Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Overdid Tretinoin or Retinol? How to Heal Your Skin Barrier

14 Sept 2026 · 2 min

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1:35

In this solo tutorial, Shereene Idriss warns against using tretinoin or other retinoids for consecutive days, explaining that overuse can cause severe barrier damage and peeling. She advises stopping the retinoid immediately to allow the skin’s 28‑day renewal cycle to recover. To repair the barrier, she introduces her "face basting" method: applying zinc‑oxide diaper rash cream, which she argues offers soothing, protective, and anti‑inflammatory benefits. She then recommends simplifying the skincare routine to a gentle cleanser, a basic hydrating moisturizer, and sunscreen only when UV index is above 3, while avoiding scrubbing or picking. Once the skin feels smooth and calm, she suggests re‑introducing the retinoid slowly—starting with once or twice a week at night and gradually increasing frequency—emphasizing consistency over intensity.

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Do not do tretinoin 7 days in a row because look at this, my face is peeling off. And this is why I tell you not to go wrong and strong with your retinoids. So here are 3 ways we can fix this. First things first, you drop it like it's hot and you step away from your retinoid. I don't care how much you love it, it does not love you back right now, and you need to give it time for your full skin barrier to heal. And normally the skin cycle is 28 days. Number 2, we're going to repair our skin barrier, and I'm going to Throw myself a flower. If I had one, I threw it on me because this is where face basting comes in. Invented by yours truly. I took a diaper rash cream and put it on my inflamed skin barrier because I thought to myself, if zinc oxide in a diaper rash cream is helping to heal my baby's tush, it should help to heal an inflamed skin barrier. Because zinc oxide is not only soothing, it has protective and anti-inflammatory properties. And last, we are paring back our routine and taking it back to the basics with a very gentle cleanser, a very basic hydrating moisturizer, and if we need to, a sunscreen. And don't be so shocked because you don't need a sunscreen if the UV index is less than 3. And definitely— Stop scrubbing or picking. And only when your skin finally feels smooth and not awake and not angry, that is when you can slowly reintroduce a retinoid, where you want to use it maybe once or twice a week at night and then slowly build up to more nights a week than not. But that doesn't mean you have to use it every night of the week, because at the end of the day, it's about consistency over intensity.