Everything you need to know about retinol application

There are many grades of Vitamin A that form the entirety of this very well-known gold standard ingredient. However, the side effects that come from the usage are typically, dryness, redness, irritation, breakouts and uncomfortable skin. From the retinoic acid to retinol aldehyde to retinol to trans retinol.  Gradual application has to always be the key word.

At Morganna’s Alchemy we use a version of trans-retinol that will deliver the same results at retinol but without the irritation.  That will not stop us from advising you to carefully follow this routine.

1. Whenever you have used your retinol the night before. Always wash your face the next morning. You are sure to never subject your skin to becoming sensitized with the usage of such a hard ingredient.

2. Prep your skin by first applying a super moisturizer, wait 20 minutes, than apply your retinol, wait again 20 minutes and apply moisturizer again ( I use pure glycerin!)
3. At first, all skin types should apply it sparingly, once a week in the evening on clean, dry skin, avoiding the eye and nose areas. For at least one month. Then, gradually go to once every 4 days, then every 3days. Some skins will be able to tolerate it every night, while others will not. You have to adapt the frequency to your skin type, because it refines the texture of the skin and therefore makes it more sensitive to the sun the use of retinol is recommended in the evening, which would risk to cause damage during the day without SPF protection.

4. Gradually increase the rate of application: The catchword here is “gradually”. If you have read step 2 then you know that only after one month should you increase to two times a week.

Now, it is really at this moment that you will have to listen to your skin.

If it shows the slightest sign of discomfort, dryness, tightness, redness… don’t hesitate to backpedal! You can definitely slow down the pace if you feel like it’s too much for you. Applying every night is not the ultimate goal here

What matters with retinol is the regularity of your application, not necessarily the frequency. This will just allow you to get results faster. But we’ve said it before, retinol is not a sprint. What matters most is that you can continue to use it without your skin feeling uncomfortable at all.

The results will come, sooner or later.

5. Increase the amount of product used gradually:

the amount of product is also important, especially at the beginning! “Less is more” is really the approach to take with retinols.

No need to use more than a pea-size of product on your face, unless your goal is to irritate it as much as possible!

The amount of a pea is enough to start with, it’s a powerful product, so you don’t need too much (It’s the equivalent of half a knuckle of your index finger).

No need to use a nut of product on your face, unless your goal is to irritate it as much as possible

It is also important to apply it correctly on your face, trying to make an even layer of product and avoiding sensitive areas such as the eyes contour, the sides of your nose or your nose.  Remember that Retinol, is a must-have vitamin A derivative, works wonders to fight wrinkles by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin, smoothing the skin, brightening the complexion. However, you should not continue use if there is too much irritation, and never put on during the day because it sensitizes our skin, making it more sensitive to the stress caused by UV rays and also risks causing spots.