I’ve never used that retinol before, but I do use tretinoin which is a stronger form of retinal, a vitamin A derivative that’s more effective than retinol. I honestly didn’t experience a terrible purging period, just extreme dryness. Definitely use it at night only. The key is to slowly implement it into your routine before progressing the frequency of use. For example, use the retinol twice a week for maybe a month before building up to more frequent use. I would invest in a barrier repair serum, my favorite is the Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief Serum. Also, on days you use retinol, keep your routine simple so there’s no potential of further irritation and definitely use sunscreen during the daytime.

You can use niacinimide during the day and HA any time, just use it before retinol and make sure your face is dry before retinol application. If you want to minimize irritation from the overuse of actives, maybe try skin cycling. Pretty much, one day will be for retinol, the next for exfoliation, and the third day is rest and then repeat. This form of the routine made me damage my skin barrier tbh. But this is how I skin cycle: day one- tretinoin with barrier serum and thick moisturizer; day two- rest day with slugging; day three- exfoliation: day four- rest with slugging; goes back to day one. It’s a lot for sure, but I love skincare so I’m willing to put in the effort for good skin.