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Signs Your Skin Might be Ready for Higher Retinol Concentration

02 Jun 2025

Reviewed by Adele Vetrano,
National Education Manager SkinCeuticals

Article Overview

Retinol, a skincare staple renowned for its rejuvenating properties, has a number of skin benefits. As a strong ingredient, it’s important to be careful about how you introduce it, what concentration to use, and when to increase concentration. Improper usage and prematurely increasing strength can lead to irritation, but delaying the increase can hinder the ingredient's full potential. This article serves as a guide to understanding the subtle cues your skin provides, enabling you to safely and effectively increase your retinol concentration to maximise results while mitigating potential adverse reactions.

What percentage of retinol is good for skin?

You only need a very small concentration of retinol to achieve noticeable results. When starting out, you’ll want to choose a product with a much lower concentration, gradually increasing as your skin builds tolerance.

What retinol strength should I start with?

It’s always best to start with the lowest possible retinol strength and increase as the skin tolerates the ingredient. Read our full guide on how to use retinol for the full list of considerations depending on how long you’ve been using retinol.

How to know when to increase retinol strength

Increasing the strength of your retinol product should be a gradual process to minimise potential irritation. Here's a few signs that could indicate it’s time to upgrade to a higher strength retinol:

Consistent use with no irritation: You’ve been using your current retinol strength consistently for several weeks (at least 4-6 weeks, sometimes longer) without experiencing persistent dryness, redness or irritation.
Tolerance has built up: The goal is to allow your skin to build up a tolerance to the current retinol strength. This means your skin's natural protective moisture barrier has strengthened and can handle the increased cell turnover caused by the retinol. Your skin should look and feel balanced, and sensitivity should be reduced.
Diminishing results: If you've been using your current retinol strength for a while and are no longer seeing the desired results (improvement in fine lines, wrinkles, breakouts or skin tone), it’s a good sign that you should increase the strength.

Is a higher percentage retinol better?

Not necessarily. The higher the concentration, the stronger it is, but higher strength isn’t suitable for everyone. Sensitive skin types are more likely to experience skin irritation with retinol, and may benefit from sticking with a lower concentration (0.1-0.3%). You should only increase the strength of retinol if your skin has already acclimatised to a lower concentration.

What does retinol burn look like?

Retinol burn isn't a true burn in the same way as a thermal or chemical burn, but rather a skin irritation reaction. It's often referred to as "retinisation" and represents your skin adjusting to the potent effects of retinol. While everyone's skin reacts differently, here's what you might experience:

Redness: This is often the first and most common sign. The affected area may appear flushed or pink, similar to a mild sunburn.
Dryness: Retinol can increase skin cell turnover, which can lead to dryness and peeling. This can range from mild to quite noticeable, depending on the concentration of retinol used and individual skin sensitivity.
Itching sensations: The dryness and irritation can cause itching sensations. It’s important to avoid scratching, as this can worsen the irritation.
Mild to moderate burning sensation: Some individuals experience a mild to moderate burning or stinging sensation, particularly upon application or shortly thereafter. This is where the term "retinol burn" originates, although it's not an actual burn.
Peeling skin: As the skin adjusts to the retinol, you may notice visible peeling, especially in areas where the product was applied. This is a normal part of the retinisation process and usually subsides as your skin gets accustomed to the retinol.
Increased sensitivity: Your skin may become more sensitive to the sun and other skincare products, so using a broad-spectrum, high SPF sunscreen daily is especially important during retinisation.

How to increase retinol strength

When you decide to increase the strength of retinol, do it gradually. Don't jump from a low concentration to a high concentration immediately. Consider moving up one level in concentration (e.g., from 0.3% to 0.5%, then later to 1%, and so on). Every time you increase the strength of your retinol product, start again with a gradual introduction, using 1-2 times a week and increasing to daily use as the skin builds up tolerance. For SkinCeuticals retinol users, here’s the process we recommend.

Start with Retinol 0.3 Night Cream, using a couple of times a week. Closely monitor the skin for any signs of irritation. If you experience significant dryness, reduce the frequency of your application.
Gradually increase the frequency (increase from once a week to 2-3 times a week, to every other week) until you’ve reached nightly use. This may can take 4-6 weeks, sometimes more.
After another 4-6 weeks of no irritation, consider increasing to Retinol 0.5% Night Cream.
Repeat the process, using the new concentration 1-2 times weekly until you’ve reached nightly use.
If skin builds tolerance after another 4-6 weeks of using Retinol 0.5% every night, consider increasing to Retinol 1.0 Night Cream.
Repeat the process again.

With every increase, closely monitor your skin for significant irritation, and reduce strength or frequency if irritation persistence. You may also choose to follow guidance from a dermatologist for more tailored recommendations.