Are you a Retinol Expert? Please assist me!

[NYStateofMine]

I have been using Satin Naturel Organic 3% Retinol Serum for the past 2 years. The ingredients are lovely and it also contains argon oil and vitamin c so it feels lovely on my skin. Can't say I look any younger but thought I was doing my best. However, I just read an article that said you can't get 3% retinol over the counter in the UK, which made me suspicious. I went online to check over the ingredients of my serum and saw that it says "3% retinol delivery system". Now I'm pretty sure that sounds like a clever bit of waffle, and that's it's not actually 3% retinol after all?!!

Are there any retinol experts who can confirm?

Second question, what is the highest percentage retinol I can buy over the counter and what serums do you recommend? There are a great many vlogs and Top 10 lists online but they rarely mention the actual % strength of retinol / Vit A.

I still think £20 a month is expensive when from spain its so cheap, I can one tube last around 10 month's, at the moment there's no chance of going to Spain, so if you can't wait you could start with dermatica and when we can fly again stock up abroad.

They prescribe tretinoin, not retinol (only one conversation step). Most powerful anti-aging substance, also most irritating. You need broad spectrum SPF 50 to wear everyday to protect your skin from further damage as tretinoin increases sensitivity to UV light (so do other forms but tret is stronger). Usually the prescription services have niacinamide in the mix - that's vitamin b3. Provides general health of skin support.

@lindyloo57

I still think £20 a month is expensive when from spain its so cheap, I can one tube last around 10 month's, at the moment there's no chance of going to Spain, so if you can't wait you could start with dermatica and when we can fly again stock up abroad.

You can pace out your deliveries more if you don’t use an entire tube each month.

I use it every 2-3 days and a tube lasts me nearly 3 months

Retinol is a type of retinoid, a naturally-occurring derivative of vitamin A and this is available in your regular otc skincare products.

Tretinoin is also a retinoid, but, unlike Retinol, Tretinoin is a concentration of pure retinoic acid. Retinol is converted into retinoic acid after its applied and absorbed by your skin. Tretinoin or Retin A is only available on a prescription in the UK.

I stocked up on a few tubes from a Spanish pharmacy as it was cheaper and easier to get. That was before 1Jan though so not sure what the prices and delivery times are like now.

Would people recommend Medic8 or would Dermatica / Skin to Me be more effective? Just purchased the Medic8 Crystal 3.

Different people say different things, Paris. Tretinoin - what the prescription services offer - will be more effective, but some people say it's better to start off on retinol or in your case retinal, to get the skin used to it.

I agree with Apileofbally, I started in 2018 on the ordinary for around a year, then went on the tretinoin (from spain) so start slowly, maybe with the ordinary see how you go.

Hi again, I filled out the Skin+Me online form and they have recommended a formula containing the following ingredients:

Tretinoin (0.006%)
*
Niacinamide (4%)*
*
Azelaic Acid (4%)*

Can anyone tell me if this looks ok? The Tretinoin looks incredibly low doesn't it? Compared to say 1% retinol?

I'm really confused now!! Tried Googling it without much luck!

It's tret, not retinol. Tret is much stronger. You need to start low otherwise your skin will fall off. They'll up the % over the coming weeks and months.

The medik 8 Crystal retinal is probably the best over the counter retinoid. I used this for about 6 months to get my skin ‘retinised’ then bought some tret in Portugal for 3.5 euros! Then moved to Dermatica. Tret is the best and has the most research behind it. But it’s strong and you have to careful.

0.006 does seem very low but are the directions to use it every night? When I started tret (just a tube I bought rather than Dermatica/Skin&Me) I went with the 0.025 but only used the tiniest dab three nights a week and still experienced a fair bit of peeling. So better to start off cautiously and get your skin acclimatised than to go to heavy too fast. Marathon and not a sprint etc. Email them and ask if they'll increase the % next month.

Placemarking

This is all completely new and slightly over whelming to me

What age should someone start using retinol or anything prescribed?

Thanks

Oohmama if I had my time again I'd have started around age 30. But I had absolutely no fine lines before then. If I had started when fine lines did appear my skin would be much better now at 43 than it is. There's probably a good case for starting in late 20s, with a low strength product anyway. It depends too if you're willing to be religious with your sunscreen. Though this should be done anyway, and I think it's part of the reason I didn't have even fine lines.

I've seen people starting with 0.015 tretinoin, NY, but maybe as you've never used any form of retinoid they're starting you off lower. Tretinoin is much much stronger than retinol. The best results are actually from consistent use, not from strength of product. Somebody who uses 0.025 happily every second night for years will do better than someone who uses 0.05 and wrecks their skin barrier and has to completely stop use for a while, and then has to go back to lower strength and start the building up process again.

I'm just finishing my first month with dermatica. I had planned to space deliveries out like mentioned above but my tube of cream has quite a short expiry. Is this normal? My first month was free (paid postage only) so I wondered if use short dated stock for this. Or maybe my particular product is short dated naturally (combination of tretinoin 0.025% and hydroquinone)?
Any advice welcome! I would say my skin looks and feels better already. Forehead smoother. Rest of face harder to tell due to constant mask wearing at work. Also hard to tell if my pigmentation is any better as it always improves in winter.

Very interesting everyone, thank you. Surprised at the very very low % given I have normal skin and have been using over the counter retinol. I will see how I go and ask them if needs be. I know I shouldn't rush but at the same time I don't fancy doing this for a year and seeing no difference.

Why are you surprised? It's been said several times now...... tret is much stronger and you can't just wallop on a high % without your skin reacting. You can buy the strong stuff yourself from Asia if you want and go through the red raw/peeling/angry phase but no licensed dermatologist will typically prescribe that kind of regime.

Yes get tretinoin. That’s the only thing strong enough to really make a difference. I have given up now with OTC products.

Thankyou! I'm turning 30 in a few months and having abit of a crisis as I'm starting to notice really fine lines under my eyes so I think I should get started soon then!

I have REALLY sensitive skin
At the moment I only use avene extra sensitive cleanser and their moisturiser

Do you think it's worth having an appointment with a dermatologist ? Will they be able to advice on the best products to start with etc?
Was thinking of asking for an appointment as a present for my 30th...

@oohmama retinol (Tretinoin) and sunscreen. I also use acids and vitamin C.

Hi. Does anyone use Roche Posay? Is it any good ?

@oohmama

Thankyou! I'm turning 30 in a few months and having abit of a crisis as I'm starting to notice really fine lines under my eyes so I think I should get started soon then!

I have REALLY sensitive skin
At the moment I only use avene extra sensitive cleanser and their moisturiser

Do you think it's worth having an appointment with a dermatologist ? Will they be able to advice on the best products to start with etc?
Was thinking of asking for an appointment as a present for my 30th...

Dermatica IS an appointment with a dermatologist.

@Popsy321

Why are you surprised? It's been said several times now...... tret is much stronger and you can't just wallop on a high % without your skin reacting. You can buy the strong stuff yourself from Asia if you want and go through the red raw/peeling/angry phase but no licensed dermatologist will typically prescribe that kind of regime.

@Popsy321 yes I know it is strong. What I said was I was surprised at how low the % was when others on here said they started at 0.25 etc.

I don't fancy doing this for a year and seeing no difference. From what I've seen, they move you up fairly quickly, so you'll probably be 0.015 in the second month and 0.025 in the third, provided you're not reacting badly. But it might take you a few months to see any results in any case. I think a skin cycle is 6-8 weeks so a year only has 6-8 full cycles anyway. Though I do see improved skin after one cycle with plain old retinol.

oohmama, sort out a stand alone SPF 50 broad spectrum sunscreen that you're happy to wear every single day before you do anything else. By stand alone I mean not in your moisturiser, not in your primer, not in your makeup. Be prepared to use at least 1.25 ml to cover your face and a further 1.25 ml to cover your neck (some places say you actually need more, I've seen 2.5ml just for face) and top up if you're outside for extended amounts of time (sunscreen degrades after 2 hours).

Broad spectrum means it covers you for UVA (A causes ageing and cancer) as well as UVB (B causes burning). UVA penetrates glass as is just as strong winter as summer, so you need sunscreen in the winter, indoors. SPF refers to UVB only so you have to make sure your sunscreen covers UVA. For mineral screens (made from zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide) to cover UVA you need zinc oxide too. Chemical sunscreens usually use a combination of different agents to provide UVA protection.

2.5ml a day means a 50ml bottle doesn't last a month so you need to choose something affordable.

Something like 80% of skin ageing is caused by light. All retinoids cause your skin to become more sensitive to light, so you must wear sunscreen when you're using them. It's much easier to sort out sunscreen first so you know which one you're happy with for long term use.

Two sunscreens I recommend are Heliocare 360 or, as a cheaper option Nivea UV Face Shone control 50. The latter is just as good under make up as the more expensive one and it is Ultra spectrum UVA & B + blue light effective.