No One’s Using Retinol — Because This Is So Much Better

Dr. Tahir, Lartey and Isaacs suggest introducing retinal into your skincare routine very slowly. “Your skin will need to build up a tolerance to the ingredient before you can start to use it in higher doses,” explains Dr. Tahir. He suggests starting off with products that have a low percentage or concentration of retinal, for example 0.03%. “Perhaps use it one or two times a week for the first couple of weeks, before stepping it up to every other night for a further two weeks,” says Dr. Tahir. Used like this, your skin should slowly become acclimatized to retinal. Dr. Tahir explains that some people may be able to use it nightly and move on to a higher strength but as it’s so powerful, those with younger skin may be better suited to retinol-based products instead of retinal.