Retinol

[talkhealth]

Retinol – I know that this is the one thing that people say makes a big difference to your skin, but I don’t understand all the different types – what would you suggest?

[Dr Sarita Singh]

There are many over the counter retinoid ("retinol") creams. I would recommend a gentle low strength one to begin with (0.3%), as your skin has to develop tolerance to the dryness that most retinoids cause. Start by using twice weekly at bedtime, then gradually increase to every bedtime. In time, the strength can gradually be increased to a 1% or higher concentration preparation. La Roche Posay and Boots have some good lower strength preparations that are cost-effective.