How to Use Retinol: 9 Questions a Korean Dermatologist Answers

I'm Dr. Hongseok Kim, a board-certified dermatologist with 21 years of practice and the medical director of VOS Dermatology Clinic in Gangnam, Seoul, right in front of Dosan Park. At VOS I see every patient myself, from the first consultation to the last treatment.

Retinoids are one of the most-asked topics on my channel. Most people already know retinol helps with fine lines and pores; what they ask is how to use retinol day to day without their skin turning red and sore. So I collected nine questions from viewers' comments and answered them one by one. This page is based on my YouTube video from August 2025; it summarizes what I explained there for readers abroad, without product brand names. The video above can be watched with translated captions.

How to use retinol around the eyes and eyelids

Short answer: it is possible, but eyelid skin adapts slowly, so use a tiny amount and stop at the first sign of irritation.

Eyelid skin is relatively thin, so adapting to a retinoid can take much longer than on the rest of the face (in the video at 00:21). Use a very small amount, slowly; if a problem appears, stop, and repeat the process. Once adapted, it is not a problem. Getting there is the hard part. When I use retinal on my own face, the eye area always turns red, itchy and stings. If it happens to me, I assume it is often worse for others, so do not be greedy at the start.

Retinol at night: sunscreen and beauty devices

Short answer: use retinoids in the evening, avoid light-based home devices until you have adapted, and do not plan your retinol around daytime sunscreen.

Retinol and retinal can make skin more sensitive to light, which is why the usual advice is to apply them in the evening (in the video at 01:27). Some retinoids are said to be fine in the daytime, but it is hard for most people to tell types apart, so my rule is simple: avoid daytime use and apply at night.

Many people also own LED masks or ultrasound devices meant to push products deeper. If you are using a retinoid, I would leave LED masks aside. Home light is not strong, but it can still add a light reaction, and that increases irritation. Once your skin has fully adapted, a device that helps penetration is not a problem; before that, I do not recommend it, and especially not devices that emit light.

A common question is whether retinol goes before or after sunscreen (in the video at 02:57). My view is that the plan itself is the problem. Some retinol products say "use sunscreen if applying in the daytime", but certain chemical sunscreen filters can themselves cause light-related reactions, and retinoids can too. Using both in daylight may make skin more sensitive, with more downside than benefit. I do not recommend daytime retinol. If you truly have to, a mineral sunscreen makes more sense.

Where retinol goes in your routine: last step or before moisturiser?

Short answer: there is no fixed order; adapt first with small amounts, and if you are dry after adapting, retinol goes on before moisturiser.

There is no single right answer here (in the video at 04:09). People use retinoids to prevent fine lines and ageing, improve pores or control acne. Active products like these are normally applied early so they can work. Retinoids, though, irritate and need an adaptation period, so they are more often recommended as the last step.

At first, retinoids can cause retinoid dermatitis: an irritant contact reaction with stinging, redness, itching and sensitivity. Some people suggest moisturiser to buffer it, but the more important step is to use a small amount, adapt, and then increase. Adding more products because retinol dries you out is not the ideal approach. If you have fully adapted and still feel dry, apply retinol first and moisturiser after. Honestly, the order will not change the result enough for you to notice, so I choose the order that causes the least irritation.

Moving up to retinoic acid, and taking breaks

Short answer: step up only when your current retinoid causes no problems; with long-term prescription tretinoin, short breaks are reasonable.

Retinol is converted in the skin to retinaldehyde and then to retinoic acid, the form that actually does the work (in the video at 06:03). Retinoic acid itself would be the most direct, but it is strong and irritating, which is why we use retinol. If retinol is fine, you can try retinal; if that is fine, you can consider retinoic acid. Many people, however, cannot even adapt to retinol. Ignoring irritation to chase faster results makes no sense. Move to the next step only once you are comfortable.

One viewer uses tretinoin cream, likes the results and asked whether it can be used all year (in the video at 07:17). Personally, I think small breaks are better. Retinoids keep cell turnover running fast, and keeping it fast without pause can be a lot to ask of your skin. I do not mean stopping for one or two months. Something like spacing applications out, or three weeks on and one week off, gives the skin a gap while the benefit largely remains.

Storing retinol, and using it with exfoliants or vitamin C

Short answer: finish an opened retinol within about three months; and if your skin is already calm on other actives, introduce retinol from the beginning.

Whether you refrigerate after opening or not, the key point I make is to use it up within about three months (in the video at 08:07). Retinol is sensitive to light and air, and many products are not in airtight containers; creams in jars are exposed every time you open them. Oxidation and loss of potency begin with that exposure. I have seen a paper reporting that potency had dropped considerably after about six months. Refrigeration slows these reactions, and it has long been advised for retinoids and hydroquinone, but finishing the product quickly matters more.

Retinol is an unstable ingredient. Labels state that retinol or retinaldehyde is included, but the amount is usually checked at the start, not three or six months later, so nobody really knows how much remains active over time. Airtight packaging helps, but it raises cost, so many brands do not use it. Keep that in mind when choosing and storing a product.

What about combining retinol with exfoliants or vitamin C (in the video at 10:00)? The answer is one rule. If you have used an exfoliant or vitamin C for a long time with no problems, that is your normal skin. Start retinol from zero on top of it and adapt again, slowly.

Bakuchiol, and the two products I would keep

Short answer: bakuchiol is a gentler, weaker alternative for people who cannot tolerate retinoids; if I had to keep only two products, they would be a retinoid and sunscreen.

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived ingredient with a mechanism similar to retinol, and it gets attention for that reason (in the video at 10:48). Its strength is clearly different, though. If retinoids are high-intensity training, bakuchiol feels more like stretching or yoga. Do not expect the same effect. Still, for someone whose skin is too reactive for retinoids, using it consistently as a gentler option can help.

Too much is as bad as too little. Retinol, retinaldehyde and retinoic acid do irritate, and overdoing them can leave skin worse than before. Adapt, then move forward step by step. Once you have adapted, I do not think there is a comparable ingredient (in the video at 12:53). If I could only recommend two things, it would be a retinoid and sunscreen, used consistently and without irritation.

That is how to use retinol in practice: small amounts, at night, with patience. If you are considering clinic options for lines and pores, my notes on Korean wrinkle treatment and Korean pore treatment explain what clinics add on top of home care, and you can see the treatments we offer or read creator experiences at VOS.

Results vary from person to person, and what suits your skin is decided at a consultation.

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Results, swelling and recovery vary from person to person. This page is general information from VOS Dermatology Clinic based on Dr. Kim's video and does not replace an in-person consultation.