Editor's Pick: SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 Review

Our friends over at SkinCeuticals kindly sent over a complimentary sample of the latest addition to their retinol family—SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3—for Skincare.com editors to review. Read on to find out the benefits of SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3, how to use it, and more!

WHAT IS SKINCEUTICALS RETINOL 0.3?

Dermatologists have made no secret about how much they recommend that their patients use retinol. It’s a word dropped into many skin care conversations to the delight of many who have experienced the ingredient’s benefits for their skin. For those of you who many not be as familiar, retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and has been shown to tackle multiple skin concerns ranging from signs of aging to skin texture and tone. 

SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 joins other retinol products in the SkinCeuticals portfolio including Retinol 0.5 and Retinol 1.0. It’s a refining night cream with 0.3% pure retinol.

WHAT CAN SKINCEUTICALS RETINOL 0.3 DO?

The SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 boasts pure retinol to revitalize the skin and help reduce the look of skin of skin aging, including wrinkles and fine lines, due to environmental aggressors or chronological aging. It’s an ideal pick for skin with photodamage, imperfections, and congested pores.

The benefit of topical retinols doesn’t stop at just signs of aging. Numerous clinical studies have shown that retinol boasts a revitalizing effect on skin, accelerating cell turnover to help smooth the skin’s appearance, and improve laxity and tone.

To get even more out of retinol, some skin care professionals recommend pairing it with other ingredients such as vitamin C and hyaluronic acid. Check out how to pair retinol with vitamin C and hyaluronic acid here!

SKINCEUTICALS RETINOL 0.3 REVIEW

To be honest, using retinol on my skin—without ever having tried it—was a bit nerve-wracking. It’s not just that it seems like it’s almost too good to be true, but I’m not someone who typically diverts from my typical skin care routine and products. Given retinol’s track record of success, in addition to its powerful might, I wasn’t quite sure how my skin would react to trying it for the first time. Luckily, my fears were for naught.

If you’re like me—a rookie retinol user—the golden rule is to build up your skin’s tolerance to the ingredient. That means using a lower concentration to start and slowly working your way up over time. This is why the SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 is such a great preliminary step. It has the lowest concentration of retinol out of the three products in the brand’s retinol product portfolio. As you get more and more acclimated to retinol, you can eventually work your way up to using SkinCeuticals Retinol 1.0.

I used Retinol 0.3 during my nightly skin routine. You should only use the cream at night since retinol can make your skin light-sensitive.  It’s critical to take sun protection measures such as applying broad-spectrum sunscreen during daytime hours when using any retinol product. After applying the cream evenly across my face, I monitored my face for any signs of irritation. Luckily there were no visible signs of irritation so I went on to bed to let the cream take its course. I’m looking forward to utilizing Retinol 0.3 for a few more weeks to see if my skin’s appearance improves, and hopefully will move on to a higher concentration with no issues.

Now what are you waiting for? Come join the conversation and see just what it is about retinol that has everyone talking! 

HOW TO USE SKINCEUTICALS RETINOL 0.3

You can use the SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3 once a day in the evening. If this is your first time using a retinol product, start by using the cream twice a week and then gradually increase your frequency to every other night and finally once every night.

Apply four to five drops to dry, thoroughly-cleansed skin. Wait at least 30 minutes before moving on to the next step of your routine.

Editor’s note: Apply broad-spectrum sunscreen while using retinol products during daytime hours and seek additional sun protection measures. If your skin care routine already includes retinol products, stop use before starting Retinol 0.3. 

SkinCeuticals Retinol Retinol 0.3, $62 MSRP