are a skin care hero for many reasons ― they target fine lines, pigmentation, collagen production and acne. But you’ll often hear that retinoids shouldn’t be used before you plan to spend time in the sun in order to protect your skin from a higher risk of sunburn and irritation that comes with retinoid use.
In fact, Haddad explained that research shows there’s no photo-toxicity with retinoids, “meaning they won’t react with sunlight to cause a burn on the skin. The reason SPF is recommended is because the younger, plump skin cells that have been revealed during the cellular turnover are vulnerable and prone to sun damage, so they need to be protected from the UV.
“Depending on how resilient your skin is to retinoids and how much sun exposure you’re getting, you may want to change the cycle in a few more ‘rest and recovery’ days in between your retinoid nights,” Sarbaziha said. Instead of applying your retinoid every other night, for example, you could stretch it out to every three nights.