Can using too much retinol actually damage your skin?
Too much retinol can irritate and damage your skin, but at a low dose and with a gradual build-up you can benefit from its skin-renewing effects. Start low, build up slowly, and consider bakuchiol if your skin reacts sensitively.
Retinol can indeed cause irritation when used in too high an amount or on sensitive skin. This is a well-recognised side-effect profile: redness, flaking and a burning sensation are regularly reported by people who apply retinol to their skin.
Laboratory research makes it clear why: pure retinol at higher concentrations damages cells considerably. In that research, at such a concentration more than half of the test cells showed damage. That is an alarming figure, but it reflects a laboratory condition, not real-life skin. Nevertheless, it confirms that the substance is biologically active and potentially irritating.
At the same time, retinol is actually beneficial for the skin: it helps skin cells renew themselves and supports the integrity of the skin barrier. It is therefore not the case that retinol is simply 'bad' for the skin. The damage occurs when the dose or frequency is too high, or when the skin has not yet had time to adjust to it.
Those who experience side effects from retinol have an alternative: bakuchiol, a plant-based ingredient with no chemical similarity to retinol. After twelve weeks of twice-daily use, one small study observed comparable improvements in wrinkles, pigmentation and firmness, without the irritation that retinol normally causes. One study is too little for firm conclusions, but bakuchiol is worth considering if your skin responds poorly to retinol.
Based on two studies into the side effects of retinol (PMID 24471735, 41320371), one study into the skin-regenerative role of vitamin A/retinol (PMID 39108105) and one small clinical case study into bakuchiol (PMID 24471735). The laboratory research using a liposome formulation is a laboratory study, not clinical evidence.
Can your skin get used to retinol so that it becomes less effective?
Your skin gets used to the side effects of retinol, such as flaking and redness, but not to the effect itself; the active effect on lines and pigmentation does not diminish with longer use.
Does retinol help against wrinkles?
Retinol demonstrably works against wrinkles and improves skin texture, although tretinoin is more potent for those who can or wish to obtain a prescription; people who experience irritation may consider bakuchiol as an equivalent alternative based on one small study.
Is retinol safe to use after microneedling?
Whether retinol is safe to use directly after microneedling has not been directly studied. Discuss the timing and dosage with your practitioner before applying it.
Does resveratrol in skin cream actually do anything?
Resveratrol in skin cream demonstrably reaches the skin and has antioxidant activity, but whether it produces any visible effect as the sole active ingredient has not yet been proven. Combination products show promising results, but anyone buying a cream with resveratrol should be aware that the evidence for resveratrol itself remains thin.
Does resveratrol really help protect cells against ageing?
Resveratrol protects cells impressively in the lab, but whether that also works in practice for you is uncertain: the body breaks the substance down quickly and large human studies are largely absent.
Can you repair sun damage to your skin?
Sun damage can be partially repaired: prescription tretinoin cream has the strongest evidence base, but consistent sunscreen use is the prerequisite for any repair programme.