Took a very long time for me to jump into this Vitamin A aka Retinoid, Retinol stuffs. I was super afraid that it’ll react badly, as some people with sensitive skin like me will purge (even though I don’t believe in purging, but having massive acne attack will not be a walk in the park).

Really, what can vitamin A do?
It’s like a mediator to our skin cells, because it attaches to them and sort of like telling them to behave, by speeding up the turnover. So usually, if our skin regenerates in 28 days, vitamin A will speed them up and cut the days in half. Not just that, it supposedly thicken the dermis for younger and glowing looking skin and improves hyper-pigmentation, acne, large pores and wrinkles. Sounds like a true champ, yes?

WHAT TO CHOOSE? RETINOL OR RETINOID?
Well, both are actually vitamin A derivatives. But, retinoid is essentially a basic term for over-the counter retinol and prescription retinoid. Usually, retinol contains a lower concentration, while retinoid have much higher ones. So, you might see slower result when using retinol compared to retinoid.

So, after a long thought and online research, I decided to purchase retinoid over retinol.

Yes, the good ol’ The Ordinary. This is a water-based serum with a high concentration of two next-generation of retinoids (claimed to be more effective than the standard ones). I purchased this for its’ claim to be a non-irritating retinoid serum.

I didn’t see significant and instant improvement the morning after, but anyway, I don’t believe that one product can do such. And because I do have acne-prone skin (they already put a caution in their website), I experienced a temporary increase in acne during the first two usage. Since I don’t believe in purging, it might be just forcing gunk to the skin’s surface. At least my skin didn’t get red, irritated or dry. I’ll update about my skin condition on my IG stories, so stay tune!

HOW I INCORPORATE THEM IN MY SKINCARE ROUTINE
Because I’m new to retinoid, I started by applying The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion once a week at night time to avoid irritation. After my triple cleanse (micellar water, cleansing balm, and facial cleanser), I use soothing toner, then I prepared my skin with ISNTREE Hyaluronic Acid Water Essence. I waited until they’re completely absorbed and dry, then I use about three drops of Retinoid for the whole face. I’ll wait about 5 minutes then finish with ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Soothing Gel.

TIPS FOR RETINOL & RETINOID NEWBIES

• Start slowly. Apply once a week first, then if your skin can tolerate (nothing bad happened), move on to every third night. And if your skin is totally fine with it, go for every night.
• Always apply on completely dry (not damp) skin. Make sure your toner and essence already absorbed well.
• Tone down with moisturizer (probably ones with Hyaluronic Acid) to minimize any irritation.
• Don’t use them if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Never mix with Benzoyl Peroxide, AHA and BHA. This stuff is already potent by itself.
• If you have sensitive skin that’s prone to irritation, start with retinol first because it’s less potent than retinoid.
• Don’t forget to slather yourself with SPF the next morning after Retinol or Retinoid. These two are known to make skin more sensitive to sun. And don’t forget to do SPF touch up (every 4 hours if you use SPF 50 like me).
• If you have raging fungal acne, don’t try this. Wait until your fungal acne is fixed, then you might want to use retinol or retinoid.

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA