Alana Mitchell - Night R1 Retinol - Facial Oil (2024)

FAQs

Can you use face oil and retinol together? ›

Can You Use Face Oil with Retinol? Oils can be used to deliver active ingredients like retinol. This provides the double benefit of improving absorption by your skin, plus protective hydration to prevent the peeling and irritation commonly seen with retinol use.

Things to avoid

Retinol usually finds its best friends in moisturizers and hyaluronic acid, while you shouldn't combine it with vitamin C, glycolic acid, or benzoyl peroxide. In the event you need to use one of these substances, apply it on days when you aren't going to be using retinol and alternate.

Retinol and other retinoid treatments should be applied after serums because they are often thicker and more occlusive. "By applying the retinol cream after the serum, you ensure that the active ingredients in the serum have already penetrated the skin.

However, if you want specific treatment products like retinol to work to their full effect, it's better to use it before the moisturizer step than after, and if you want to reduce the strength of specific treatment products like retinol, It is better to use retinol after moisturizer.

Yes, moisturizing after using a retinol cream is generally recommended. Retinol can potentially cause dryness or irritation, especially when starting to use it or if you have dry or sensitive skin.

As for benzoyl peroxide and retinol, they're not recommended to use together. "They can literally cancel each other out, rendering them less effective," said Dr. Marchbein.

To be specific, you cannot mix retinol with AHAs (Glycolic Acid Toner, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, Lactic Acid, Mandelic Acid Treatment, Apple Cider Vinegar Acid Peel), BHAs (Beta Hydroxy Acid Serum, C-50 Blemish Night Treatment), PHA Toner.

The answer is, it depends. If you have dry or dehydrated skin, moisturizer will provide surface hydration and prevent that tight, uncomfortable feeling. If you have oily or acne-prone skin, facial oil can help to balance your skin's natural oil production.

While facial oils are ideal for promoting long-term skin barrier health and resilience, serums are the go-to choice for addressing immediate skin issues. Since they each have a different consistency and composite, they penetrate the skin differently, allowing each one to target skin concerns in their own way.

How to tell if retinol is working? ›

You will be able to tell that Retinol is working if you start to see improvements in the texture and general appearance of your skin. Some people might be able to spot changes in their skin quite quickly, while others will have to be more patient.

Skin experts always advocate applying actives on damp skin for better absorption. However the same rule does not apply to retinol. While you must ensure that you wash your face before application, make sure the skin is dry first. “On damp skin, the retinol will get absorbed more deeply and in turn cause irritation.

The Retinol sandwich method involves “sandwiching” your retinol between two layers of Moisturizer. The technique was created to help minimize some of the potential side effects of Retinol, like dryness, redness, and flakiness.

A popular method of using the two ingredients is called 'sandwiching'. This refers to layering your retinol product between moisturisers – starting with a regular formula and finishing with a thick textured product. A hyaluronic acid-based moisturiser is perfect for this!

You can definitely use retinol and vitamin C in your skincare routine, but it's probably best not to use them at the same time if you want to avoid irritating your skin. Consider applying retinol in the evenings and vitamin C in the mornings.

Can I use retinol with rosehip oil? Yes. You will read that rosehip oil doesn't contain retinol but actually contains small concentrations of all-trans retinoic acid. The amount of vitamin A in rosehip oil is so low that adding a form of retinoid will not cause added toxicity.

Retinol should always be applied at night.

It's especially sensitive to light, which is why it's kept in dark packaging or packaging that doesn't let any light through. In order to avoid unnecessary sun damage, only ever apply retinol before you go to bed.