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Retinol and the sun: how to use both safely
Retinoids can make skin more sensitive to the sun. Here is how to use them without paying for it.
Retinol and other retinoids are among the most popular skin-care ingredients, and they come with one rule that matters a lot in sunny places: according to the American Academy of Dermatology, retinoids can make your skin more sensitive to the sun.
How to use both
- Apply retinoids at night. Dermatologists quoted by the AAD advise using them only in the evening, after your time in the sun is over.
- Protect every day. Shade, sun-protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen on skin that clothing does not cover.
- Broad-spectrum SPF 30+, reapplied every two hours outdoors (see how often to reapply).
- Sensitive skin: the AAD suggests a physical (mineral) sunscreen with zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.
- Watch the UV index on days you plan to be outside (see UV index explained).
Check your labels
Retinoids show up in many products under different names: retinol, retinal (retinaldehyde), retinyl palmitate, adapalene and others. If you use several products, it is easy to have more than one without realizing it. Read the ingredient list of each product on your shelf, or let an app flag them for you.
Start slow
Retinoids can cause dryness, redness and peeling at first. Many people start a few nights a week and build up. Prescription retinoids should be used exactly as your dermatologist directs.
General sun-care information, not medical advice. If you have a skin condition, a reaction to a product or a changing mole, talk to a dermatologist.
Let your phone remember for youPars Skin shows today’s UV for your city, logs your sunscreen and reminds you to reapply, staying quiet when UV is low. It also flags sun-sensitizing ingredients like retinol in your products. Private on your iPhone; not medical advice.
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