What Is a "Retinol Sandwich"—and Should You Try It?

Move over toasting, garnishing, and layering, there’s a summer sandwich technique heating up – the retinol sandwich! And like ‘layering’ your cold cuts, this method involves layering retinol between two applications of moisturizer to lock in extra hydration and protect the skin.

Why does the gold standard and standalone ingredient for anti-aging need some ‘soggy’ extra layers to bring it down? Even the best ingredients aren’t fancied by or good for everyone. Many people experience dryness and irritation from retinol, making it a challenge to use consistently.

Now, imagine achieving the benefits of retinol without the irritation. You can with the “retinol sandwich", which acts as a buffering technique to minimize the side effects of retinol while still delivering its youth-boosting benefits.

Before you slather on and layer the ingredients, let’s learn about the retinol sandwich technique and how it can help you enjoy the benefits of retinol while minimizing side effects. It’s not such a tall order!

Understanding the Retinol Sandwich Technique

Hold the grinder salad, BLT, Italian panini… there’s another sandwich heating up the grills and thrills of summer, but not so much for our appetite is it for our facial delight! As the classics like mayo and mustard are to sandwiches, retinol is a timeless classic for anti-aging skincare – and it’s no Wonder Bread)! This powerhouse has long been celebrated for its transformative effects on the skin, offering solutions to a myriad of concerns from fine lines and wrinkles to dullness and uneven texture.

So, hold the pickles - retinol’s benefits sound great - right? Before we can tally up the advantages of the retinol sandwich method, it’s important to understand what the vitamin A derivative does for our skin. It works by accelerating cell turnover, which means it helps shed old, damaged skin cells more rapidly, revealing newer, fresher skin underneath. This process not only promotes a smoother and more radiant complexion but also helps to diminish the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and other signs of aging.

Even with a timeless classic that has nearly the power to do it all for skin, it may not be right for some people’s skin tastes or likings, especially for those with sensitive or reactive skin. Retinol can irritate the skin because it speeds up skin cell turnover, which can sometimes happen faster than the skin can regenerate. This process, called "skin purging", can temporarily thin the skin's protective barrier, causing irritation and sensitivity.

The retinol sandwich method involves “sandwiching” your retinol between two layers of moisturizer before and after applying retinol. The technique was created to help minimize some of the potential side effects of retinol, like dryness, redness, and flakiness. Layering moisturizer helps deliver and lock in extra hydration in the skin, counteracting the dryness that can lead to irritation.

Making yourself a retinol sandwich is a very effective technique because it creates a protective barrier using the power of moisturizers to reduce those unwanted side effects and irritation while allowing retinol to work its skin-smoothing and youth-boosting benefits effectively. Moisturizers help buffer the skin, preventing dryness and irritation commonly associated with retinol use. This retinol method can be especially helpful for those who are new to retinol or have very dry or sensitive skin.

How the Retinol Sandwich Works

Just as how we can appreciate the convenience and simplicity of a sandwich, it doesn’t mean you should slap any old layers together and call it a day – and the retinol sandwich is no different! The best technique of the sandwich-making process mostly involves quality ingredients, proper pairings, and layering each item intentionally with a process.

Follow our step-by-step process for making the retinol sandwich and the importance of that extra layering step in your nightly skincare routine to get smooth, more youthful skin. Here’s how to start creating your masterpieces.

Step-by-Step Process:

Step 1: Cleanse

Product: Argan Oil Creamy Cleanser

This rich and creamy cleanser gently removes impurities using saponified coconut oil while blood orange cuts through excess oil without stripping moisture. Aloe vera juice helps to hydrate dry skin, while honey offers water-locking humectant properties and antibacterial benefits. Renewing vitamins C, E, and CoQ10 make this cleanser a secret weapon for softening and brightening any skin type, and is especially nourishing for dry skin.

Tips: Cleanse thoroughly to prepare the skin.

Step 2: Moisturize

Product: Hydra Drench Cream

This deeply hydrating formula feels lightweight and sinks into the skin easily for a hydrating base layer. Chia seed gel hydrates, tones, and tightens skin with all the protein and omegas naturally found in the seeds. Chia gel, coconut oil, and shea butter provide a creamy texture that hydrates skin, and the natural fragrance comes from the floral and herb extracts working to calm and balance skin. This combined with rose water, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and cactus extract blasts the skin with deep moisture.

Tips: Apply a thin layer of moisturizer to damp skin.

Step 3: Apply Retinol

Product: Retinol Restorative Overnight Balm

This potent yet gentle retinol formula nourishes the skin while you sleep, delivering a potent dose of this anti-aging powerhouse ingredient by using vegan retinol and carrot seeds to promote cell turnover and rejuvenation. Carrots and carrot seeds are high in beta-carotene, which enhances the effects of vitamin A on the skin. Formulated with nourishing botanicals, this nourishing balm helps to minimize irritation and maximize results. Avocado butter and plant oils moisturize and restore skin’s radiance and elasticity while you sleep.

Tips: Apply retinol on top of the initial moisturizer layer.

Step 4: Seal with Moisturizer

Product: Restorative Sea Culture Extra Riche Créme

This luxurious cream locks in moisture and adds an extra layer of protection for your retinol. It drenches skin in deep moisture, delivers nutrient-rich sea minerals and vitamins, and plumps skin with hydrating seaweed polysaccharides and alteromonas, a proteobacteria found in coastal waters and the open ocean. The seaweed polysaccharides help to lock in moisture and support a thick, stable texture, while alteromonas offer water-binding properties which make it beneficial for drawing and holding water in the skin.

Tips: Apply a second layer of moisturizer to seal in the retinol and hydrate the skin.

Why You Should Try the Retinol Sandwich

Just like many things in life, it’s impossible to know whether something is right or wrong for us unless we try it. And taking precautions to help alleviate any potential unwanted side effects is perfectly acceptable and perhaps even highly recommended. It’s why we lay napkins over our laps for BBQ sandwiches to avoid stains or sandwich two layers of moisturizers between retinol to avoid unwanted side effects on our skin.

Let’s order up more skin-efits of trying a retinol sandwich - plus why it should be your go-to method in your nightly skincare routine for using retinol for more youthful, smooth skin:

Reduced Irritation:

In theory, retinol makes your skin cells turn out faster. The increased cell turnover temporarily sloughs off more dead skin cells. This creates a lag time before new, healthy cells come to the surface of your skin. Sometimes your new skin is exposed before it's ready, and redness, dryness, or irritation is the result.

Solution: Incorporating the moisturizer layers or retinol sandwich adds a buffer in between the skin, reducing dryness and irritation.

Enhanced Hydration:

As a unique skin-stacking technique or moisture sandwich, the retinol sandwich technique helps lock in moisture. Trapping water in the skin and reducing transepidermal water loss (TEWL) is essential for keeping skin hydrated, healthy, and plump. Think about it: the second layer of moisturizer on top of retinol helps slow its absorption and reduce irritation from the product. This is particularly beneficial for individuals with sensitive or reactive skin, dry skin, or retinol beginners.

Improved Retinol Tolerance:

Following the retinol-sandwich technique will enhance your skin’s tolerance to retinol. In doing this, you’re trapping moisture and allowing your skin the time to receive the benefits of retinol better, which will decrease any potential side effects of the potent ingredient, allowing for more consistent use. By minimizing contact with the skin, the retinol sandwich method effectively reduces the irritation associated with retinol use. This technique also helps skin hydration, controls the absorption of retinol, and allows for customization of retinol concentration and frequency of use.

Real Reviews from 100% PURE Customers

In the pursuit of healthy, results-driven skincare, choosing natural products extends beyond efficacy; it’s an unparalleled dedication to skin health and undeniably satisfied customers. To bring this commitment to life, we would like to share some testimonials from real customers, who have who have successfully used the retinol sandwich technique.

Customer Testimonial: “This is my favorite nightly combo, and it works so well with my skin. My skin is pretty sensitive and it also helps with dryness and irritation.” –Joan H.

Customer Testimonial: “As an older lady, I love this method! All the products absorb quickly, with no residue and they do what they are intended to do, moisturize and protect the skin. I’m very happy... especially when some folks don’t believe my actual age!” –Mary H.

Customer Testimonial: “I’ve noticed less irritation with this method and my skin is looking great and more smooth and youthful. Thank you!” - Cathy B.

If transforming the signs of aging by using retinol and avoiding the unwanted side effects of it for achieving smoother, more youthful skin your top skincare goal, we encourage you to envision your own transformation with the retinol sandwich technique. With 100% PURE natural skincare, you can trust our rigorous testing and natural formulations for visible improvements and transformation with consistent use.

Start Your Retinol Sandwich Routine Today

Choosing the right skincare products that provide real anti-aging results using retinol and trying to avoid its potential side effects can be a daunting task, especially if you want it tailored to give you smooth, more youthful skin – and you have sensitive, very dry, or reactive skin. But not with the help and support of 100% PURE!

With some knowledge and understanding of your skin’s needs, you can create the best skincare routine with gentle, yet effective ingredients for healthy, radiant skin and a well-rounded, curated skincare routine using the retinol sandwich technique to minimize the side effects of retinol and maximum your results for the ultimate in skin smoothness and youthfulness!

A cutting-edge tool for clean skincare customization is the skin analysis tool available through 100% PURE. This tool helps you build a customized skin regimen, based on your specific skin type and concerns. You’ll get personalized product suggestions tailored to your skin, broken down into a simple, step-by-step plan!

We invite you to embark on your own skincare journey with 100% PURE products and experience the transformative effects of sandwiching the skin powers of retinol with the hydrating powers of two moisturizers for the ultimate skin-sandwich masterpiece! Join us in our mission to revolutionize the best natural anti-aging skincare products using retinol to a more inclusive and universally beneficial experience for all skin types to enjoy the youth-boosting benefits of retinol!

Together, let’s celebrate the beauty of harnessing the power of nature to provide clean, effective, and ethical skincare solutions, and empower other individuals to embrace their unique real skin journeys. Say goodbye to the unwanted side effects of retinol for your anti-aging concerns, and hello to the best complexion sandwich – the retinol, sandwich!

FAQs About the Retinol Sandwich

What is the Retinol Sandwich technique?

The retinol sandwich technique begins by cleansing your skin. Then apply a layer of moisturizer to damp skin. Allow this to dry completely. Apply your retinol. After giving retinol time to absorb, finish your skincare routine with a second layer of moisturizer.

How does the Retinol Sandwich reduce irritation?

The retinol sandwich method is a skincare technique that can help reduce irritation from retinol by creating a barrier between the skin and the potent active ingredient with moisturizer. This method can be especially helpful for people with sensitive skin, those who are new to retinol, or those who want to keep their skin hydrated and soothed.

Can I use the Retinol Sandwich technique with other active ingredients?

Sensitive, reactive, and very dry skin types should avoid using the retinol sandwich technique with other active ingredients, as it can further irritate the skin. Retinol can already make skin more prone to irritation and over-exfoliation, so adding another active ingredient can make it worse. For example, exfoliating ingredients like AHAs (glycolic acid, lactic acid, etc.) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acid) can dry out the skin and cause more irritation.

How often should I use retinol in my skincare routine?

Because retinol can irritate your skin, you should start slowly and gradually increase how often you use it. If your skin is tolerating retinol well after three weeks of use every three days, move up to every other day, then every day. As a rule, the more irritated your skin is, the less frequently you should apply it. If your skin responds well, you can start applying retinol every night.

What are the best products for a Retinol Sandwich?

Use natural, lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers that can effectively seal in moisture and hydration while you’re using retinol.