10 retinol questions you've definitely panic-searched, answered by an expert.

As any person with a face will tell you, retinol is the gold standard when it comes to skincare ingredients. Ask any skin expert. Go on.  

Retinol is one of those rare nuggets that ticks several boxes – from tackling the signs of premature ageing to clearing acne and promoting uneven skin tone. Told you it was a real freak.

But if you haven’t used retinol before and don’t know a whole lot about it (hello! Please sit), chances are you have a feeling like it’s a wee bit scary. And it can be! Goodness, sometimes it can be. Especially if you don't know how to use it properly. 

Because even if you do think you know what you're doing, sometimes it can still end up trashing your poor little face around. 

Fun!

For this reason, you might’ve put off using it in your skincare routine – or you’ve tried it before and then quickly decided you’re not friends.

But, you guys – we reckon you can actually be really great mates! You just have to know a few core tricks to making it work for your skin.

Still have some doubts? Questions? Just want to have a chin-wag with a Harvard professor? We got you.

That’s why we sat down with Head of Science Research for No7, Dr Mike Bell, and asked him ALL of your most burning retinol questions.

Ready? Get your fancy learning cap on and let’s go!

1. Is retinol an ingredient that works for everyone?

Good question! Important question. Contrary to what you might think, retinol can actually work for all skin types and pigments. Yes, really – even gals with sensitive skin can get along with retinol. The key? Finding the right concentration. And playing by the rules.

“Retinol at effective concentrations can work for everyone and be safe on most skin irrespective of age, gender or colour,” said Dr Bell.

Told ya.

“Unlike many other cosmetic ingredients, however, it does need to be used with care, ramping up night-time usage slowly especially if you are new to retinol or have taken a retinol holiday.”

In a crabshell, low and slow is the name of the game when it comes to retinol – that is, go for a low concentration and introduce it S-L-O-W-L-Y into your routine.

Professor Bell also stresses the importance of using a daily SPF (which you’re already doing anyway!) and avoiding physical and chemical exfoliants while using retinol.

If you’re a little confused about the whole concentration thing, we've got you covered.

If you have very dry skin Dr Bell recommends avoiding concentrations 0.1 per cent and above. Why? Because dry skin is prone to higher retinol sensitivity. 

So, if this sounds like you, take note!

If you’re in the oily or ‘normal’ skin camp, you can wander above the 0.1 per cent mark (you crazy thing!), because your skin is less likely to freak out and get all irritated.

Dr Bell said, “After extensive scientific research with the University of Manchester, No7 have introduced two night-time concentrates at 0.3 per cent, suitable for the retinol novice and 1.0 per cent which is suitable for the more experienced retinol user to tackle more stubborn signs of ageing.”

Enter, No7’s two retinol regimes. 

For beginners: their Pure Retinol 0.3% Night Concentrate, Pure Retinol Eye Cream and Pure Retinol Night Repair Cream.

And for experienced retinol users: their Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate and No7 Pure Retinol Post Retinol Soother.

"The 0.3% Night Concentrate can be incorporated into No7’s retinol regime which includes a night cream, and eye cream containing lower levels of retinol.

"Whereas the 1% Night Concentrate has been designed to be used with the Post Retinol Soother that helps support the skin barrier and minimise sensitivity," explains Dr Bell.

Just to give you a quick recap, No7 Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate is the brand's highest strength and most effective form of pure retinol. This guy is the heavy lifter of the team, and works its magic to help improve things like deep wrinkles, skin tone and texture, and encourage more radiant, and firmer-feeling skin.

They've even got receipts: from a clinical study over a 16 week period, their retinol product was clinically proven to deliver on improving the appearance of stubborn and deep wrinkles. Even 95 per cent of women in a different No7 consumer study said they'd switch to No7's retinol regime.

As you're probably already aware, No7 is the UK's No1 skincare brand, and it's supported with 87 years of scientific expertise – so you just know this stuff is going to be good!

2. How do you know which retinol concentration is right for your skin?

As we just mentioned (umm... are you skimming? How awkward), if you’re new to retinol then Dr Bell said to start at a lower retinol concentration (0.3 per cent and below), and recommends “listening to your skin as you ramp up usage gradually from once or twice a week, to nightly use, as your skin can tolerate.”

Just to give you an idea, this process (the whole 'ramping up the frequency' thing) can usually take around four to six weeks on average – so be patient and give your skin time to adjust. 

“The majority of users should be able to tolerate 0.3 per cent retinol especially with gradual ramping and combining with a moisturising SPF regime,” said Dr Bell.

If this sounds like you, No7 Pure Retinol 0.3% Retinol Night Concentrate is right up your alley.

“One per cent retinol should be reserved for those who are experienced retinol users looking for action against more stubborn signs of ageing.” 

If you’re really worried about using retinol and unsure about how your skin might react, then Dr Bell said to “start on much lower concentrations" – for example, those products with less than 0.1 per cent, although he said brands won’t often disclose retinol levels at this level.

"Or look for retinol derivatives in products such as retinyl palmitate. These are much less effective than retinol but won’t cause sensitivity.”

Cool!

3. What's the best way to apply retinol? 

Now for the fun bit! The application! Rule number one:  

“Retinol gives skin cells a general rejuvenating reboot, so because its benefits are numerous (including improving the appearance of wrinkles, evening skin tone, leaving skin feeling firmer and smoother), to realise its full potential it is best to apply to the whole face or hands.”

Do not: Spread it on your toast.

“Be careful using on the décolletage which can be more sensitive to the effects of retinol given the lower density of sebum producing glands which make the skin drier, especially when using higher retinol levels (0.3 per cent and above, like in No7’s Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate).  

4. What's the best way to layer retinol?

“Generally, retinol should only be used at night-time and followed always by a night-time moisturiser and an SPF day cream in the morning, even if it is a retinol free night.”

In terms of what other ingredients play nice with retinol, Dr Bell said it kind of depends on what you’re looking to achieve.

If you're looking for complementary ingredients to work alongside retinol in enhancing the rejuvenating benefits, he recommends ingredients such as peptides and vitamin C. If you're looking for ingredients to support your skin’s tolerance to retinol in the form of calming ingredients, look for things like bisabolol, licorice, centella and asiatica. 

For barrier-strengthening ingredients (important), Dr Bell recommends things like niacinamide, Japanese lily turf and ceramides, as these will work nicely alongside retinol.

The good news? No7 have done all the hard work for you and combined a bunch of nourishing, skin-loving ingredients in one clever little product to support your retinol journey. Formulated with ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides, it soothes the skin and protect your skin's barrier, for hydrated, happy skin.

“No7 has formulated a post retinol barrier soother – No7 Pure Retinol Post Retinol Soother – which contains many of these latter supportive ingredients, designed to be used alongside our No7 Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate,” he adds.

Sounds like the perfect partner, wouldn't you say?

5. Are prescription retinoids really the gold standard? 

According to Dr Bell, prescription retinoid is the dermatologist gold standard used in the treatment of photoaging. 

However, while cosmetic retinoids such as retinol and other retinol derivatives (which require more conversion steps) are less effective than prescription retinoids, Dr Bell said they are considerably better tolerated. 

"Retinol is the most proven cosmetic retinoid, with many years of published science behind it showing its wide-ranging benefits for the skin," he adds.  

6. Is there such a thing as pregnancy-safe retinol? 

Bad news, friend. There's no such thing as pregnancy-safe retinol. 

While there are other alternatives on the market (looking at you, bakuchiol), Dr Bell said it is generally recommended to avoid retinol-containing products during pregnancy and breastfeeding. 

So, switch this bad boy out for something else!

"Instead, it would be better to look for other products that might be more suitable for your skin during this time," he adds.

7. How do you avoid my skin freaking out and reacting?

We guarantee you've 150 per cent panic-Googled this one. Right when your face is flaring up.

"Whilst the regime and formulation within No7 Retinol is designed to minimise the chances of reactions, but [mild skin reaction] may be unavoidable as it can actually be a sign that the ingredient is working to drive renewal."

"The best way to minimise the impact is to ramp up use slowly whilst skin adapts to retinol use."

Remember, slow and steady!

This is exactly where the No7 Pure Retinol Post Retinol Soother is ideal for your beauty arsenal: it's formulated to help skin feel replenished as a follow-up to retinol use, and is intended to support skin's tolerance to No7's high strength Pure Retinol 1% Retinol Night Concentrate.

8. Any advice for using retinol if you have rosacea or dry skin?

W-wo-woah! Pull it back a bit there, sport. There are a few things you need to keep in mind if you're a dame that struggles with rosacea or dry skin. You can't just go slapping this stuff on willy-nilly, you know.

"Be careful! Ensure you have an excellent moisturising regime which includes use of a broad-spectrum high SPF (SPF 30+) and try applying a small amount of the retinol product to a small area for a patch test, checking for tolerance," recommends Dr Bell.  

"Ideally, start at low concentrations of 0.1 per cent and below, and don’t be surprised if you are unable to move up to higher concentrations."

9. When is the best time to start using retinol? Is there such a thing as starting too young?

According to Dr Bell, using retinol earlier isn't going to prevent signs of ageing. It doesn't work like that.

"Retinol is traditionally used to treat signs of photoaging rather than being preventative and therefore if you don’t have any obvious signs of skin ageing there may not be the same degree of improvement as there is in older skin."

Interesting! 

"It does help with radiance and skin clarity, though by supporting skin renewal, and so may be something that could be used over a short period of time on young skin almost as a reboot for skin rather than all year-round use."

10. How much of an impact can retinol really have on your skin?

The short answer? It's pretty dingin' effective. Science says so.

"It is the most studied and researched cosmetic ingredient that has been shown in numerous clinical studies to target many visible signs of photoaging," said Dr Bell.

This includes improving the appearance of wrinkles, evening out the skin tone, making skin look more radiant and even helping skin feel firmer and bouncier, too. 

"It does this by supporting skin renewal and skin’s natural collagen production to give the skin a reboot. So, it can have a large impact on skin appearance, depending on the amount of pre-existing damage and how long it is used for." 

"The retinol concentration used and formulation itself is also important to the degree of benefits observed."

The main thing to keep in mind, though? Not all retinols are the same. 

"Some are encapsulated, for example, to help improve its naturally inherent instability. Some are formulated in oil. Importantly, this means you should take care if switching from one brand to another especially at high retinol concentrations (0.3 per cent and above) and start on the new product slowly," advises Dr Bell.

"No7’s retinol is encapsulated not only to preserve the potency of the retinol but also to provide a slower released delivery into the skin, thereby helping reduce potential for sensitivity."

So, there you have it! Class dismissed!

Have you used retinol before? What's your experience? Share with us in the comment section below.

Try the new No7 Pure Retinol 1% Night Concentrate, the highest strength 1% Pure Retinol from the UK’s number 1 skincare brand, followed by the new No7 Pure Retinol Post Retinol Soother, to support your retinol journey. Exclusively at Priceline.

Clinical study based on UK women over 16 weeks. Consumer study on 103 UK women over 4 weeks.

Feature Image: Getty/Instagram/@no7uk