under my eyes) becomes incredibly red, dry and stinging when I put any moisturiser on. I have started using a steam room occasional so am unsure if this is making the situation worse

I’m wondering- when my skin is like this, should I be persevering with the 1%, go back down to the 0.5% or stop using retinol altogether until it recovers? Do you think the steam room is making the redness worse? I suppose that if I haven’t cleansed my face properly before some of the residue retinol may be further absorbed? Shall I pack in the steam rooms?

Does anyone have any experience of working through the dryness and how to best deal with it?

I wouldn't use the 1% every night, try once a week then work up to every 3 days maybe? It's very strong, I peeled when I first used it!

They recommend you work you mr way through one bottle before moving to the next strength. I’d say you’ve moved too quickly.

I am using tretinoin which is a prescription only retinol so even stronger than the ordinary. I went through the retinol purge - peeling, redness and stinging. Just drop the number of times you use it a week a bit but do keep going. Peeling shows it is working! And then you wake up in 3-4 weeks with gorgeous baby soft skin.