Should retinal be used only at night?

Why is nighttime the better choice?

Retinols and retinoids can become deactivated and cause irritation when exposed to sunlight. Putting retinal in your evening routine follows the general advice for this ingredient family, without relying on a particular formula being suitable for daytime use. Nighttime application and daytime sunscreen do different jobs. Moving retinal to the evening does not remove the need to protect treated skin from the sun the next day.13

How should you fit retinal into your routine?

Keep the routine to cleanser, retinal and moisturizer, rather than giving every bottle on the shelf a speaking role. The general order is cleansing first, your retinoid next, and moisturizer afterwards.3

1. 1Cleanse gently. Use your hands rather than an abrasive tool, and remove makeup before applying your skincare.
2. 2Apply retinal according to the product's directions. General retinoid guidance is to choose the least intense formula and start every other night, gradually increasing use rather than starting nightly.
3. 3Apply moisturizer. Retinoids can dry the skin, and moisturizer helps limit moisture loss.
4. 4The next morning, cleanse, moisturize and apply sunscreen last. Also seek shade and use protective clothing, including a hat.

Keep new additions to a minimum and choose gentle products with fewer ingredients. Introducing several products together increases the chances of unwanted effects.3

What should you expect?

Retinoids are used for concerns including mild acne, uneven pigmentation and fine lines. They can also cause dryness, redness and peeling. Increasing frequency quickly can irritate skin rather than improve the routine. There is no specific retinal results timeline here. Prescription tretinoin works slowly: visible improvement in fine wrinkles can take 3 to 4 months, or up to 6 months. That is a tretinoin timeline, not a deadline to apply to a cosmetic retinal product.125

Who should be careful, and when should you stop?

Do not use retinoids during pregnancy. If your skin is already very dry, allergic, red or inflamed, discuss alternatives with a dermatologist before starting. Retinoids can worsen eczema because of their drying effect, and application close to the eyes or lips can irritate those areas. On darker skin, irritation can trigger dark marks, called hyperpigmentation. Starting slowly and using moisturizer helps reduce that risk. For sensitive skin, a sunscreen containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide is an option. Stop the product and arrange a dermatologist appointment if you develop skin irritation or contact dermatitis, an inflammatory skin reaction. If you use prescription tretinoin, follow its prescribed schedule and check other topical treatments with your prescriber rather than borrowing a cosmetic retinal routine.1235

If you are using retinal for acne, seek medical help when self treatment is not helping, or spots are deep, painful or leaving scars. Those are reasons to review the treatment, not simply move the application to a different time of day.4