No. We wouldn't put glycolic acid and retinol on the same night. Give them separate evenings, and let retinol go first, on its own for about four weeks (our own rule of thumb) before the acid joins in. No study we cite compared same-night use with separate nights, so the plan below rests on two cautions from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), one about irritation and one about exfoliating while you use retinol.
We make every product linked in this guide, and we don't publish the percentage of any active ingredient in them.
The case against glycolic acid and retinol on the same night
The first caution is about stacking. "Using several anti-aging products at the same time can irritate your skin," the AAD says, and once skin is irritated, signs of aging become more noticeable.
The second comes from the AAD's advice on exfoliating at home. For people using retinol or a prescription retinoid cream, it says exfoliating "may worsen dry skin or even cause acne breakouts." Glycolic acid is the exfoliating half of this pair. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) names it among the most common alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) in cosmetics and says AHA products "cause exfoliation, or shedding of the surface skin."
That exfoliation caution covers every week you're on retinol, not just the nights the acid goes on. Splitting them across evenings doesn't switch it off. So we give retinol a head start, and the acid never shares its evenings.
Our week, night by night
Collagen and Retinol Serum and Glycolic Acid Serum each start at two evenings a week. Begin both at once and that's four active evenings in your first week. We'd rather you didn't. Our schedule adds one product at a time, so there's less to untangle if your skin starts to complain.
- Weeks 1 to 4, retinol alone. Monday and Thursday are retinol evenings. Wash with Hydrating Facial Cleanser, pat your face dry and smooth a thin layer of Collagen and Retinol Serum over it, away from the eye area and the creases beside the nose. Finish with moisturizer.
- Week 5 or later, add the acid on Wednesday and Saturday. That's the two nights a week its directions start with, and neither lands on a retinol evening. Move on only if your skin has stayed comfortable (no stinging, no tightness, no flaking). Sweep a thin layer of Glycolic Acid Serum over a dry, freshly washed face, clear of the eye area, and follow with moisturizer right away; the AAD advises moisturizing immediately after exfoliating.
- Then hold. Four active evenings a week, never two products on the same night, is as far as this plan goes.
Your week from week 5 on:
- Monday: Collagen and Retinol Serum
- Tuesday: plain (cleanser and moisturizer)
- Wednesday: Glycolic Acid Serum
- Thursday: Collagen and Retinol Serum
- Friday: plain
- Saturday: Glycolic Acid Serum
- Sunday: plain
Sunscreen goes on every morning from week 1, since Collagen and Retinol Serum asks for it. Once the acid is in, the FDA advice for AHA products applies too: wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop.
If your skin starts to feel dry or tight once the acid is in, go back to step 1 for two weeks before trying again. Stinging or peeling is different; stop everything and follow the steps under If your skin reacts. And if tonight isn't a Monday or Thursday, keep it plain and start on the next one.
Leave scrubs and peels out of the week entirely. The AAD warns that over-exfoliating could lead to skin that's red and irritated, and the plan has its exfoliant.
Already using glycolic acid and adding retinol? Pause the acid for retinol's first four weeks, then bring it back on Wednesday and Saturday. With another brand's retinol or acid, follow its label on timing and frequency; where the label says nothing, we'd give it the slots ours would take. For dry patches in the early weeks, our take on the retinol sandwich method explains where moisturizer goes with Collagen and Retinol Serum.
Where Night Renewal Creme fits
Night Renewal Creme puts the two ingredient types this article keeps apart, an AHA and a retinoid, into one formula. Glycolic acid is third on its ingredient list, and the creme also contains retinyl palmitate, a retinol derivative that a 2006 review by Mukherjee and colleagues counts among the retinoids. We don't publish how much of either it holds. It also contains fragrance.
So we'd treat it as an alternative to the two serums, not a third product for the week above. Its directions make it the last step at night, swept up over the neck and jaw to the cheekbones, and they don't give a number of nights; we'd start at two a week, such as Tuesday and Saturday. If you like a serum underneath, we'd choose one without retinol or glycolic acid, such as Hyaluronic Acid Serum, a few drops pressed onto damp skin right after cleansing and the creme on top right away.
The creme contains an AHA, so wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop. If you're choosing between the creme and the serum as your retinoid, read how retinyl palmitate and retinol differ first.
Glycolic acid and the sun
According to the FDA, after four weeks of applying AHAs, sensitivity to UV-induced skin reddening rose by 18 percent, and UV-induced cellular damage doubled on average, with large differences between people. A week after stopping, the differences in UV sensitivity were no longer significant.
In a 2003 randomized controlled trial by Kaidbey and colleagues, the backs of 29 people were treated six days a week for four weeks with 10% glycolic acid at pH 3.5 (pH is a measure of acidity) or with a placebo. The acid made skin more sensitive to UV light, and the authors reported that this reversed within a week of stopping. PubMed lists US government research support. The trial tested glycolic acid alone, on backs, at 10%. We don't publish our serum's percentage, so don't read the result as a measure of ours.
For AHA products, the FDA recommends a label headed "Sunburn Alert" that tells you to "use a sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards." That applies to Glycolic Acid Serum and Night Renewal Creme alike.
For the sunscreen itself, the AAD recommends broad-spectrum, SPF 30 or higher and water resistant, with a fresh layer about every two hours, or after swimming or sweating. We don't sell sunscreen, so pick one you'll happily wear every morning.
If your skin reacts
Stop every active (Collagen and Retinol Serum, Glycolic Acid Serum and Night Renewal Creme). Until your skin settles, keep evenings plain with a gentle cleanser such as Hydrating Facial Cleanser and a moisturizer without fragrance. Starting slowly and using moisturizer help with retinoid irritation, the AAD says. Once your skin is comfortable again, restart from week 1, retinol alone on Monday and Thursday, and give it four more comfortable weeks before any acid comes back.
See a board-certified dermatologist if stinging or peeling hangs on, or comes back every time you restart. Swelling, or a rash that spreads past where you applied the product, is more urgent. Wash the product off and get medical care promptly.
Anyone using a prescription retinoid cream, or with a skin condition such as rosacea or eczema, should ask a board-certified dermatologist before adding an acid, or retinol, to their routine. And if you're pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding, ask your doctor before starting any retinol or retinoid product, Night Renewal Creme included.
Quick questions
Can you use glycolic acid and retinol on the same night?
We'd give glycolic acid and retinol separate evenings and start retinol alone for about four weeks; the research we cite didn't compare same-night use. Glycolic acid is an exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), and the American Academy of Dermatology says exfoliating while on retinol may worsen dry skin or cause breakouts. The FDA's advice for AHAs: wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop.
Can I use glycolic acid in the morning and retinol at night?
We wouldn't. Glycolic acid exfoliates, and the American Academy of Dermatology warns that exfoliating while using retinol may worsen dry skin or even cause acne breakouts, morning or night. LYTA's Glycolic Acid Serum is an evening product; keep any morning acid off retinol days. With an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), the FDA advises that you wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop.
How long should you wait between glycolic acid and retinol?
We don't suggest layering them with a wait in between. Our schedule puts them on separate evenings: LYTA's Collagen and Retinol Serum on Monday and Thursday, then, after four weeks of retinol alone, Glycolic Acid Serum on Wednesday and Saturday, with no evening holding both. For an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), the FDA says to wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop.
Is Night Renewal Creme a retinol?
No. Night Renewal Creme contains retinyl palmitate, a retinol derivative; a 2006 review by Mukherjee and colleagues counts retinyl esters among the retinoids. The creme also contains glycolic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA), so we'd use it instead of the two serums rather than alongside them. The FDA's advice for AHAs applies: wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop.
Do I need sunscreen if I only use glycolic acid and retinol at night?
Yes. The FDA reports higher UV sensitivity after four weeks of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) use and advises that you wear sunscreen and protective clothing, and limit sun exposure, while you use it and for a week after you stop. The American Academy of Dermatology adds daily sun protection for retinoids, and recommends broad-spectrum, water-resistant SPF 30 or higher, reapplied about every two hours or after you swim or sweat.
Sources
- American Academy of Dermatology. How to maximize results from anti-aging skin care products.
- American Academy of Dermatology. How to safely exfoliate at home.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Alpha Hydroxy Acids.
- Mukherjee S, Date A, Patravale V, et al. Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2006.
- Kaidbey K, Sutherland B, Bennett P, et al. Topical glycolic acid enhances photodamage by ultraviolet light. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2003.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Sunscreen FAQs.
- American Academy of Dermatology. Retinoid or retinol?
