Apply retinol before or after moisturizer?

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Retinol is a "golden" active ingredient in anti-aging, skin lightening and acne treatment. However, not everyone who uses it knows how to apply retinol properly so that retinol can promote its great benefits. So should users apply retinol before or after the cream?

1. What is retinol?

Retinol, also known as vitamin A1, is commonly found in foods and can be used as a supplement in cases of vitamin A deficiency. Not stopping there, retinol is also widely used in the cosmetic and skin care industry.
Retinol is essentially a strong antioxidant, highly effective in treating acne, smoothing wrinkles, providing outstanding smooth skin, specifically:
Retinol's strong oxidizing properties for the effect Used to "refresh" each skin cell, type of dead skin cell, creating favorable conditions for the growth of new skin cells. Retinol reduces the amount of Melanin pigment in the skin, thereby promoting the production of Collagen, elastin in the skin, thereby reducing wrinkles and anti-aging... Retinol is used a lot in drugs to restore damaged skin. , help heal wounds, inflammation caused by acne, regenerate cells, nourish healthy skin from the inside.

2. What are the effects of applying retinol?

2.1. Anti-aging skin, brightening To prevent aging, the skin not only needs to be moisturized and protected from external influences (such as dirt, sunlight), but also needs to be supplemented with nutrients. Nourishing ingredients strengthen, stimulate the skin to produce collagen. One of the most effective nutrients that cannot be ignored is retinol.
The anti-aging ability of retinol is amazing. Applying retinol properly helps to minimize skin problems such as dark spots, pigmentation, dark spots, freckles and protects the skin from negative environmental influences. In addition, retinol also works to stimulate the skin to produce collagen, rejuvenate and make the skin brighter. Increasing the natural collagen production in the skin significantly reduces wrinkles and delays the aging process.
2.2. Improve the condition of pores and acne Proper application of retinol provides outstanding effectiveness (recognized for more than 40 years) in the treatment of acne. If you've tried all kinds of different acne remedies and still don't work, why not think about retinol?
Dirt, excess oil, dead skin cells that accumulate under the pores are common causes of acne. Properly applying Retinol can help open pores, reduce congestion and limit the activity of sebaceous glands, thereby effectively preventing acne recurrence. In addition, applying Retinol correctly is also an effective measure to reduce swelling and kill bacteria, so it contributes to improving the ability to treat acne.

3. Some unwanted effects of retinol

3.1. Skin stinging, burning Skin stinging, burning is a common side effect in people just starting to use retinol, this is considered a sign that the user's skin is quite sensitive.
Although applying retinol correctly, the skin still has redness, a slight burning sensation and may peel off the outer layer, making the user feel uncomfortable. However, this side effect is only temporary, the skin will be completely normal again if moisturizing and using adequate skin repair products.
In addition, to limit this situation, users should use retinol from a low concentration to let the skin get used to it, then increase it gradually and need to combine with adequate skin moisturizing products.
3.2. Dry, flaky skin During the cell renewal process, retinol can slough off the outer horny cells and cause dry skin, this undesirable effect is very common when using products containing retinol. in high concentrations.
If the skin is very flaky, dry or itchy, reduce the frequency of retinol application (maybe only once a week) so that the skin gets used to it and has time to recover.
If you have sensitive or extremely sensitive skin, it is best for users to increase moisturizing and recovery together to make the skin healthy enough and reduce irritation.

4. Apply retinol before or after cream?

Most people who want to take care of their skin only use topical retinol at night. However, to properly apply retinol requires users to use them in small amounts for the first few weeks and then slowly increase them.
If using retinol for the first time, the frequency of application is about every 3 days for the first 1-2 weeks. As the skin adapts to the retinol, increase the frequency of use, gradually switching to daily use.
With each use, use only a pea-sized amount of the product and use the tip of your index finger to spread evenly over the skin. Besides, make sure that the skin area is spread with a thin layer of product containing retinol.

Retinol is an active ingredient that makes the skin more sensitive to the sun, so the right time to apply retinol should be at night. There is also some evidence that retinol is more harmful with exposure to sunlight. Therefore, if you apply retinol during the day, always need to be accompanied by sunscreen.
For people with sensitive skin, to minimize unwanted problems, it is not recommended to use retinol directly, but to add a stepping stone. Steps to apply a stepping stone to reduce retinol strength:
Apply moisturizer first, then apply retinol Moisturizer or serum then apply the mixture to the skin at the same time. The above methods will help reduce the permeability/concentration of retinol (reduce the penetration of active ingredients) and make the skin softer. There are many sensitive skin that can only use retinol when combined with the stepping stone mentioned above.
However, if you want specific treatment products like retinol to work to their full effect, it's better to use it before the moisturizer step than after, and if you want to reduce the strength of specific treatment products like retinol, It is better to use retinol after moisturizer. Depending on your skin, users can choose the order of retinol application accordingly.
Hope the above sharing has helped you answer the question of applying retinol before or after the cream and what is the effect of applying retinol? Understanding the benefits of retinol will help you achieve optimal and safe use for your skin.

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