Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Derm Retinol Guide for Beginners

24 Mar 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:52

Dermatologist Shereene Idriss walks through how to start retinol as a beginner. Begin with 0.3% retinol one or two nights weekly, then gradually increase to three or four nights per week. Once your skin adjusts, swap one night for a higher concentration like 0.5% or 1% while keeping the rest at lower strength.

Chapters

Just starting with a retinol for fine lines and wrinkles? Start with the lowest strength over-the-counter retinol at 0.3%, 1 to 2 times a week. Step 2: Build frequency first. It's about consistency over intensity. The goal is to get to using your retinol 3 to 4 nights a week, aka more nights a week than not. Step 3: Increase the strength. Once your skin is comfortable with using a retinol regularly, you can swap up one of those nights for a higher concentration retinol, say a 0.5% or even a 1%, whereas the other nights you stick to the 0.3% until you know you can tolerate it. At the end of the day, when it comes to retinoids in general, it's about getting that consistency regardless of the strength regularly into your schedule so that your skin is constantly getting the benefits.