How Often Should I Use Retinol? A Gentle Retinol Schedule

How the retinol schedule planner works

The first question is a safety check. The American Academy of Dermatology says retinoids should not be used during pregnancy, and Cleveland Clinic advises telling your doctor if you plan to become pregnant. So if you’re pregnant, trying to get pregnant or breastfeeding, the planner stops there and suggests you ask your doctor or a board-certified dermatologist first. After that, your experience sets the outline: starting for the first time, starting again after irritation, or keeping up a retinol you already use. Your sensitivity, other active products and any upcoming event add notes. Your answers stay on your device.

How often should I use retinol when I’m starting?

Dermatologists quoted by the American Academy of Dermatology advise using the least intense retinoid formula you can find, every other night to start, and slowly building up. When your skin has felt comfortable for a while, with no stinging, peeling or tightness, add a night. If it gets irritated, go back a step. Some people build up to most nights; others are happiest at a few nights a week. There’s no prize for getting to every night quickly, and the sources don’t set a timetable, so your skin is the guide.

How often should I use retinol once my skin is used to it?

Once your skin is comfortable, the right frequency is the one it tolerates without stinging, peeling or tightness. For some people that’s most nights; for others it’s every second or third night, and that’s fine. Seasons matter too: many people cut back in cold, dry weather, after a lot of sun or when their skin feels sensitive, and build up again later. If you switch to a stronger product, start it the way you started the first one, every other night, and build up slowly again.

Signs you’re using retinol too often

Your skin will tell you. Stinging when you put on moisturizer, flaking around the nose and mouth, tightness, redness that lasts into the next day or makeup that suddenly clings to dry patches all mean it’s time to cut back to fewer nights. Give your skin a few nights off, keep the rest of your routine very gentle, then restart at a lower frequency. If irritation doesn’t settle when you cut back, see a board-certified dermatologist.

How much retinol to use

Follow the label for the amount; more isn’t better, and using extra mostly means more irritation. The American Academy of Dermatology also points out that over-the-counter products don’t have to state their retinol percentage, which is one reason to start with the gentlest product you can find rather than chasing a number. If you’re using a prescription retinoid, use it exactly as your dermatologist tells you.

Where retinol fits in your routine

Use retinol at night only, because retinoids make skin more sensitive to the sun. In the evening, wash your face, pat it dry, then apply retinol in the serum slot, before eye cream, face oil and moisturizer, as the dermatologist-reviewed Cleveland Clinic guide lays out. Every morning, wear broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher on all skin not covered by clothing. Our skincare routine order planner puts the rest of your products in order.

Choosing a moisturizer for retinol

A moisturizer is one of the simplest ways to make retinol more comfortable. The American Academy of Dermatology notes that starting slowly and using moisturizer helps keep irritation down, which matters especially on deeper skin tones, where irritation can leave dark marks. Choose a gentle moisturizer you already know works for you, ideally without fragrance, and apply it after your retinol. If your skin is dry, a richer cream on retinol nights can help; if it’s oily, a light lotion is usually enough.

Mixing retinol with other active ingredients

Retinol is easier on the skin when it isn’t fighting with other strong products. Introduce one new active at a time, so you can tell what your skin is reacting to. Cleveland Clinic suggests keeping vitamin C for the morning and retinol for the night, and alternating days, or using an exfoliating acid in the morning, if you want to use both an acid and a retinol. The same idea of keeping strong products apart applies to benzoyl peroxide. Which combinations suit your skin is a question for a board-certified dermatologist, especially if you use a prescription product. Fewer products usually means less irritation.

Retinol before a wedding or event

A big event is not the time to try retinol for the first time. Starting it can bring dryness or flaking while your skin adjusts, and makeup clings to flaky patches. If retinol is new to you, wait until after the event, or start well ahead so your skin has fully settled. If you already use one comfortably, keep your usual rhythm, and consider skipping it for a couple of nights before your makeup trial and the day itself if your skin is ever sensitive after it.

When to see a dermatologist

Talk to a board-certified dermatologist before starting if your skin reacts easily to products, if a retinol irritated you before, if you have a skin condition, or if you’re pregnant, trying or breastfeeding. See one too if irritation doesn’t settle when you cut back. This planner is general information, not medical advice, and it can’t see your skin the way a dermatologist can in person.