Myths About Retinol Debunked

Everyone should be using a retinol. The sooner you start, and the more consistent you are, the better your skin will look and age. Retinoids (the umbrella term for retinol products) increase skin cell production and promote cellular turnover, in addition to unclogging pores. Retinol also exfoliates your skin and increases collagen production, which can reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, giving your skin a fresher, plump appearance.

There are a few myths surrounding retinol and we are here to debunk them for you!

1. Retinols Require a “Purge Period”

Yes, some light flaking and mild breakouts (in acne-prone individuals) can happen during the first two to four weeks after starting retinoids, you can minimize most of the side effects by starting low and slow. In fact, many dermatologists recommend sticking with retinol for more than four or six weeks, as results show up after twelve weeks. As your skin adapts to retinol, irritation is less likely. If the irritation gets too uncomfortable, reduce usage but push through – the many benefits of retinol are worth it.

2. Retinol is a Treatment for Acne

Acne is caused when your dead skin cells shed and clog the hair follicle, which allows bacteria to build until the follicle gets inflamed. The stronger the retinoid, the better it can regulate that shedding. So even though your gentle anti-aging night cream helps keep pores clear to an extent, it’ll only do so much for acne—especially if the formula also contains rich, pore-clogging ingredients. The best OTC retinoid for treating acne is adapalene, which usually comes in an oil-free, gel-based formula, it will get rid of acne and fine lines over time.

3. Combining Retinol with Vitamin C will Provide Better Results

Using your retinol with your vitamin C at the same time is not a great idea. Each one has a particular pH that works within the skin, L-ascorbic acid has a pH of 3.5, whereas retinol has a much higher pH of 5. Using your vitamin C in the morning (remember it as your OJ in the am!) and your retinol at night will give you the results you want without the possibility of irritation in your skin.

4. Low Strength Retinol Isn’t Effective

All retinoids speed up your collagen production, which equals smoother, plumper, fresher-looking skin. And by all, we mean all! The gentle, retinol-infused night cream won’t reduce your wrinkles as quickly as pure, prescription-only tazarotene (which, FYI, is the strongest retinoid in existence), but all over-the-counter retinoids will work with consistent use and time, and usually with far fewer side effects.

5. Retinol Thins The Skin

This is actually the opposite of true! Retinol does not actually thin the skin, it causes compaction of the stratum corneum (the very top layer), but overall thickens the epidermis.