There are so many skincare products to keep skin looking great over a lifetime, but if you’ve got sensitive skin, it’s easy to feel like you’re missing out. Retinol is one of the best skincare ingredients to keep skin looking healthy and glowing, but it's can also be very active so it takes a while for even resilient skin to get used to. If you have sensitive skin and you want to give retinol a try, follow our tips to ease your skin into the world of retinol gently.
Our most important tip: Be patient.
We know it’s exciting to get stuck into a new product, but with your sensitive skin, you need to give it time to adjust to new active ingredients. Our Pro Strength Retinol is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles in 4 weeks as well as being hydrating, perfect for getting real results but also for those usually more sensitive to harsh retinol products. If you have sensitive skin and want to try our Pro Strength Retinol, here’s the secret to success.
- We always recommend trying a patch test of any new product for sensitive skin to make sure your skin doesn’t have any sensitivities to the ingredients.
- Start with using your Skinsmiths Retinol twice a week, or even just once if you're very sensitive.
- Keep the frequency at the same level for at least a few weeks. We know this doesn’t seem like much but be patient - you’re playing the long game.
- If your skin is happy after a few weeks, slowly increase the frequency of use (twice a week, three times a week, every other day, every day).
- Here’s the top tip – our Retinol and Niacinamide Serums are designed to be layered. they are formulated at a similar PH level, so you can use them together. Skinsmiths Pro Stength Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is a restorative elixir that also combines Vitamin B5 to strengthen healthy skin barrier function for a refined, smoother and more even complexion while also being soothing and calming (that's the Centella Asiatic and Tasman Pepper at work!).
- Remember to listen to your skin – if it starts to become more sensitive, drop the frequency of use again. Following this cycle will allow your skin to slowly adapt to its new friend Retinol!
- Wear your Skinsmiths Sunscreen every day to keep your skin protected. This is always a must, but oh-so-important when using retinol.
Remember: you’ve got this! It may be a slow process, but your skin will thank you in the long run.
Less is more.
Sensitive skin can be tricky. Products that may work for one person’s skin can react on another. Skincare products use lots of ingredients to make them feel great so that you enjoy using them. For most people this is fine, but on sensitive skin, lots of extra ingredients mean more ingredients for your skin to react to. Try looking for a product with as few ingredients as possible. We know that even when you’ve got sensitive skin, you still want to look and feel your best, so we worked hard to ensure that our Retinol is as friendly as can be.
Wear your SPF – Always and forever.
Your skin works hard every day to look after you, so it's important to keep it protected so it can do its job well. SPF should always be your BFF.
This is extra important for sensitive skin because it needs a little extra tender loving care to keep it healthy and happy. It’s extra, extra important for sensitive skin using retinol because it can make your skin more sun-sensitive. Our Daily Antioxidant Defence SPF is our fave - obviously!
Retinol is a very active ingredient so it will take time, but when it does, retinol actually can help to strengthen your skin and make it healthier. Give it a try, and remember—be patient with your skin, its always doing its very best to protect you.
If you have any further questions about retinol, get in touch —we love to chat skincare!
