Final Up to date on November 12, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
You lastly dedicated to retinol since you had been sick of your pores and texture, however now you’ve obtained useless pores and skin cells simply tenting out in your face and your basis appears like rubbish. So clearly you’re questioning – can I exfoliate whereas utilizing retinol or am I gonna wreck my face? Yeah you’ll be able to, however mess it up and also you’re gonna be pink and indignant for weeks. On this article I’m gonna inform you precisely learn how 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 received’t kill you, and learn how to know whenever you’ve gone too far.
Retinol Advantages For Pores and skin
Retinol is a by-product of vitamin A and it quickens 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. This is the reason it really works for every thing. Tremendous traces, texture, darkish spots, all of it. Extra collagen manufacturing, quicker mobile turnover, the entire deal. It’s genuinely a powerhouse ingredient which is why each board-certified dermatologist received’t cease speaking about it.
However right here’s the annoying half. Retinol converts to retinoic acid (that’s the energetic kind) and your pores and skin can utterly freak out. Flaky pores and skin, redness, dryness, generally your face simply feels tight and pissed off. There are various kinds of retinoids – drugstore stuff, prescription topical retinoids – they usually 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 to be crap earlier than you look higher. Welcome to the retinoid journey, everybody acts prefer it’s no huge deal however it form of sucks at first.
Finest retinol picks:
- The Unusual Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion ($12.10): This straightforward method incorporates each retinol and granactive retinoid, a brand new type of retinoid that’s nice at treating zits. Accessible 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 can assist you struggle untimely growing old. You need to use it by itself for max impact. If that’s too irritating in your pores and skin, combine a few drops together with your moisturiser. Accessible 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, however it’s encapsulated to be gentler on the pores and skin. Nonetheless, construct your means as much as it. This could NOT be your first retinol serum. Accessible at Magnificence Bay, Cult Magnificence, Face The Future, Look Incredible, Peter Thomas Roth, Sephora, and Ulta
Associated: The Full Information To Retinol In Skincare
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Retinol Aspect Results
You begin retinol and all of a sudden you’re shedding like a snake. What offers? 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 time beyond regulation pushing out the outdated stuff however it’s producing it quicker than it will probably 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.
Further annoying you probably have dry pores and skin or delicate pores and skin already. The useless cells pile up, your retinol product can’t even get by means of all that mess correctly, and also you’re caught trying crusty.
Everybody sees this taking place and thinks time to clean it off! Which is strictly how individuals destroy every thing. Your wholesome pores and skin barrier is already coping with lots. It’s adjusting to this potent energetic, attempting 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 Aspect Results
Can You Exfoliate And Use Retinol At The Similar Time?
Actual speak – you need to use each however not on the identical 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’ll be able to’t use different exfoliants too.
Like possibly you need glycolic acid since you’ve obtained darkish spots and the retinol alone isn’t slicing 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 in 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 determine what your pores and skin really wants as an alternative of doing no matter TikTok instructed 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 the event you’ve been utilizing retinol for months and your pores and skin’s effective with it and also you need to add an exfoliant for a particular factor like zits or pigmentation? Yeah go for it however use them on completely different nights. Your pores and skin wants time to relax out between utilizing these sturdy actives and in the event you don’t give it that point you’re gonna wreck your pores and skin barrier and find yourself with a pink irritated mess.
What’s The Finest Exfoliation Methodology To Use With Retinol?
Chemical exfoliants are often your finest wager 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 go away naturally. Approach gentler than scrubbing your face such as you’re attempting 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 tougher – could be an excessive amount of in the event 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 truly clear them out.
Bodily exfoliants – scrubs, brushes, something the place you’re manually scrubbing stuff off – are means riskier. Utilizing bodily exfoliation with retinol can create tiny tears in your already indignant pores and skin, particularly in the event you’re going arduous with these round motions everybody demonstrates in movies. Should you completely should do bodily exfoliation, go tremendous mild and don’t do it usually. 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 powerful 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 title idiot you. This exfoliant has each salicylic acid to unclog pores and glycolic acid to fade away the darkish spots pimples generally go away behind. Accessible 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 zits. The feel’s just a little sticky, however in the event you can take that, this is among the finest salicylic acid exfoliants on the market. Accessible at Cult Magnificence, Paula’s Alternative, Sephora, and SpaceNK.
- The Unusual Glycolic Acid 7% Firming Answer: A easy, no-frills Glycolic Acid exfoliant that brightens the complexion and fades away darkish spots. Accessible 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 identical time. Accessible 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 individuals assume. That is the place pores and skin biking turns into really 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 really 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, possibly use a delicate chemical exfoliant in case your pores and skin can deal with it. Some individuals can exfoliate a couple of times per week on non-retinol nights. Others must do it as soon as each two weeks most. You may 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 not less than 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’ll be able to take into consideration including mild exfoliation in the event you really need it.
What About Mixing In Different Energetic Elements?
Since we’re speaking about combining skincare substances, let’s speak concerning the different stuff individuals attempt to pile on their face.
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) and retinol can each be in your routine, simply not on the identical time. Vitamin C is best for morning anyway because it helps shield towards free radicals and environmental harm. Use your vitamin C serum within the morning, retinol at night time. Fairly easy.
- Benzoyl peroxide with retinol is hard you probably have acne-prone pores and skin. Benzoyl peroxide can really deactivate retinol in the event 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 effective with retinol. Really 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 struggle one another.
The actual drawback is combining the primary sorts of exfoliation with retinol. Throwing too many energetic substances at your face without delay is how you find yourself with indignant compromised pores and skin that may’t deal with any of the good things you’re attempting to make use of.
Associated: Combine And Match: The Skincare Elements You Ought to By no means Use Collectively
How To Inform You’ve Utterly Overdone It
Your pores and skin will completely inform you whenever you’ve screwed up. You simply gotta concentrate. Indicators you’re gone too far:
- In case your face is continually pink, burning, or feels uncooked, you’ve overdone it. Some delicate flaking or momentary redness proper after making use of retinol is regular, however fixed irritation means it’s essential again off proper now.
- The whole lot stings now even your mild cleanser.
- Breakouts that aren’t regular purging.
- Dry patches that received’t go away irrespective of how a lot moisturizer you slap on.
- That tight uncomfortable feeling that lasts all day lengthy.
- When you have a darker pores and skin tone, over-exfoliation may cause darkish spots or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation which might be the precise reverse of what you’re attempting to attain 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 snug. Not tight, not burning, not always indignant at you. If it doesn’t really feel snug anymore, you’ve crossed the road and want to tug again.
Finest Practices For A Skincare Routine With Exfoliation And Retinol
Let me offer you a routine that received’t destroy every thing you’re working in the direction of.
- Begin sluggish. New to retinol? Use it like two or thrice per week with a decrease focus round 0.25% or 0.5%. No exfoliation but in any respect. Give your self not less than six to eight weeks minimal to regulate.
- Use a delicate cleanser. Not a salicylic acid cleanser, not a scrub, simply fundamental cleaning that cleans your face with out stripping every thing off. Your face doesn’t have to be below 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 effective, possibly enhance 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 harm and also you’re attempting to enhance your pores and skin, not utterly fry it with UV harm. SPF 30 minimal, on daily basis, no excuses or exceptions.
- Add additional hydration. After your retinol, use a superb moisturizer. Perhaps 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 may by no means be capable of deal with frequent exfoliation whereas on retinol and that’s utterly effective. Have oily pores and skin? You may tolerate extra however don’t get cocky about it. Everybody’s pores and skin is completely different and responds otherwise.
The Backside Line
Are you able to exfoliate whereas utilizing retinol? Yeah you’ll be able to, however you’ll be able to’t simply go wild with it and count on every thing to be effective. Retinol’s already doing severe heavy lifting in your mobile turnover, so it’s essential be actually strategic about including some other kind of exfoliation into the combo. Chemical exfoliants used on utterly separate nights from retinol often work finest, however solely after your pores and skin’s totally adjusted to retinol first. One of the best outcomes come from being affected person and truly 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.
