Retinoids are the most-proven ingredient in the cabinet, and also the most rushed. Everyone wants the strength their friend uses, on the schedule the internet dares them to try.
The slow protocol
Start low, twice a week, over moisturiser. Hold there for a month before you even think about more. Flaking is not proof of progress; it’s proof of impatience.
The clients who win with retinoids are the ones still using them, comfortably, three years on. Slow is not the cautious option. Slow is the effective one.