The 1 Thing You Need To Do Differently If You Use Retinol In The Summer

Retinoids are a skin care hero for many reasons ― they target fine lines, pigmentation, collagen production and acne. But you’ll often hear that retinoids shouldn’t be used before you plan to spend time in the sun in order to protect your skin from a higher risk of sunburn and irritation that comes with retinoid use. But what if it’s summertime and you plan to be in the sun most days? Should you just cut out retinoids entirely?

HuffPost reached out to skin care experts to answer this and other questions about retinoid use in the summer.

What Are Retinoids And Retinol?

You may notice different, yet similar-sounding, terms tossed around in this part of the skin care world, such as retinol, retinoids and even retinal.

The vitamin A family is commonly referred to as retinoids, and you can find different strengths depending on your needs. The “pure” form, which is a prescription-only product, is called tretinoin, but if you’re looking for over-the-counter products you can find retinaldehyde (or retinal), retinol and retinyl palmitate (or retinyl ester). Retinoid strengths are like a pyramid and their strength depends on how “far” they are from the pure form (retinoic acid). The milder forms may work slower than the others but are also less irritating.

“It’s recommended to start with a lower concentration and frequency when using retinol products, to allow the skin to adjust gradually,” said Dr. Rahi Sarbaziha , a board-certified integrative aesthetics doctor in Beverly Hills. “It is advisable to apply the cream once a week at night,” she added.

To learn more, read our complete guide to the difference between all these terms.

Can You Use Retinol In The Summer?

“Many individuals believe that it is in their best interest