Ordinary retinol

[amalhotra]

Hello everyone.Can someone guide me how to use ordinary 1% retinol as I am new to retinol and have dry skin

[pocketvenus]

@amalhotra That's the strongest concentration so I would start off by diluting it with something like rosehip oil and seeing how your skin reacts. Don't just test for one night. Try it out slowly for two weeks and see how it goes. I've read stories where women became impatient, didn't notice any side effects and stopped taking it slow, only to wake up with inflamed, peeling skin!

[amalhotra]

Thanx for the reply.

[JoSometimes]

Hi @amalhotra. First off, great choice. I love the Ordinary’s no nonsense approach to skincare. 

To start off, apply just the tiniest bit on areas of concern during your evening routine. Re-apply the same tiny amount again every 2-3 days for a week. This will give your skin some time to grow accustomed to it and let you know if it’s too harsh a product for your skin. If it works well, you can start spreading a tiny amount all over your face, but keeping to a 2-3 days schedule for another week. After the second week, you can start applying more frequently. Feel free to adjust as you see fit. Some people do daily while others cycle through once every few days.

As for where to slip it into your routine, it’s usually thinnest to thickest consistency, so slip it in where you see fit. Some like to sandwich it between two layers of moisturizer. This is supposed to help reduce irritation that sometimes comes with using retinol. It also depends on what other active ingredients you have in your routine. 

Good luck with the new addition to your skincare routine! I hope it works out for you!

[amalhotra]

Thanx for your help 

[CattyT3]

To add to @JoSometimes great advice, I wanted to add that starting off at 1% might be a bit too strong if this is the first time you'll be trying retinol at all. The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL is what I first used and finished up entirely with no issue at all and used it almost daily.

Look up dermatologist and cosmetic formulators' videos on retinol - there is a lot of guidance on how to pick the best product for you, or if another retinoid form is more suitable for your skin. Also look up retinization - some people experience a skin adjustment period when they start on retinol/ any retinoid (concentration isn't a factor, some people just have the tendency to experience this). Make sure you know what the difference is between what your skin looks like when it's rejecting a product VS simply purging due to this retinization process. 
A side note about the Ordinary's formulations:
I have found that I have used comparable active percentages in other formulas for certain actives from the Ordinary and it feels a lot harsher on the skin than the counterparts with the same active ingredients. An example being thThe Ordinary Caffeine 5% + EGCG Depuffing Eye Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL - it would always sting around my eyes (it's an eye product- why?! I don't know to this day), but I use serums and other product types with caffeine, other green tea extracts and lactic acid from other brands and they are so gentle that they are my best skin soothing products. This obviously may not be the case for all dry skin people who swear by the brand, but just wanted to put that info there for you to make as informed a decision as possible.

[amalhotra]

Thanx catty for your suggestion I will appreciate it