Final Up to date on November 12, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
You lastly dedicated to retinol since you have been sick of your pores and texture, however now you’ve received useless pores and skin cells simply tenting out in your face and your basis seems to be like rubbish. So clearly you’re questioning – can I exfoliate whereas utilizing retinol or am I gonna wreck my face? Yeah you possibly can, however mess it up and also you’re gonna be crimson and offended for weeks. On this article I’m gonna inform you precisely the right way to mix chemical exfoliation (I don’t advocate scrubs ever) with retinol with out destroying your pores and skin barrier – when to do it, what sort of exfoliation gained’t kill you, and the right way to know if you’ve gone too far.
Retinol Advantages For Pores and skin
Retinol is a spinoff of vitamin A and it accelerates pores and skin cell turnover (your pores and skin’s pure exfoliating course of) like loopy. All these useless pores and skin cells hanging round? Retinol’s like nope, out, we’re making new pores and skin cells proper now. That is why it really works for every thing. High-quality strains, texture, darkish spots, all of it. Extra collagen manufacturing, sooner mobile turnover, the entire deal. It’s genuinely a powerhouse ingredient which is why each board-certified dermatologist gained’t cease speaking about it.
However right here’s the annoying half. Retinol converts to retinoic acid (that’s the energetic type) and your pores and skin can utterly freak out. Flaky pores and skin, redness, dryness, typically your face simply feels tight and pissed off. There are various kinds of retinoids – drugstore stuff, prescription topical retinoids – and so they all velocity issues up on the floor of the pores and skin. Your pores and skin’s mainly doing a full renovation. Which sounds nice till you notice renovations are messy as hell and also you appear like crap earlier than you look higher. Welcome to the retinoid journey, everybody acts prefer it’s no massive deal but it surely type of sucks at first.
Finest retinol picks:
- The Unusual Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion ($12.10): This straightforward components incorporates each retinol and granactive retinoid, a brand new type of retinoid that’s nice at treating pimples. Obtainable at Magnificence Bay, Boots, Cult Magnificence, The Unusual, and Ulta
- Paula’s Alternative Resist 1% Retinol Booster ($52.00): A excessive dose retinol serum infused with antioxidants that will help you battle untimely ageing. You should use it by itself for max impact. If that’s too irritating to your pores and skin, combine a few drops along with your moisturiser. Obtainable at Cult Magnificence, Dermstore, and Paula’s Alternative, and SpaceNK
- Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM ($65.00): This child incorporates 1.5% retinol. It’s a really excessive focus, but it surely’s encapsulated to be gentler on the pores and skin. Nonetheless, construct your manner as much as it. This could NOT be your first retinol serum. Obtainable at Magnificence Bay, Cult Magnificence, Face The Future, Look Implausible, Peter Thomas Roth, Sephora, and Ulta
Associated: The Full Information To Retinol In Skincare
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Retinol Facet Results
You begin retinol and out of the blue you’re shedding like a snake. What provides? When retinol cranks up that mobile turnover you’re making far more useless pores and skin cells than regular. Your pores and skin’s working additional time pushing out the outdated stuff but it surely’s producing it sooner than it could possibly shed naturally. So that you get this buildup on the pores and skin’s floor that makes you look boring and really feel tough as hell.
Additional annoying when you’ve got dry pores and skin or delicate pores and skin already. The useless cells pile up, your retinol product can’t even get via all that mess correctly, and also you’re caught trying crusty.
Everybody sees this taking place and thinks time to wash it off! Which is precisely how folks destroy every thing. Your wholesome pores and skin barrier is already coping with loads. It’s adjusting to this potent energetic, making an attempt to take care of its pH, defending you from UV rays and free radicals and all of the environmental crap. Should you go loopy with exfoliation on prime of this you’re gonna take away too many useless cells and push it into full meltdown.
Associated: How To Deal With Retinol Facet Results
Can You Exfoliate And Use Retinol At The Similar Time?
Actual discuss – you should utilize each however not on the similar time. Like by no means on the identical night time. Right here’s the factor everybody will get flawed. Retinol is already exfoliating your pores and skin from the within, prefer it’s dashing up how briskly your pores and skin sheds cells so that you’re technically already exfoliating. However that doesn’t imply you possibly can’t use different exfoliants too.
Like perhaps you need glycolic acid since you’ve received darkish spots and the retinol alone isn’t chopping it. Otherwise you want salicylic acid as a result of your pores are clogged and also you’re breaking out. Otherwise you simply actually like what lactic acid does to your texture. All good causes to make use of chemical exfoliants – it’s not nearly coping with flaky pores and skin from the retinol.
You simply gotta work out what your pores and skin truly wants as an alternative of doing no matter TikTok informed you. Should you simply began retinol and your face is already freaking out? Don’t add exfoliation on prime of that, are you loopy? However in case you’ve been utilizing retinol for months and your pores and skin’s fantastic with it and also you need to add an exfoliant for a particular factor like pimples or pigmentation? Yeah go for it however use them on completely different nights. Your pores and skin wants time to sit back out between utilizing these sturdy actives and in case you don’t give it that point you’re gonna wreck your pores and skin barrier and find yourself with a crimson irritated mess.
What’s The Finest Exfoliation Methodology To Use With Retinol?
Chemical exfoliants are often your finest guess with retinol. Alpha hydroxy acids like glycolic acid and lactic acid, or beta hydroxy acids like salicylic acid. These chemical exfoliators dissolve the glue holding useless pores and skin cells collectively to allow them to depart naturally. Means gentler than scrubbing your face such as you’re making an attempt to take away paint from a wall. A lactic acid serum is fairly strong as a result of it’s gentler than different AHAs and doesn’t utterly dry you out. Glycolic acid hits more durable – is perhaps an excessive amount of in case you’re already irritated. Should you’re acne-prone or have oily pores and skin, a salicylic acid cleanser works as a result of BHAs get into your pores and really clear them out.
Bodily exfoliants – scrubs, brushes, something the place you’re manually scrubbing stuff off – are manner riskier. Utilizing bodily exfoliation with retinol can create tiny tears in your already offended pores and skin, particularly in case you’re going laborious with these round motions everybody demonstrates in movies. Should you completely should do bodily exfoliation, go tremendous light and don’t do it typically. Chemical peels whereas on retinol? Hell no until a dermatologist is supervising and is aware of precisely what’s taking place. The mix of retinol and robust peels is the way you utterly destroy your pores and skin barrier and hate your life for weeks.
Finest picks:
- Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Evening Serum ($90.00): Don’t let the identify idiot you. This exfoliant has each salicylic acid to unclog pores and glycolic acid to fade away the darkish spots pimples typically depart behind. Obtainable at Cult Magnificence, Sephora and SpaceNK.
- Paula’s Alternative Pores and skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid ($29.00): The cult exfoliant from the model, it unlclogs pores and treats blackheads and pimples. The feel’s just a little sticky, however in case you can take that, this is likely one of the finest salicylic acid exfoliants on the market. Obtainable at Cult Magnificence, Paula’s Alternative, Sephora, and SpaceNK.
- The Unusual Glycolic Acid 7% Firming Resolution: A easy, no-frills Glycolic Acid exfoliant that brightens the complexion and fades away darkish spots. Obtainable at Magnificence Bay, Boots, Cult Magnificence, Sephora, SpaceNK, The Unusual, and Ulta.
- The Unusual Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% ($8.90): A easy Lactic Acid exfoliant enriched with Hyaluronic Acid to exfoliate and hydrate pores and skin on the similar time. Obtainable at Magnificence Bay, Boots, Cult Magnificence, Sephora, SpaceNK, The Unusual, and Ulta.
When To Exfoliate If You’re Utilizing Retinol?
Timing issues far more than folks suppose. That is the place pores and skin biking turns into truly helpful as an alternative of simply being a pattern. Use your retinol and exfoliant on completely different days. Not completely different instances of the identical day – completely different days utterly. Your pores and skin wants restoration time between these potent actives or it’s gonna lose its thoughts.
Right here’s what truly works. Retinol at night time as a result of UV rays destroy retinol anyway plus you want solar safety throughout daytime use. On retinol nights, zero chemical exfoliants. In your nights off from retinol, perhaps use a mild chemical exfoliant in case your pores and skin can deal with it. Some folks can exfoliate a couple of times per week on non-retinol nights. Others must do it as soon as each two weeks most. You would possibly begin with as soon as each two weeks and see what occurs to your face.
By no means – and I actually imply by no means – use sturdy acids the identical night time as retinol. That mixture is how you find yourself with irritated pores and skin, redness in every single place, and a barrier so tousled it takes weeks to repair. Simply don’t do it. Should you’re new to retinol, neglect about exfoliation for at the least a month or two. Let your pores and skin regulate to the retinol first. After that preliminary adjustment interval which often takes like 8-12 weeks, then you possibly can take into consideration including light exfoliation in case you really want it.
What About Mixing In Different Energetic Substances?
Since we’re speaking about combining skincare substances, let’s discuss concerning the different stuff folks attempt to pile on their face.
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and retinol can each be in your routine, simply not on the similar time. Vitamin C is best for morning anyway because it helps defend towards free radicals and environmental injury. Use your vitamin C serum within the morning, retinol at night time. Fairly easy.
- Benzoyl peroxide with retinol is hard when you’ve got acne-prone pores and skin. Benzoyl peroxide can truly deactivate retinol in case you use them collectively, so that you gotta separate them. Benzoyl peroxide within the morning, retinol at night time, or alternate nights utterly.
- Hyaluronic acid is completely fantastic with retinol. Truly it’s a good suggestion as a result of retinol dries you out and hyaluronic acid helps with hydration with out messing with how the retinol works.
- Similar with vitamin E – these are supportive substances, not competing ones that battle one another.
The true drawback is combining the primary sorts of exfoliation with retinol. Throwing too many energetic substances at your face directly is how you find yourself with offended compromised pores and skin that may’t deal with any of the good things you’re making an attempt to make use of.
Associated: Combine And Match: The Skincare Substances You Ought to By no means Use Collectively
How To Inform You’ve Utterly Overdone It
Your pores and skin will completely inform you if you’ve screwed up. You simply gotta concentrate. Indicators you’re gone too far:
- In case your face is consistently crimson, burning, or feels uncooked, you’ve overdone it. Some delicate flaking or short-term redness proper after making use of retinol is regular, however fixed irritation means it is advisable again off proper now.
- The whole lot stings now even your light cleanser.
- Breakouts that aren’t regular purging.
- Dry patches that gained’t go away regardless of how a lot moisturizer you slap on.
- That tight uncomfortable feeling that lasts all day lengthy.
- In case you have a darker pores and skin tone, over-exfoliation could cause darkish spots or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation which might be the precise reverse of what you’re making an attempt to realize right here.
- In case your pores and skin texture is getting worse as an alternative of higher otherwise you’re getting new darkish spots, cease exfoliating instantly.
Your wholesome pores and skin barrier ought to really feel comfy. Not tight, not burning, not always offended at you. If it doesn’t really feel comfy anymore, you’ve crossed the road and wish to drag again.
Finest Practices For A Skincare Routine With Exfoliation And Retinol
Let me offer you a routine that gained’t destroy every thing you’re working in the direction of.
- Begin sluggish. New to retinol? Use it like two or 3 times per week with a decrease focus round 0.25% or 0.5%. No exfoliation but in any respect. Give your self at the least six to eight weeks minimal to regulate.
- Use a mild cleanser. Not a salicylic acid cleanser, not a scrub, simply primary cleaning that cleans your face with out stripping every thing off. Your face doesn’t must be underneath fixed assault from each single product.
- Once you lastly add exfoliation, begin with as soon as each one to 2 weeks on a non-retinol night time. See what occurs to your pores and skin. In case your pores and skin’s completely fantastic, perhaps improve to as soon as per week, however by no means ever on retinol nights.
- Put on broad-spectrum sunscreen each single day. This isn’t non-obligatory or negotiable. Retinol makes you far more delicate to solar injury and also you’re making an attempt to enhance your pores and skin, not utterly fry it with UV injury. SPF 30 minimal, day by day, no excuses or exceptions.
- Add additional hydration. After your retinol, use moisturizer. Possibly add a hyaluronic acid serum earlier than your moisturizer to spice up hydration much more. Your pores and skin wants assist whereas it’s doing all this mobile turnover work.
- Know your pores and skin kind and respect it. Obtained delicate pores and skin? You would possibly by no means be capable of deal with frequent exfoliation whereas on retinol and that’s utterly fantastic. Have oily pores and skin? You would possibly tolerate extra however don’t get cocky about it. Everybody’s pores and skin is completely different and responds in another way.
The Backside Line
Are you able to exfoliate whereas utilizing retinol? Yeah you possibly can, however you possibly can’t simply go wild with it and anticipate every thing to be fantastic. Retinol’s already doing critical heavy lifting in your mobile turnover, so it is advisable be actually strategic about including another kind of exfoliation into the combination. Chemical exfoliants used on utterly separate nights from retinol often work finest, however solely after your pores and skin’s absolutely adjusted to retinol first. The very best outcomes come from being affected person and really listening to what your pores and skin’s telling you, not throwing each highly effective ingredient at your face and hoping all of it works out by some means.
