Retinol.

"Step down to a more gentle form of retinoid that you can get over the counter without a prescription such as retinaldehyde or retinol. The beautiful thing about more gentle versions is that you can still get results on par with tretinoin, but with way less side effects. This is proven in multiple studies on this topic. Same results, less side effects, more enjoyable to use, no prescription required, no-brainer, and these can be very affordable. When you put these forms of retinoid on the skin, your skin actually converts these to retinoic acid, aka tretinoin. So you end up getting tretinoin on your skin, but at a way more tolerable dose. If you are suffering from a retinoid dermatitis from your tretinoin consider stepping down to one of these options."

"Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. It's amazing for fine lines and wrinkles because it boosts collagen production in your skin. As collagen depletes over time, it continuously boosts it so your fine lines and wrinkles smooth out. It's amazing for hyperpigmentation. If you have age spots that have increased because of age, medication, or life in general has taken a toll on your face and you have pigmentation and spots, it's amazing for that. It gently exfoliates your face. It's one cream which is like a one-stop solution that has so many benefits. Retinol should be a part of your skincare routine."

"Retinol usage can be tricky, especially if you have dry sensitive skin or you're a beginner in your skincare and haven't understood the skin requirements completely. When you're starting out or have dry sensitive skin, we always suggest that you use the sandwich method: apply a layer of moisturizer, wait for about 15 to 20 minutes, then use a thin layer of retinol, and after two to three minutes apply a layer of moisturizer. If you have oily skin you can just go ahead and apply retinol as the first layer and seal it with a moisturizer. I suggest you not use certain ingredients when using retinol such as benzoyl peroxide, vitamin C, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid, because this can cause irritation to the skin and make your redness, burning, itching, stinging worse."

"One ingredient that I wish I would have known, that would have saved me a hell of a lot of money, is retinol. It really is like one of the most transformative ingredients you can use, and one of the only ingredients that's proven to reverse the signs. When I first started trying retinol I actually hated it. My skin was shedding like a snake, my skin looked dry and crusty, and it also brought out big and painful spots that were underneath the skin that would have come out eventually, but that's completely normal. It's called purging. Had so many of you guys come to me being like my skin doesn't like retinol, when I started using it I was breaking out, my skin was freaking out. That is normal for like the first few weeks to maybe the first month of using retinol. Your skin is purging, it's basically getting used to the intensity of the ingredient, but you just gotta hold on, you gotta wait it out because it gets so much better."