I'm sharing the story of how I started using retinol to prevent wrinkles, only to end up with a dead skin cell party ㅠㅠ I've been applying only moisturizer for several days now.

Hello everyone... My skin is so sore right now that I can't even smile ㅠㅠ The thing is, as I get older, I've been getting a little self-conscious about wrinkles around my eyes and nasolabial folds, so I boldly decided to try the trendy retinol skincare routine, only to suffer a complete disaster lol. I tried to do some anti-aging care at home, but ended up completely destroying my skin barrier. I am embarrassed to share the painful lesson I learned and the routine I am currently using to fix it.

I saw so many rave reviews on YouTube about how great retinol is for wrinkle reduction and pores, so I bought a low-concentration product for beginners. The instructions clearly stated to squeeze out just a pea-sized amount, mix it with moisturizer, and use it every other day to let my skin adapt... but I totally overestimated how resilient my skin is. I got too greedy and applied a thin layer all over my face right away on the first day without mixing it with moisturizer. It felt fine while I was applying it, so I used it for two consecutive days. However, when I woke up on the morning of the third day, my face was as red as a sweet potato, and it stung like crazy just from the touch of water while washing it!! When I looked in the mirror, the areas around my mouth and nose were a total mess; white dead skin cells were peeling off like scales.

I was so shocked to realize that this was the retinol side effect (healing crisis) I had only heard about that I sealed the retinol away in a corner of a drawer right away that day. I decided I needed to somehow repair my damaged skin barrier first, so for the past week, I have been surviving on a super simple 'cosmetic diet' soothing routine. In the morning, I only wash my face with water, skip toner and ampoules entirely, and just slather on a single thick regenerating cream packed with ceramide all over my face like an ointment. I also try to avoid makeup as much as possible, so I go to work after applying only sunscreen.

Luckily, I just diligently applied cream and avoided irritation, and the peeling stopped, and the redness has subsided by about 70%. If I had foolishly scrubbed off the flakes, I might have seriously needed to go to a dermatologist for emergency treatment. I'm so envious of those who say retinol works well for them, but I think those with thin and sensitive skin like me really need to approach it with caution. I'm thinking of trying it again cautiously later by mixing a tiny amount (like the head of a cotton swab) into my moisturizer once my skin barrier is fully strong, but I'm scared, so I'm going to give up on anti-aging for the time being. If anyone has experienced retinol side effects, please share how you overcame them and give me lots of advice on other skincare products that are good for wrinkle management without irritation!