Skincare FAQ / Retinol, One Product Suggestion, Reusable Rounds

In the second installment of skincare FAQs, I’m tackling product-based questions I received from a few friends. As always, I don’t claim to be an esthetician or dermatologist. My suggestions for my friends have been based on personal research and my own experience.

Enjoy!

What’s your stance on retinol? I have a product by The Ordinary and want to make sure I’m using it correctly.
Retinol is a type of retinoid (also known as vitamin A derivatives) that assist in cell turnover to help a variety of skin “imperfections” (wrinkles, uneven texture, hyper-pigmentation). Most of the time, retinol is referenced as a product to reverse the effects of aging. However, retinoids originally were used to treat acne before patients started to see overall skin improvement. Retinol can be purchased in products over the counter, while retinoids are prescription strength (found in tretinoin and Epiduo).
Retinol is a great ingredient for those looking for a more all-encompassing solution for skincare. These days, retinol is found in a ton of easily accessible products (my friend was referencing this one by The Ordinary, and I’ve used Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Oil myself). However, expect to dedicate a minimum of 12 weeks until you start seeing results and be gentle to start. Retinols can cause redness and peeling upon first use— you can compromise the skin’s barrier with these products. While using retinol, you should also be careful about combining them with exfoliants or other acids in the same routine. As retinol causes skin shedding, it’s a good idea to use a retinol every other night with an exfoliator on the other nights. Also, only use retinols or retinoids at night, as they increase sun sensitivity greatly. Use SPF during the day, please please please!
If you had to recommend one product for sensitive, acne-prone skin, what would it be?
This one was really hard for me, as skincare is not a one-product-fixes-all exercise. Skincare is holistic and works as a system. I would assume a lot of go-to answers would be SPF, a crucial skincare ingredient of course. However, if you’re looking to soothe your skin while also harnessing in breakouts, I’d have to go with a gentle cleanser with a treatment aspect to it (and would beg for a bonus product— of which I’d choose a moisturizer). I’d suggest something like this from La Roche Posay which has salicylic acid to calm breakouts, or the Fresh soy cleanser that my sister swears by. For moisturizer, something non-comedogenic (pore clogging) like La Roche Posay’s effaclar mat.
What reusable cotton pads do you use?
Until recently, I refused to buy anything from Amazon (I don’t trust the vendors and I personally would never purchase a product for my body on Amazon in the event it could be fake). I decided to order reusable cotton pads on Amazon so I could stop using disposable cotton ones. However, I realized once they arrived that my cotton pads were made in China (never listed in product description) and didn’t have any organic certification. I’m not kidding, every website that suggests reusable pads suggests these SAME ONES that have zero certification. So, long story short, I tried and failed to buy reusable cotton pads that I’m comfortable with.
It’s pretty easy to find these types of reusable pads at local boutiques and Etsy, typically hand-sewn. If I were to do it again (and I will), I’ll be picking some up from a local boutique I trust or these the next time I’m in New York.