Your Nightly Powerhouse

If sunscreen is your best daytime tool, retinoids are your best nighttime one.

Begin with a low-strength retinol (0.25 to 0.5 percent), just two or three nights a week. For the first few weeks your skin may flake, redden, or sting a little. This break-in phase is called retinization, and it often fades as your skin adapts. Go slowly: reduce frequency, buffer with moisturizer, and pause if irritation is painful, worsening, or persistent.