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Original poster

retinol making me look ten years older..

58 replies

kryptonfactor · 31/01/2022 19:07

Looking for a bit of advice. I started using a retinol eye cream a few weeks ago, after about a week it started having a really unpleasant effect on my face. My under eye skin went very dry and rough and the fine lines under my eyes deepened and looked SO much worse, I don't exaggerate when I say I looked ten years older, probably more. I stopped using the cream and have been moisturising like crazy and it is improving, my face and skin look much more normal today.

Is this something I have to just ride out and then I will see the benefit? Or did the retinol just not agree with me? I'm really not vain but I looked so awful I got a bit of a fright. I have read about retinol causing some dryness or irritation but this seemed really extreme.

OP posts:
emsyj37 · 01/02/2022 21:43

1% retinol is not stronger than 0.05% tretinoin. Prescription strength tretinoin is retinoic acid, which is many many times stronger than retinol. A 0.05% tretinoin cream is a much stronger product than a 1% retinol. Caroline Hirons did a cheat sheet on this I think, setting out the different strengths of retinoids.

madisonbridges · 01/02/2022 22:01

I've used 1% retinol and I now use 0.05% and 0.025% tretinoin. I can attest 1% retinol is a breeze compared to the tretinoin. Even the 0.025% has you peeling within a couple of days. I also have a tube of 0.1% tretinoin gel. I swear it could strip paint. Tretinoin is strong stuff.

FuzzyDonkey · 02/02/2022 06:15

Agree with what emsyj37 and madisonbridges say here. The reason I had no reaction from a 0.05% tretinoin but a bad reaction from a 0.1% retinol was likely down to the alcohol or some other igredient in the retinol - not to do with strength of the actual product. People see the numbers and they get bamboozled (I bought my mu a tube of 0.05% Retin A, and she mentioned that she had seen 1% retinol in boots which was even higher! I tried to explain to her but I don't think she got it!) The best thing to do is start with the weakest version of tretinoin and work your way up. IMO the beauty store retinols aren't really worth it when you can go online and buy a tube of real-deal tret for 15-10 quid. Good luck!

mashpot · 02/02/2022 06:21

Hijacking to ask if anyone can recommend a night cream / moisturiser to use after the skin + me? I am suffering flaky patches but don’t want to use a moisturiser that will irritate. Most things I have tried sting, do I just ignore that?! TIA

OnthePiste · 02/02/2022 07:04

@mashpot

Hijacking to ask if anyone can recommend a night cream / moisturiser to use after the skin + me? I am suffering flaky patches but don’t want to use a moisturiser that will irritate. Most things I have tried sting, do I just ignore that?! TIA
I use either Cerave or I have just started using Medik8 night cream which is full of ceramides and is designed for use after Tret/Retinol products. If these still sting, try La Poche Rosay
Imabouttoexplode · 02/02/2022 09:03

@ihaveonecat

Agree with long game. I've been using tret for 2 years and look no different except less acne But that's the point - I don't look 2 years older!
How old are you?
Imabouttoexplode · 02/02/2022 09:05

@madisonbridges

I've used 1% retinol and I now use 0.05% and 0.025% tretinoin. I can attest 1% retinol is a breeze compared to the tretinoin. Even the 0.025% has you peeling within a couple of days. I also have a tube of 0.1% tretinoin gel. I swear it could strip paint. Tretinoin is strong stuff.
Yep, totally different league. Proceed with caution with tret. Buffer like mad and take it slow!
Imabouttoexplode · 02/02/2022 09:10

@notacooldad

Those of you saying that you look older, did you return to normal once you stopped using it?
I knackered my skin with strong tret but it returned to normal after about 10 days. It felt like a long 10 days though and I had to keep the faith that it would recover! I also really damaged it with a super strong diy peel. Looked like I had cellulite on my face! It recovered from that too thankfully!
ihaveonecat · 02/02/2022 10:22

@Imabouttoexplode I'm 38

retinol making me look ten years older..
Delatron · 02/02/2022 11:18

Cerave PM is a good moisturiser for Tret. Has lots of ceramides. If I overdo it La Roche Posey cicoplast sorts my skin out.

Imabouttoexplode · 02/02/2022 12:52

[quote ihaveonecat]@Imabouttoexplode I'm 38 [/quote]
Yeah, you won't look 2 years older though from 36 to 38. 46 to 48 is a whole different ball game!

ihaveonecat · 02/02/2022 13:42

@Imabouttoexplode I've been using it since 31 and it's made a huge difference in that time I would say but year to year is no change if that makes sense
My forehead looks totally different, and it's cleared my sebaceous filaments and acne too

mashpot · 02/02/2022 21:57

Brilliant thanks, was using Hado Labo but will try replacing with Cerave and see how I get on

Jinglebellsoncake · 02/02/2022 22:08

Very common.

You are over doing it and your skin is in overdrive producing new layers of skin cells, which is making the old skin flake off prematurely.

Stop using for a week. Then reintroduce much slower 2-3 x per week for a month or so.

TheCountessOfGrantham · 02/02/2022 22:22

@ihaveonecat

Agree with long game. I've been using tret for 2 years and look no different except less acne But that's the point - I don't look 2 years older!
Where did you get the Tret from, if you're in the U.K.?
ihaveonecat · 02/02/2022 22:26

@TheCountessOfGrantham I started on dermatica and then switched to skin and me

AlDanvers · 03/02/2022 06:42

[quote ihaveonecat]@TheCountessOfGrantham I started on dermatica and then switched to skin and me [/quote]
Hi, can I ask which you prefer? As you have tried both. Thank you

SisterAgatha · 03/02/2022 07:18

Yep. My face fell off in slabs too. I’d like to try again because I got too cocky when I had no reaction after once a week and went to every other day too quickly.

ihaveonecat · 03/02/2022 07:33

@AlDanvers I prefer skin and me but it's very personal - I know some prefer dermatica!
Skin and me seems more active to me and more like traditional tret, it's a stiffer/thicker cream

AlDanvers · 03/02/2022 07:38

[quote ihaveonecat]@AlDanvers I prefer skin and me but it's very personal - I know some prefer dermatica!
Skin and me seems more active to me and more like traditional tret, it's a stiffer/thicker cream[/quote]
Thank you. I have some Sunday reilly retinol that I got with a gift card I got at Christmas. But its so expensive. Dermatica and skin & me seems so much more reasonable. So wanted to give them a go.

Thank you for view on it Smile

turnaroundtime · 07/02/2022 20:50

@FuzzyDonkey, it's easy to get Tret here in the UK. Look at Dermatica or Skin and Me

madisonbridges · 07/02/2022 21:02

If anyone goes on holiday to Mexico, you can buy tretinoin over the counter in their pharmacies. Definitely worthwhile doing. I think they worked out at about £28 a tube which lasts 12 to 18mths.

Chandimum · 08/02/2022 23:18

@anotherbloodyyearofcovid

If it's making you look older, stop using it.

You're welcome 😁

🤣
Justsmile1111 · 03/06/2022 13:52

Hey, OP Can you let me know how your skin is now? I am currently dealing with this as well. It's been two months of this madness!!! :(

Oceanus · 03/06/2022 15:00

How are you using it? It's meant to be used ONLY at night. You need to use SPF every single day for a minimum of a week after using it.
I wore retinol up until last year. I had to take a prescribed drug that I felt was messing up with my skin so stopped until it gets back to normal. I wore retinol for a couple of years and did quite a bit of research beforehand too.
First things first: toom much retinol in one go before the skin gets used to it might make it extra dry. I started like this, with a small concentration:


  • week 1: once a week

  • weeks 2 & 3: twice a week

  • weeks 4 to 6: 3 times a a week

  • from week 7: every other night

  • In between: Bakuchiol serum

There are things you should absolutely never combine with retinol on the same evening: glycolic acid, acne products, vitamin C, benzoyil peroxide, AHA/BHA ac.
Hyaluronic acid is ok, I use a Japanese lotion from Hada Labo to bring moisture back on. I also once made a massive mistake of using a retinol serum over sth with glycolic acid... I was on fire and this lotion save me. Avène Thermal is also good (it helps my skin heal faster) and I use the Hada Labo lotion over it.
Toleriane non-foaming cleanser is good for retinoid users or Embryoliss Crème Fluide/Lait-crème moussant for removing makeup.
CeraVe's moisturising cream is good after a retinol but wait 20 minutes before putting it on. I often used this moisturing mist from Avène or Toleriane (can't remember tbh) but it
Dry skin means you went overboard. Let your skin rest and get back to normal and then start slow and take it from there.
Like I said I did a world of research before I started but I only kept this link for some reason pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Retinaldehyde%2Fpharmacology%22%5BMAJR%5D (if you want to do some reading on it).