True sensitive-skin varieties know the battle. It’s the one the place you’re so tempted to strive the most recent and biggest skin-care components, tendencies, and merchandise, however you’re pressured 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 develop into all of the tougher due to social media sharing a brand new sensitive-skin “treatment” each week. Working example: the “retinol sandwich” methodology, which has gone viral for being the supposed treatment to all retinoid points, even for probably the most reactive of pores and skin varieties. Nonetheless, on the subject of retinol, you gotta know what you’re getting your self into first.
The retinol sandwich methodology is an utility method that’s stated to be excellent for delicate pores and skin. Earlier than you begin slathering, although, it’s necessary to get the details 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 part to know in regards to the skin-care development.
Specialists 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 develop into the go-to time period to reference retinoids, which is a compound derived from vitamin A, Dr. Jerdan explains. “For topical merchandise, there are various 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 varied strengths, they basically do the identical factor: assist slough off your pores and skin quicker, leaving it feeling smoother and looking out 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 energy of the components you utilize.
All pores and skin varieties can expertise sensitivity to retinoids, but when you have already got delicate pores and skin, occurring a retinoid can heighten that sensitivity. Why? As a result of any type 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 fast 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 energetic ingredient and your pores and skin to forestall it from being as irritating. The top 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 usually 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 methodology everytime you need to assist lower sensitivity. Simply getting began with retinol? You’ll be able to implement the 1-2-3 methodology:
- Week 1: Apply your retinol (utilizing the retinol sandwich methodology) only one evening 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 methodology?
The advantages of the retinol sandwich embrace 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 modifications. By sandwiching your retinol between moisturizer, you may assist scale back these reactions.
When you’ve got delicate pores and skin that hasn’t been in a position to deal with retinol prior to now, the protecting barrier of the retinol sandwich methodology helps “water down” the retinol’s efficiency, serving to to mitigate potential irritation and irritation. In the end, the retinol sandwich methodology permits you to customise your retinol expertise and will 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 sort of moisturizer do you have to use for the retinol sandwich methodology?
On the subject of selecting which moisturizer you need to sandwich your retinol between, Dr. Jerdan says, “the blander, the higher,” advising in opposition to something with energetic components 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 should you’re utilizing a retinoid.
What components do you have to keep away from when utilizing retinol?
In case your pores and skin is delicate, the principle factor you need to keep away from whereas introducing a retinol is some 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 susceptible to irritation. Based on Dr. Jerdan, you don’t need to have some other components competing along with your retinoid, because it’s the (already highly effective) star of the present.
Different components that are inclined to trigger sensitivity embrace benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid (each of which might be drying and harsh) and vitamin C (one other energetic that may irritate some pores and skin varieties). They’re normally effective to make use of on the times if you’re not making use of retinol, however verify along with your dermatologist or take into account pausing them when you introduce retinol to your routine.
Does the retinol sandwich methodology make the retinol much less efficient?
Whereas the retinol sandwich methodology will 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 a little bit, thereby making retinol extra tolerable. Most moisturizers (particularly these with oil) create a barrier that stops even absorption so, sure, it’s extremely attainable that should you’re utilizing a heavier moisturizer earlier than you apply your retinoid, it’ll be much less “efficient”—which is an efficient factor, you probably have delicate pores and skin.
Bear 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 useful than no retinol in any respect. Nonetheless, to assist maximize absorption whereas limiting unfavorable results, consultants usually suggest 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 high layer of moisturizer.
Last takeaway
Specialists sing the praises of retinol as a result of it really works. High quality traces? Retinol. Zits? Retinol. Darkish spots—you get the purpose. However you probably have delicate pores and skin, retinol could make your pores and skin extra susceptible to irritation than not. Due to this, your retinol routine could require some tweaking to get the a lot of the ingredient with out compromising your pores and skin.
In the end, the retinol sandwich may 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 hot button is to grasp your pores and skin and its distinctive wants. In the event you’re already utilizing retinol repeatedly and your pores and skin is managing simply effective, utilizing the sandwiching methodology could not make an enormous distinction. Nonetheless, in case your pores and skin is reactive, it’s possible you’ll discover including a retinol sandwich into your skin-care routine useful, and there’s nothing mistaken with that.
Hero Illustration by Janet Mac