Retinol.

"If you're interested in anti-aging I would recommend using a retinol. You may lose some of your freckles but I still think the benefits of retinol outweigh having some freckles. If you're new to retinoids I definitely tell people to start low and slow. Start with a lower strength and just use a little bit very slowly. I tell people like a chocolate chip or a green pea size for the whole face. You can dab it in five places and then rub it in. So let's say you use it two nights a week for two weeks without any issues, then try to go every other night, and if after a month you are good you could potentially go every night. If you're still having issues after two weeks of two nights a week, what you can do is a retinoid sandwich where you put a layer of moisturizer on first, then the retinol, and then you can do another moisturizer on top of that. There was a study done to show that doing a moisturizer before retinol did not have different effectiveness."

"Retinol, whether using retinol or tretinoin which is retinoic acid, they're all the same thing. Adapalene is another one that's in this category. All of these ingredients are in the retinol category because they all work very similarly to help exfoliate that top layer of the skin and then after consistent continued use of at least 8 weeks they'll help stimulate collagen production in that second layer of the skin and that's when you really see decreased wrinkling and increased glowing in the skin. Retinols with the exception of adapalene should be applied in the evening, this is extremely important. If you take your over-the-counter retinol and you apply that in the morning it is deactivated by the sunlight so it's just not working. Retinol can be applied on either clean dry skin or on top of your niacinamide or on top of a plain moisturizer. If you're somebody who is new to retinols I always recommend applying moisturizer first then your retinol then you can moisturize again, this is called a retinol sandwich."

"Retinol has study upon study to show how beneficial it can be not only in terms of increasing cell turnover but also organizing the collagen that we have in our skin a little bit more efficiently to get maximum anti-aging, and can also over time help fade hyperpigmentation and increase collagen production. Retinol will deliver relatively speedy results when it comes to anti-aging. Because of its high potency, initially when you start it you can get the redness, the peeling and the irritation, which will vary person to person. At 6 months in I definitely noticed a diminishing of fine lines and wrinkles. My skin overall is much smoother than it was before."

"Retinol may be the preferred choice though it causes even less irritation than retinaldehyde, insignificantly different than placebo. A randomized double blind placebo control trial found that 52 weeks of use improved crow's feet fine lines by 44% and model pigmentation by 84%. When it comes to retinol or the stuff that you're going to get over the counter, these are cosmetics, and when it comes to their efficacy it all boils down to how good the formula is. You can have a retinol cream but maybe it's not very well formulated and it degrades, so it's useless, whereas you can have a really good well formulated retinol that probably performs better in that case."

"Tretinoin is wonderful for so many skin concerns so if you are acne prone you have texture you have dark spots and post acne marks you have fine lines and wrinkles this ingredient can really dramatically improve your skin. Consistency is key you need to have patience tretinoin is a journey retinol is a journey as well you want to be patient and consistent because this product doesn't work overnight and the longer you use it the more improvements you see with your skin. Prior to using tretinoin I had a lot of dark spots post acne marks I had texture as well and I was acne prone and since being on tretinoin now for almost four years my skin has dramatically improved the texture and tone is a lot nicer and I don't break out as much. It really is a wonderful ingredient to go on if your skin can tolerate it. This is a very drying and you don't want to apply tretinoin to wet or damp skin and this is really important to know when you're first starting off with tretinoin."