Retinol is drying my oily skin.. will this stop or should I discontinue?

[miradwi]

I’ve started using retinol about 3 weeks ago and my usual oily skin is no longer oily and looks crepie. Is this just the retinol uglies or will it always be drying for my skin? Help me decide whether to discontinue usage. Thank you ☺️🙏 

[PinkGiraffeX]

Push through. If your skin is becoming overly dry then cut back on how often you use it. Retinol should be started slowly 1-2 nights a week when you initially start it then increasing slowly. In the meantime you can try the “sandwich method” as someone mentioned and also make sure you are using a good moisturizer on top. Other things you can do to help with the dryness is add in a hydrating toner and barrier repairing serum. 

I love 

LANEIGE Cream Skin Refillable Toner & Moisturizer with Ceramides and Peptides  

First Aid Beauty Hydrating Toner with Squalane + Oats 6 oz/ 177 mL  

Glow Recipe Avocado Soothing Skin Barrier Serum with Ceramides 1 oz/ 30 mL  

Dieux Deliverance Antioxidant & Niacinamide Serum For Calm & Even Skin 1 oz / 30 ml  

Dr. Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Serum Toner 5.07 oz / 150 mL  

also not sold at Sephora but Krave Beauty’s Great Barrier Relief serum worked wonders when I was starting out with retinol 

[makeitup305]

@miradwi what concentration of retinol are you using? What are you pairing it with? Are you applying it on damp skin? 

• You can try buffering the retinol by mixing it in with your moisturizer. 
• Maybe try using a hydrating toner/essence before you add it and follow with a moisturizer. Use a hydrating serum and moisturizer between retinol days.
• Applying retinol on damp skin can make it absorb deeper which can be more irritating.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@miradwi when I increased my retinol, I used The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL  and it helped a lot.  Hang in there!

[heartsmyface]

@miradwi  Retinol ‘uglies’ so you call them are not a period you really have to put up with. Retinol is an exfoliant and promises increased cellular turnover but it takes a while for the cellular turnover to increase so in the beginning it tends to exfoliate at a faster rate than your skin is turning over.  This can cause extreme dryness and flaking.  You don’t have to live with this.  You simply have to slow down.   If your skin is getting dry, take a three day break avoiding the use of any other exfoliants  and then continue using it but only half as often.  You may be using too much too often too soon.  So for example, if you started using it every second day and you are experiencing dryness or peeling, then take a short break of three to four days and then proceed with using it every three days and see if you tolerate that better.   If that is still causing you problems then try every fourth day.   It’s all about gradually increasing retinol usage from there.  

[miradwi]

Ok great! Thank you. I’ve been using it every 3 days and I did have a break and did it 6 days and that did help with the severe dryness. But my skin was stil dry. I’ll give it try and continue at 6 days and see if it improves.