When Should You Stop Using Retinol?

Retinol is meant to be a long-term part of a routine, not something you use for a few months and stop. Still, there are specific situations where pausing is the right call.

Knowing them ahead of time beats figuring it out after the fact.

Before waxing or similar procedures

Retinol thins the outer layer of skin as part of how it works. That makes skin more prone to tearing or “lifting” during waxing.

Stop retinol at least five to seven days before a waxing appointment. Give it longer, up to two weeks, if you’re using a stronger prescription-strength formula.

The same caution applies to other procedures that physically disrupt the skin surface: certain facials, chemical peels, laser treatments. How far in advance to pause varies by procedure intensity, so check with whoever’s doing the treatment.

If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or trying to conceive

Pregnancy guidance around topical retinoids is more nuanced than it often sounds. MotherToBaby’s review of topical tretinoin is one of the more useful summaries because it separates what’s known from what’s still uncertain.

A few things worth knowing:

• The “stop one month before trying to conceive” advice isn’t specific to tretinoin. It comes from the manufacturer’s guidance for oral isotretinoin, a much more strongly absorbed medication, applied to topical tretinoin as a precaution.
• Controlled studies of topical tretinoin used as directed during pregnancy haven’t found an increased rate of major malformations. A small number of case reports do exist, and they’re part of why caution remains standard even though the larger studies are more reassuring.
• Breastfeeding specifically “has not been studied,” in MotherToBaby’s own words. The concern is theoretical: very little tretinoin absorbs through skin, so not much would likely reach breast milk either.

Over-the-counter retinol hasn’t been studied to this same degree. It converts to retinoic acid in skin, so most dermatologists extend the same caution to retinol by analogy, even though the direct evidence for retinol itself is thinner than what exists for tretinoin.

If you’re pregnant, trying to conceive, or breastfeeding, ask about pregnancy-safe alternatives. Bakuchiol, niacinamide, and azelaic acid are commonly suggested substitutes that don’t carry the same theoretical caution.

There’s more nuance behind this than a skincare article can reasonably cover, so the MotherToBaby fact sheet is worth reading directly if this applies to you.

If irritation isn’t resolving

Ordinary retinol adjustment, mild dryness, tightness, light flaking, typically improves within a few weeks just by reducing frequency.

Severe irritation is different. So is anything that looks like a rash rather than dryness, or irritation that isn’t improving after several weeks at a reduced frequency. At that point, stop and let a dermatologist take a look rather than continuing to push through.

If you’re switching to a prescription retinoid

You don’t necessarily need a gap between stopping retinol and starting tretinoin. But it’s worth asking your dermatologist specifically, since tretinoin is significantly stronger. They may want to manage the transition around your skin’s current tolerance rather than just adding it on top of an existing retinol habit.

Around intense sun exposure

Everyday life doesn’t require pausing retinol. A beach vacation with extended time outdoors is a different case.

Retinol-treated skin is more sun-sensitive than usual. Diligent sunscreen use covers most of that risk, but some people prefer pausing retinol for an intense-exposure trip and resuming afterward, especially if they know they’ll struggle to reapply sunscreen consistently while traveling.

There isn’t a strict rule here. It comes down to how much you trust your own sunscreen habits on that specific trip.

After giving birth

If you paused retinol during pregnancy and are now breastfeeding, there’s no fixed date to resume. It depends on your situation, and breastfeeding-specific research on retinoids is limited (MotherToBaby describes it as “not studied” even for the better-researched prescription form).

Once you and your provider decide it’s appropriate, treat it as restarting after any extended break. Tolerance built up before the pause doesn’t necessarily carry over. See how often to use retinol for the actual frequency ramp-up.

When it’s not actually necessary to stop

Sun exposure, heat, and everyday life don’t require pausing retinol on their own. Daily sunscreen is the actual fix for increased sun sensitivity, not stopping use.

Minor, resolving dryness in the first few weeks isn’t a reason to stop either. That’s the normal adjustment period covered in how often to use retinol, and reducing frequency usually resolves it without discontinuing entirely.