Retinol for Beginners: How to Start Without the Irritation

To start retinol as a beginner, choose the lowest strength you can find, apply a pea-sized amount at night every other night, and add more nights only if your skin stays comfortable. Expect some dryness, flaking or redness in the first few weeks, wear sunscreen every morning, and give it at least 12 weeks before judging results. Skip retinoids if you're pregnant.

Below: what retinol actually does, how it compares with retinal and prescription tretinoin, which percentage to buy first, a week-by-week starting plan, what "purging" is, the side effects worth knowing about, and what to pair it with.

What does retinol do for your skin?

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that speeds up skin cell turnover and raises collagen production. Cleveland Clinic lists its main uses as softening fine lines and wrinkles, evening out tone and texture, and unclogging pores to help treat acne. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) describes retinol as one member of a larger family: retinoids are a broad group of vitamin A-based products, and retinol is the over-the-counter type most people meet first.

The effects are measurable under a microscope. In a study comparing retinol with prescription retinoic acid on human skin, both thickened the epidermis and increased collagen I and III after four weeks. Retinol produced the same kinds of changes, though the magnitude tended to be smaller, and the retinol group showed a significant reduction in facial wrinkles after 12 weeks.

Retinol vs retinal vs tretinoin: what's the difference?

They are steps on the same conversion path, and the closer a product is to the end of that path, the stronger it is. Skin converts retinol into retinaldehyde (retinal), then into retinoic acid, also called tretinoin, which is the form that acts on skin cells. A review in Clinical Interventions in Aging describes this oxidation of retinol to an aldehyde and then to retinoic acid, and estimates that retinol is about 20 times less potent than tretinoin. A later review puts the gap at about tenfold. Either way, every conversion step costs potency, which is also why retinol is gentler.

The retinal row comes from a trial summarized in the same review, where retinaldehyde and 0.05% retinoic acid were equally effective at reducing wrinkles and skin roughness, and retinoic acid caused more local irritation. The 2022 review in Advances in Therapy goes further and calls retinaldehyde the most effective retinoid in cosmeceuticals for its balance of activity and tolerance. DermNet ranks prescription options by irritancy: adapalene is the least irritating topical retinoid, and tretinoin the most.

If you're new to all of them, retinol is the sensible first step. You can move to retinal or ask a dermatologist about tretinoin later, once you know how your skin responds.

What percentage retinol should a beginner start with?

Start with the lowest concentration you can find. That is the AAD's advice, with a practical catch: in the US there's no standard requirement that the percentage of retinol be disclosed on over-the-counter labels, so you may not know the exact number. Cleveland Clinic adds that because retinol is usually blended with other ingredients, it can be harder to tell how much of the active ingredient is in there.

When the percentage is listed, these numbers help you place it:

• 0.25% retinol is considered roughly as effective as 0.025% tretinoin, according to the 2022 review, which is a meaningful dose for a first product.
• 0.3% is cited in the same review as the maximum recommended concentration of retinol in face and hand creams.
• Higher strengths are sold, but the review's guidance is to start with a lower concentration and increase gradually to a tolerable level, using moisturizer to keep skin hydrated.

No one has settled on a single "right" percentage. The same review says the optimal concentration, schedule and duration must be individualized. A low-strength product you use consistently will do more than a strong one you abandon after a week of peeling.

How do I start using retinol?

Go slowly and use it at night. Cleveland Clinic and the AAD give closely matching instructions, which add up to this plan:

1. Patch test first. Cleveland Clinic recommends a patch test before regular use.
2. Weeks 1 to 2: every other night, or less. AAD dermatologist Dr. Tina Alster advises using the mildest retinoid you can find every other night to start, slowly building up. Cleveland Clinic suggests starting once every few days if you're cautious.
3. Use a pea-sized amount. Cleveland Clinic recommends a dose about the size of a pea, spread in a thin layer over the whole face, kept away from the eyes, nose and mouth.
4. Apply to clean skin, then moisturize. Wash with a gentle cleanser, pat dry, apply retinol, and finish with a noncomedogenic moisturizer. If retinol stings, Cleveland Clinic suggests applying a thin layer of moisturizer first. For where retinol sits among your other products, see our skincare routine order guide.
5. Weeks 3 and on: add nights as tolerated. If your skin isn't red or raw, move to most nights, and eventually nightly. Cleveland Clinic describes ramping up gradually toward once or twice per day, though nightly is plenty for most people.
6. Sunscreen every morning. Retinoids can make skin more sensitive to sun, which is why the AAD advises nighttime use plus daily sun protection. Cleveland Clinic suggests SPF 30, protective clothing and hats. If you're unsure you're using enough, read how much sunscreen to use.

Add one new active at a time. Starting retinol in the same week as a new acid or vitamin C serum makes it impossible to tell which product is causing a reaction.

What is retinol purging, and how long does it last?

Purging is a temporary flare of breakouts after starting a retinoid, and it usually settles with consistent use. Cleveland Clinic notes that breakouts may worsen at first, which is often called "the retinol purge," and that clearer skin can follow if you keep going.

Sources don't give a precise duration for purging, so be wary of anyone who promises an exact number of weeks. What the evidence does show is that the adjustment period is front-loaded. The retinoid reaction usually shows up within the first few weeks of treatment, and in one study of high-strength tretinoin, people's skin adapted within about two weeks. For acne itself, DermNet cautions that it may take 12 weeks or longer before improvement is seen.

A rough guide: breakouts in places where you usually get them, in the first month, are consistent with purging. Breakouts in new areas, a rash, swelling or hives point to irritation or an allergy, and that's a reason to stop and check with a dermatologist. Photographing your skin in the same light every week makes this much easier to judge; our guide to tracking acne progress covers how.

What are the side effects of retinol?

The common side effects are dryness, redness, peeling and stinging, and they usually fade as skin adjusts. Cleveland Clinic lists dryness, irritation, itching or burning, redness, peeling or flaky skin, and sunburn. Researchers call this cluster the "retinoid reaction," and it's more common with tretinoin and tazarotene than with retinol or retinaldehyde.

• Sun sensitivity. DermNet lists sun sensitivity among retinoid side effects, alongside retinoid dermatitis and, rarely, allergic contact dermatitis.
• Dark marks on deeper skin tones. The AAD warns that with skin of color, irritation can trigger hyperpigmentation, and suggests starting slowly with a moisturizer to lower the risk.
• Barrier damage from overuse. Using too much, too often, or stacking retinol with exfoliating acids can leave skin raw and stinging. If that happens, pause and follow the steps in our damaged skin barrier guide before restarting at a lower frequency.

If irritation won't settle, reduce how often you apply it before you give up on it entirely. Cleveland Clinic notes that people prone to allergies or with very sensitive skin may want to consider other ingredients.

Can you use retinol while pregnant?

No. The AAD states plainly that retinoids should not be used during pregnancy, and Cleveland Clinic says healthcare providers discourage the use of retinoids if you're pregnant and advises checking with a provider while breastfeeding too. DermNet notes that some topical retinoids are contraindicated in pregnancy because of the teratogenic effects of retinoids as a class. The 2022 review says topical retinoids cannot be advised during pregnancy because of a lack of evidence to support it, while noting that meta-analyses suggest harm from topical exposure is unlikely. If you're pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding, stop and ask your doctor or dermatologist which alternatives are safe for you.

What can you use with retinol?

Gentle cleansers, plain moisturizers and sunscreen pair with retinol without trouble. The harder combinations are other actives:

• Vitamin C: Cleveland Clinic suggests vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night.
• Glycolic acid (AHA) and salicylic acid (BHA): alternate days, or use the acid in the morning and retinol at night, per Cleveland Clinic.
• Benzoyl peroxide and other drying acne products: Cleveland Clinic's tretinoin guidance warns against other preparations that may dry your skin, such as benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid, on the same areas unless your care team tells you to use both.

We cover each pairing, including which warnings are real and which are outdated, in skincare ingredients not to mix.

How can you tell if retinol is working?

Look for gradual change over months. Cleveland Clinic says improvement in the look and feel of skin takes several weeks, and changes to wrinkles often take several months. In longer studies of 0.05% tretinoin, the major degree of change occurred after six months. That pace is hard to see in a mirror you look at every day.

Consistent photos help. Pori, our iPhone app, scores a selfie from 0 to 100 and breaks the result into areas including Pores & Texture, Pigmentation & Tone and Anti-aging & Elasticity, so you can compare the same measures at week 0, week 6 and week 12 with before/after photos. Its Pro ingredient scanner also reads a product's barcode or label and flags each ingredient as beneficial, use with caution or avoid for your skin type, which helps when you're checking whether a new serum quietly contains another retinoid or acid. An app reads appearance only: it isn't a diagnosis, so see a dermatologist for persistent irritation, a rash, or anything that looks like a skin condition.