True sensitive-skin varieties know the battle. It is the one the place you’re so tempted to attempt the most recent and biggest skin-care elements, developments, and merchandise, however you’re compelled to stay to your boring, bland routine out of worry of creating your pores and skin extra delicate (hello, it’s me!). This temptation has turn out to be all of the harder due to social media sharing a brand new sensitive-skin “treatment” each week. Working example: the “retinol sandwich” technique, which has gone viral for being the supposed treatment to all retinoid points, even for essentially the most reactive of pores and skin varieties. Nonetheless, in terms of retinol, you gotta know what you are getting your self into first.
The retinol sandwich technique is an software approach that is stated to be superb for delicate pores and skin. Earlier than you begin slathering, although, it is vital to get the info straight earlier than you begin messing round with retinol. To raised perceive how the retinol sandwich can have an effect on your pores and skin, we spoke to board-certified dermatologists Kimberly Jerdan, MD, and Shari Marchbein, MD, for every little thing to know concerning the skin-care pattern.
Consultants on this article
- Kimberly Jerdan, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and beauty and laser surgeon in Oklahoma
- Shari Marchbein, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York Metropolis
What’s retinol?
Retinol has turn out to be the go-to time period to reference retinoids, which is a compound derived from vitamin A, Dr. Jerdan explains. “For topical merchandise, there are a lot of completely different types of retinoids,” she says, together with over-the-counter choices (just like the gentler retinol, the mid-tier retinaldehyde—aka retinal—and the acne-specific adapalene), together with prescription choices (like retinoic acid, tazarotene, and trifarotene).
Whereas all of those completely different types of retinoids work at numerous strengths, they primarily do the identical factor: assist slough off your pores and skin quicker, leaving it feeling smoother and searching brighter. Your pores and skin naturally renews itself each 28 to 30 days (although it will get slower as you become old), however retinoids can considerably reduce down that turnover time, relying on the power of the method you utilize.
All pores and skin varieties can expertise sensitivity to retinoids, but when you have already got delicate pores and skin, happening a retinoid can heighten that sensitivity. Why? As a result of any kind of barrier or safety your pores and skin had gotten used to is now getting stripped away, due to that extra-fast mobile turnover. This disruption of the pores and skin barrier paired with its speedy exfoliation can also be why pores and skin tends to be extra dry and flaky, which might then exacerbate preexisting sensitive-skin points.
What’s a retinol sandwich?
A retinol sandwich makes use of moisturizer to create a buffer between the lively ingredient and your pores and skin to forestall it from being as irritating. The tip objective? Much less dryness, peeling, and sensitivity. So, as an alternative of making use of retinol to wash, dry pores and skin as you’d sometimes do, a retinol sandwich instructs you to “sandwich” it between two layers of moisturizer to assist buffer the depth.
When do you have to make a retinol sandwich?
Already utilizing retinol? You’ll be able to implement the retinol sandwich technique everytime you need to assist lower sensitivity. Simply getting began with retinol? You’ll be able to implement the 1-2-3 technique:
- Week 1: Apply your retinol (utilizing the retinol sandwich technique) only one night time this week.
- Week 2: Apply your retinol sandwich two nights this week.
- Week 3: Apply your retinol sandwich (you guessed it) three nights this week and proceed indefinitely.
What are the advantages of the retinol sandwich technique?
The advantages of the retinol sandwich embody making a barrier between your pores and skin and your retinoid to assist scale back sensitivity. It additionally makes retinol extra tolerable for delicate pores and skin. Retinol (whereas highly effective) could make your pores and skin really feel dry and irritated earlier than you begin noticing vital adjustments. By sandwiching your retinol between moisturizer, you’ll be able to assist scale back these reactions.
When you’ve got delicate pores and skin that hasn’t been in a position to deal with retinol up to now, the protecting barrier of the retinol sandwich technique helps “water down” the retinol’s efficiency, serving to to mitigate potential irritation and irritation. Finally, the retinol sandwich technique helps you to customise your retinol expertise and may help introduce your pores and skin to the ingredient in a extra tolerable method, which is right in case your pores and skin is of course delicate and reactive.
What kind of moisturizer do you have to use for the retinol sandwich technique?
In relation to selecting which moisturizer it’s best to sandwich your retinol between, Dr. Jerdan says, “the blander, the higher,” advising in opposition to something with lively elements to keep away from irritating your pores and skin when mixed with retinoids. Dr. Marchbein says to search for moisturizers with glycerin (a hydrating humectant) and dimethicone (a protecting silicone) to assist hydrate and soothe the pores and skin if you happen to’re utilizing a retinoid.
What elements do you have to keep away from when utilizing retinol?
In case your pores and skin is delicate, the principle factor you need to steer clear of whereas introducing a retinol is every other exfoliating merchandise—whether or not that be manually, like a scrub, or chemically, like an acid. Retinol is already exfoliating your pores and skin, so something further could make your pores and skin much more liable to irritation. In accordance with Dr. Jerdan, you don’t need to have every other elements competing along with your retinoid, because it’s the (already highly effective) star of the present.
Different elements that are likely to trigger sensitivity embody benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid (each of which may be drying and harsh) and vitamin C (one other lively that may irritate some pores and skin varieties). They’re often wonderful to make use of on the times while you’re not making use of retinol, however test along with your dermatologist or think about pausing them whilst you introduce retinol to your routine.
Does the retinol sandwich technique make the retinol much less efficient?
Whereas the retinol sandwich technique may help the ingredient be gentler in your pores and skin, the jury’s nonetheless out on whether or not it makes the ingredient much less efficient—and by how a lot. Nonetheless, in case your pores and skin is delicate, the purpose of the retinol sandwich is to water issues down just a little, thereby making retinol extra tolerable. Most moisturizers (particularly these with oil) create a barrier that forestalls even absorption so, sure, it’s extremely attainable that if you happen to’re utilizing a heavier moisturizer earlier than you apply your retinoid, it’s going to be much less “efficient”—which is an effective factor, when you’ve got delicate pores and skin.
Keep in mind: The objective right here is to assist your delicate pores and skin construct a tolerance to retinoids, since any quantity of retinol (even watered-down) is extra helpful than no retinol in any respect. Nonetheless, to assist maximize absorption whereas limiting unfavourable results, consultants sometimes advocate making use of your moisturizer, ready quarter-hour earlier than making use of your retinol, then ready one other quarter-hour making use of your prime layer of moisturizer.
Last takeaway
Consultants sing the praises of retinol as a result of it really works. Advantageous traces? Retinol. Pimples? Retinol. Darkish spots—you get the purpose. However when you’ve got delicate pores and skin, retinol could make your pores and skin extra liable to irritation than not. Due to this, your retinol routine might require some tweaking to get the many of the ingredient with out compromising your pores and skin.
Finally, the retinol sandwich would possibly sound like simply one other buzzy time period, nevertheless it’s a easy idea that might work wonders for delicate pores and skin. Earlier than you alter your routine, the secret is to grasp your pores and skin and its distinctive wants. Should you’re already utilizing retinol usually and your pores and skin is managing simply wonderful, utilizing the sandwiching technique might not make an enormous distinction. Nonetheless, in case your pores and skin is reactive, you might discover including a retinol sandwich into your skin-care routine helpful, and there’s nothing fallacious with that.
Hero Illustration by Janet Mac