When to Stop Retinol?

6: Myth: If you have peeling or redness, you should stop using the retinoid. With retinoids, it's often a “worse-before-better” type of situation. Typical side effects include dryness, tightness, peeling, and redness — especially when first starting out.

How many days a week should you use retinol?

Start Slow

To acclimate your skin to the retinol, start using it twice a week (every three days) in the evenings. If you aren't experiencing any redness or flakiness the next day, you can bump it up to every other day—and then even every day if your skin can handle it.

Do you have to use retinol forever?

If you're wondering if you're clear to use your retinol as a long-term anti-aging strategy without negative side effects (like compromising the strength of your skin), all derms agree the answer is yes - in fact, you'll need to use it continuously if you want to keep benefiting from the effects, says Dr.