Many know that our skincare routine should be different in the morning and evening, but still many people do not know the differences between moisturizing, nourishing and caring for the skin and not even what ingredients to use. In the evening there is no ingredient that can overcome the antiaging effects of retinol.
In my face care routine, in the morning I focus on hydrating the skin and protecting against pollutants and sun rays, the latter always remember that they are the most powerful aging factor we know. So in the morning it would be recommended to use a good moisturizer that is capable of maintaining hydration of the face for 24 hours and after this apply a sunscreen, in addition to this you can add antioxidants and protective vitamins, but the base would be hydration and protection.
Instead, the night or evening routine must be completely different. First of all we must start with an excellent facial cleansing to remove makeup, grease and polluting particles and depending on whether you live in the countryside or in the city, whether you make up or not or if you work outdoors or in the office, you will need a cleansing in one or even in two steps. But after the evening facial cleansing comes the most important moment, moisturize? to feed? cure?
In my experience and so I always do, in the evening it is time to take care of the skin, to give the skin of the face all the ingredients that go to treat it and take care of it in depth by removing dead cells, removing spots, reducing enlarged pores and homogenizing the color and skin tone. The king of the ingredients to achieve this is retinol.
Retinol is a type of retinoid and belongs to the family of vitamin A derivatives. While other anti-aging ingredients only remove superficial dead cells, the small molecules of retinol go deep, reaching the dermis. Once in this intermediate layer of skin, retinol helps neutralize free radicals to increase the production of elastin and collagen. This creates a “plumping” effect which reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores. At the same time, retinol has an exfoliating effect on the surface of the skin which can further improve texture and tone.
Retinol can also help treat severe acne and related scarring. It helps to clear clogged pores by helping to prevent blackheads or imperfections.
Retinol has also been shown to balance skin hydration levels. Its exfoliating effect helps remove dead skin cells that can lead to moisture loss. This effect can also regulate fat production and improve the appearance of oily skin.
If all these effects are not enough to convince you, retinol also has a spotty and preventive effect of the formation of new spots.
So retinol is mainly used to treat: acne, fine lines, wrinkles, blemishes, freckles, uneven complexion, melasma, hyperpigmentations, acne, oily skin, loss of tone
For best results retinol should be used every evening, but do not wait for an immediate result because it may take several weeks before significant improvements are made.
Being a very powerful ingredient, unfortunately we must be careful with its use and we must take precautions. First fundamental rule, it cannot be used if you are pregnant. The second recommendation is that retinol can be irritating to the skin and therefore you have to get used to your face slowly. My advice would be to choose a product with a low concentration of retinol and start using it once or twice a week, you will see that initially your skin can become irritated but with the passage of the weeks it will begin to get used and then you can use it on alternate days, up to being able to use it every day and including increasing the concentration of retinol.
Retinoids are known to have positive effects on both aging and acne-prone skin. Retinol is the most accessible form of retinoid and the best choice for sensitive skin. However, you may also not see the full results for up to 12 months of regular use.
If you do not notice significant improvements in skin tone, texture or smoothness after a few months of using retinol, consider consulting with your cosmetic doctor or dermatologist.