Sandwich your retinoids

 

Vitamin A is the enduring anti-aging ingredient everyone’s fascinated by, but if you worry about the initial irritation it can sometimes cause, dermatologist Dr Elyse Love suggests applying a thin layer of gentle moisturiser first, a thin layer of your retinol/retinoid a few minutes later, then a final thin layer of the same moisturiser. “It’s like building a sandwich,” Love explains. “The moisturiser creates a buffer that will dilute the retinol in those first few weeks.” Medik8 Crystal Retinal comes in four strengths to suit your skin’s tolerance.