If you’re not Eva Chen and retinol doesn’t agree with your skin, these alternatives work just as well

Retinol is considered the gold standard of skincare, but if it makes your face look like the Sahara Desert, you have some options

High-end skincare products that use four alternative ingredients are nearly as effective, and kind to your skin

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If retinol doesn’t agree with your skin, you can still look youthful by using skincare products with alternative ingredients.

Published: 2:45am, 22 Nov 2019Updated: 5:01am, 22 Nov 2019

In a recent interview for New York Magazine’s The Cut on Tuesday podcast, Eva Chen, head of fashion partnerships at Instagram and an influencer in her own right, said her hero skincare product was retinol.

“The most important skincare ingredient is the least sexy one — retinol. I mean, right now CBD is trending in skincare. But retinol, it’s been around forever,” she said, acknowledging that in an industry always in search of the next magical thing, retinol may not have been the most exciting choice, but is the proven gold standard of skincare.

Retinol is not for everyone, however. As Chen’s interviewer, Stella Bugbee, the editor-in-chief of The Cut, quipped, retinol makes her look like “the Sahara Desert”.

A quick rundown: retinol is a form of vitamin A and a type of retinoid. There are three different types of retinoids: pure retinoic acid – this is the strongest form, which you can only buy with a prescription; retinol – this is a weaker product and can be bought over the counter; and retinol derivatives – the gentlest kind. Retinol is known for its serious anti-ageing, collagen-boosting and acne-soothing effects.

Eva Chen is head of fashion partnerships at Instagram. Photo: Alamy

As Sydney-based dermatologist Dr Elizabeth Dawes-Higgs puts it: “Retinol speeds up cell turnover, allowing your skin to tackle early signs of ageing such as pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles as well as having an exfoliation effect too.”