Is 40 Too Late To Start Retinol? There’s No Time Like The Present, Skin Experts Say

When the kids are asking for Drunk Elephant and starting multi-step skincare routines before 18, it can feel like you’re behind the curve in preventing signs of aging. Most of us know that retinol is sort of the be-all and end-all of anti-aging skincare, having been proven to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, fade scarring and dark spots, and clear blemishes. But if you’re looking in the mirror at wrinkles that already seem to have set in, you may wonder... Is 40 too late to start retinol? Scary Mommy asked two skin experts who adamantly agreed: Any time is the right time to start.

Retinol works by boosting the skin’s production of collagen, says Dr. Tracy Evans, board-certified dermatologist and founder and medical director of Pacific Skin, which is especially important if you are trying to combat signs of aging.

“There's never too late a time to start it. In fact, if you haven't started it, start it now. It is always going to be very helpful to improve your skin condition; it's never too late to boost some collagen. So I would say if you haven't used it at 40, start now.”

“I don't think it's ever too late to start a retinol,” agrees Melissa Fox, licensed esthetician and founder of Flawless by Melissa Fox. “Your collagen starts to slow down after 30 or 40 years old; you can always speed it up, and retinol is just such a great tool for that.”

If you’re new to retinol, it can be intimidating to start now. What should women in their 40s know before they add it to their routine? You’ll want to take stock of all the products you currently use and make sure you’re not using too many active ingredients on your skin at once, Evans suggests.

“The most important difference between younger skin, say 20s skin and 40s skin, is the amount of oil that's produced. Because of that, their skin may be drier, and drier skin is in general more sensitive skin,” says Evans. “So it's very important to minimize other drying agents. People will be using vitamin C and a retinoid, and they're using salicylic acid or alpha-hydroxy acid, and then they're coming in to our clinic and they're super dried out or irritated or sensitized.”

Here are Evans’ and Fox’s expert tips for slowly building up your skin’s tolerance to retinol:

• When you first start retinol, use it once a week, and always apply it at night. Sunlight destroys the molecules doing the heavy lifting in retinol, Evans says, so don’t put it on in the daytime and expect to see results. Starting out slow and gradually increasing how many nights a week you use it also gives your skin time to adjust, reducing irritation and dryness for you.
• Wait 15 minutes after cleansing the face before applying retinol, Fox says. The retinol penetrates deeper on damp skin, but that can make it too harsh for beginners.
• Use a pea-sized amount and dot it around the face before rubbing it in. This helps distribute the product evenly and reduce irritation, says Fox.
• Apply a hydrating serum, then your retinol, and finally a moisturizer, both experts say. That thin hydrating layer helps counter retinol-induced dryness without blocking it out, while the finishing moisturizer layer helps add in lots of extra hydration.

Both experts also said the best thing you can do for your skin is to wear sunscreen daily — in the winter, indoors, on cloudy days, always. Not only does this help prevent skin cancer and reduce signs of aging, but your skin is more sensitive to the sun while using retinol. It will need that protection in order for you to see results.

The one place Fox and Evans disagree is about what type of retinol you should reach for (and there are so many on the market now).

“I do think people tolerate over-the-counter much better than prescription,” says Fox. “It's really important to know your skin and not just dive right into the most aggressive retinol you can find just because you think you're going to get a better result. You need to start slow and condition the skin.”

On the other hand, consumers can be confident in the product they’re getting when using prescription tretinoin, Evans says. “You have no idea what the retinol is they're using. It could be a tiny concentration or not even work. Tretinoin is a true FDA-approved molecule. It's shown to boost collagen, it's shown to improve acne, and it is a great retinoid. You want to start at the very lowest dose, which is the 0.25%, and that should be used only once a week.”

So while both Fox and Evans say in a perfect world everyone would wear sunscreen from birth and start retinol in their 20s, it’s never too late to do both.