Retinol is a form of vitamin A, and the percentage on the label is the first thing most people compare. It matters, but it is only half the decision. How often you use it, how slowly you build up and what else you apply on the same evening decide how comfortable a retinol feels. This guide covers the strengths we carry, from 0.25% to 1.0%, and how the SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica, ZO Skin Health and Skinbetter Science formulas are meant to be started.
The strengths we carry
| Formula | Retinol | Made for |
|---|---|---|
| SkinMedica Retinol Complex 0.25% | 0.25% microencapsulated pure retinol | Anyone new to retinol |
| SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 | 0.3% microencapsulated pure retinol | First-time retinol users or skin that feels sensitive |
| SkinMedica Retinol Complex 0.5% | 0.5% microencapsulated pure retinol | Skin that is already used to retinol |
| SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 | 0.5% microencapsulated pure retinol | Established retinol users |
| ZO Wrinkle + Texture Repair | 0.5% retinol night cream | Established retinol users who want a more potent formula; not ideal as a first retinol |
| SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0 | 1.0% microencapsulated pure retinol | Experienced users whose skin currently feels comfortable |
| SkinCeuticals Tripeptide-R Neck Repair | 0.3% pure retinol with peptides | The neck and décolletage |
SkinCeuticals Retinol comes in three strengths (0.3%, 0.5% and 1.0%) and SkinMedica Retinol Complex in two (0.25% and 0.5%), so you can stay with the same formula as you step up. Both use microencapsulated pure retinol, which is released gradually through the night; in SkinCeuticals Retinol, this helps reduce the flaking many retinol newcomers notice.
Which strength should you start with?
- New to retinol, or skin that feels sensitive: the lowest strength, SkinMedica Retinol Complex 0.25% or SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3.
- You have used a retinol for a few months and your skin feels comfortable: 0.5%, in SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5, SkinMedica Retinol Complex 0.5% or ZO Wrinkle + Texture Repair.
- Experienced, and comfortable at 0.5%: SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0.
A higher strength is not a shortcut. The directions for both SkinCeuticals Retinol and SkinMedica Retinol Complex suggest stepping up only after months of comfortable nightly use at the lower strength.
How to start: a week-by-week plan
This plan follows the starting directions for SkinCeuticals Retinol and SkinMedica Retinol Complex.
| When | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1 and 2 | Two evenings a week | A pea-size amount on clean, dry skin, followed by moisturizer |
| From week 3 | Three evenings a week | Only after two weeks of comfortable use |
| The months that follow | More evenings, building toward nightly use | Go at the pace your skin tolerates |
| After about three months of nightly use (SkinCeuticals) or three to six months (SkinMedica) | Consider the next strength | Keep up SPF every morning |
ZO Wrinkle + Texture Repair follows a similar pattern: start two to three nights a week and build up gradually as your skin tolerates it.
How to apply retinol
- Cleanse, then make sure your skin is completely dry. SkinCeuticals, SkinMedica and ZO all direct their retinols onto clean, dry skin in the evening.
- Use a pea-size amount for the whole face.
- Follow with moisturizer. The directions for ZO Wrinkle + Texture Repair suggest a hydrating moisturizer 10 to 15 minutes later.
- Wear a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher every morning.
What not to use on the same evening
- Exfoliating acids and benzoyl peroxide. The SkinCeuticals Retinol directions say not to layer it with AHAs, BHAs or benzoyl peroxide on the same evening. Leave-on exfoliants such as ZO Exfoliation Accelerator ask you to avoid retinol on the same evening for the first month. Alternate the nights instead.
- A second retinol. ZO Growth Factor Serum contains retinol, so count it as a retinol step. If you also use a separate retinol, alternate the two.
Vitamin C serums belong in the morning, which keeps them apart from retinol. If both are new to you, add one at a time.
Keeping skin comfortable
Dryness, flaking and a tight feel can happen when you first start a retinoid. Starting slowly and using moisturizer both help, and so can a hydrating layer.
- Hydration first: Hydrinity Renewing HA Serum can be used with retinol in the evening, with the hyaluronic acid helping to buffer a retinol routine. ZO Firming Serum, a peptide serum that doesn't rely on retinol, goes on first, with the retinol layered on top.
- A richer moisturizer on retinol evenings: ZO Renewal Creme, SkinCeuticals Emollience and Skinbetter Science Trio Luxe Moisture Treatment are each described as a good match for routines that include retinol.
If your skin feels dry or uncomfortable, go back to fewer evenings a week until it settles. If you aren't sure a retinoid suits your skin, ask a healthcare professional before you start.
AlphaRet: a different kind of retinoid
Skinbetter Science AlphaRet links a retinoid and lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid, in a single molecule. Its descriptions don't give a percentage, so it sits outside the strength table above.
- Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream: for the look of fine lines, uneven texture and tone. Apply in the evening, starting two to three nights a week and building up; it is designed to be gentle as you work toward nightly use.
- Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Clearing Serum: AlphaRet with 2% salicylic acid and niacinamide, for oily, congestion-prone skin. Apply 3 to 4 drops in the evening, starting three to four times a week and increasing to nightly as your skin tolerates it, then follow with a non-comedogenic moisturizer.
- Skinbetter Science EyeMax AlphaRet Overnight Cream: AlphaRet at a concentration suited to the eye area, built up gradually over the first two weeks.
Retinol for the neck
SkinCeuticals Tripeptide-R Neck Repair pairs 0.3% pure retinol, a level chosen for the more delicate skin of the neck, with a tripeptide complex, hyaluronic acid and squalane. Apply a pea-size amount to the neck and décolletage each evening, sweeping upward from the collarbone to the jaw, and build tolerance over the first two weeks. It is a good fit if you already use retinol on your face. Compare it with the peptide-based options on neck creams.
Where to start
- Your first retinol: SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 or SkinMedica Retinol Complex 0.25%.
- An established user: SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.5 or ZO Wrinkle + Texture Repair.
- Experienced: SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0.
- Oily, congestion-prone skin: AlphaRet Clearing Serum.
- A comfortable evening moisturizer: ZO Renewal Creme.
Browse retinol and retinoids, fine lines and firmness or moisturizers. For how retinol fits with vitamin C and peptides, read vitamin C, retinol and peptides, and for the full evening order, how to layer skincare.
Related guides: SkinCeuticals vitamin C serums compared, growth factor vs peptide serums, hyaluronic acid serums compared, the ZO Skin Health routine and the Skinbetter Science routine.