Use retinal in the evening, a little at a time, on dry skin: 3–4 times a week at first; after 1–2 months, once your skin has adjusted, you can use it every day. This isn’t an instruction leaflet: it’s a method, and every rule is there for the same reason: to let retinal work without burning your skin. Here are the first four weeks, night by night, with what you’ll see and what it’s normal to feel.
Before you start: the rules that don’t change
- Evening only. Your skin renews itself at night, and the formula stays intact in the dark.
- On clean, dry skin. Take off your make-up, wash with a gentle cleanser, pat dry and wait a couple of minutes.
- A little goes a long way. Two or three rice-grain-sized dots per area, on your face and neck. Using more won’t make it work harder: it just makes your skin react more.
- Avoid the eye area, eyelids and the corners of your nose and lips.
- Follow with moisturiser. If your skin is sensitive, apply it beforehand too.
- In the morning, use sunscreen. Always. Without it, retinal works against your skin.
- Don’t use it on the same evening as exfoliating acids, pure vitamin C or other retinoids.
Week 1: start slowly
Three evenings, not in a row. For example, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The nights off aren’t wasted: they’re when your skin gets used to it. What you’ll feel: a slight tingling that fades within a few minutes. What you’ll see: skin that feels softer to the touch within the first few days.
Week 2: your skin adjusts
Three or four evenings. This is the week your skin may feel a little tight, or flake slightly on your chin and around your nose. That’s normal: your skin is shedding old cells faster. Don’t stop: stick to the same frequency and moisturise more. What you’ll see: texture starts to look finer and your skin reflects more light.
Week 3: keep the same frequency, even if everything is going well
Even if you don’t feel any tingling the next morning, see no redness and your skin doesn’t feel tight, stick to 3–4 times a week: your skin needs 1–2 months to truly adjust. If the tingling comes back, use less product and apply moisturiser beforehand too. Rushing won’t get you results sooner: it only gets you irritation sooner.
Week 4: still 3–4 times a week
Even if the previous weeks went smoothly, stick to 3–4 times a week. What you’ll see: pores look smaller, especially on your cheeks, fine lines and wrinkles are visibly reduced, and skin tone is more even. Foundation goes on smoothly and doesn’t settle into lines. This is a good time to take a photo: firmness, the slowest result, is easiest to see when you compare photos at two or three months.
After 1–2 months: every day
Once your skin has adjusted (in other words, when you no longer feel tingling, see redness or feel tight the next morning), you can use it every day, always in the evening. If the tingling comes back, stay at 3–4 times a week for a little longer.
If you skip an evening or a week
Nothing happens: just pick up where you left off. After a longer break of a week or two, start again with 3–4 evenings a week. If you’re on a sunny holiday, you can pause it if you prefer and start again when you get home.
How long one tube lasts
A 15 ml tube of Retinal Booster lasts about a month if you use it every day; at first, at 3–4 times a week, it lasts longer. Firmness results show between 8 and 12 weeks, so a full course takes two or three tubes. You’ll find answers to the most common questions, from pregnancy to make-up, in the full protocol. If retinol has irritated your skin in the past, read why it happens and what to do too.
Frequently asked questions
Should I use retinal in the morning or evening?
Evening only.
How many times a week?
3–4 times a week at first; after 1–2 months, once your skin has adjusted, you can use it every day.
Can I wear make-up the next morning?
Yes. Moisturiser, sunscreen, then make-up as usual.
Can I use it on my neck?
Yes, and we recommend it: the neck shows the signs of ageing before the face. The same timings apply (3–4 times a week at first, every day after 1–2 months), but go more carefully: use a small amount and apply moisturiser beforehand too, because the skin there is more sensitive.
Do I also need a moisturiser?
Yes, your usual moisturiser, after the retinal. You don’t need any other actives on the same evening.