Retinol is not an obligatory step. It is one of the ingredients with the most research behind it on photoaging, but that does not make it necessary for everyone, and there is no age at which it must be started.
It has gone from technical ingredient to rite of passage into adult skincare: not using it almost seems like a failing. The evidence, however, says something else. An ingredient can have good evidence without becoming an obligation.
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Elisa Avalle · Founder and dermocosmetics specialist
I am not against retinol, quite the opposite: I am interested in it precisely because it has a more solid scientific history than many trends. But the right way to talk about it is to remove the obligation and restore the context.
Langhe, September 25, 2026
Retinol, retinoids, and tretinoin are not synonyms
Retinoids is the name of the family of molecules derived from or related to vitamin A. Retinol is a cosmetic ingredient that the skin must transform through several steps before reaching its biologically active form. Tretinoin, or retinoic acid, is a drug and is not permitted as a cosmetic ingredient in Europe.
The distinction matters because efficacy, irritation, concentrations, and regulations vary. When a video talks generically about “retinol,” it may group together a gentle cosmetic serum, retinaldehyde, and a prescription retinoid. These are not interchangeable experiences, and confusing them can then leave someone disappointed or irritated. The detailed mechanism is explained in the article on retinol.
What we know about its efficacy
Topical retinoids are among the most researched categories for photoaging. Controlled studies on retinol have observed improvements in the appearance of lines, pigmentation, and skin quality, while reviews describe effects on the processes that regulate the epidermis and dermal matrix.
This does not mean that every retinol product produces the same results. The molecule is sensitive: stability, packaging, vehicle, concentration, frequency, duration, and the complete formula all matter. The ingredient name is the beginning of the assessment, not the conclusion.
“The skin does not reward us for tolerating more peeling.”
Why it is not obligatory
A person can build an effective routine without it. Sunscreen, suitable cleansing, hydration, and consistency remain the foundations, and no active ingredient can compensate for an irritating routine or neglected sun protection.
There is no universal birthday at which you must start, either, as I explain in the guide on when to start using anti-aging products. Chronological age says less than the condition of your skin, your priorities, your tolerance, and your lifestyle. Adding it out of fear of being late is a form of comparison anxiety, not a biological necessity.
The price of efficacy may be irritation
Dryness, redness, stinging, and peeling are known reactions and often depend on the dose and how it is used. Irritated skin may appear rougher, more marked, and more reactive; in predisposed skin, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation may also become more pronounced, which is often exactly the problem someone is trying to address.
That is why “stronger” does not mean “better.” If you decide to try it, it makes sense to introduce it gradually, avoid immediately combining it with other irritating actives, and maintain consistent sun protection. In the presence of medical conditions, treatments, pregnancy, or breastfeeding, the choice should be discussed with a doctor.
What has changed in Europe
In 2024, the European Union introduced new limits for retinol, retinyl acetate, and retinyl palmitate: 0.05% in retinol equivalent in body lotions and 0.3% in other leave-on and rinse-off products. The warning “Contains Vitamin A. Consider your daily intake before use” is also required.
Non-compliant products may no longer be placed on the Union market from November 2025, while the transitional period for products already placed on the market ends on May 1, 2027.
This is not a ban on retinol, and it is important to say so because yet another alarm is already being built around this issue. It is an update that takes overall exposure to vitamin A into account, combining cosmetics and diet. This is the normal functioning of a system that reviews limits when new data arrive, the same system I wrote about when discussing fear of chemicals.
How to understand whether it makes sense for you
I would start with four questions. What is my goal? What is the condition of my skin barrier today? How many other sources of irritation does my routine already contain? Am I willing to introduce it gradually and use it consistently?
If the answers are not clear, there is no urgency. Retinol should not be used as proof of seriousness in skincare: it is an interesting, well-documented tool, and a tool is chosen because it is useful, not because everyone else seems to have chosen it already.
My perspective
If retinol is suitable, it can be used properly and produce real results. If it is not, giving it up or waiting does not mean doing less skincare: it means making a more informed choice.
What does not convince me is not the ingredient, but the tone in which it is imposed. A category with genuinely good evidence does not need to make people who do not use it feel inadequate.
Elisa Avalle is the founder of LeLang Skin Care, specializing in dermocosmetics at the University of Barcelona. She founded the brand in the Langhe region for Italian pharmacies and para-pharmacies.
Sources for this article
01 SCCS, revision of the scientific opinion on vitamin A
02 Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/996
03 Tucker-Samaras et al., stabilized 0.1% retinol and photodamaged skin
04 Mukherjee et al., retinoids in the treatment of skin aging
05 American Academy of Dermatology, “Retinoid or retinol?”
On the site: retinol: what it does and how to use it · when to start using anti-aging products
