“Not all skin can tolerate a high dosage, but there’s a way around it,” says Dr Leeman. “I often start my clients on a lower strength or frequency of application and build up their usage as the skin’s tolerance increases. For dry and sensitive skin, this may mean applying retinoid acid twice a week to start with and then gradually increasing to every night.

“Oily skin may easily tolerate daily application of high strength retinoic acid such as tretinoin 0.05%, however, I have also seen some patients apply their retinoids two to three times a day, which isn’t recommended as it will only increase the risks of irritation with no added benefit.”

Overall, gradually building your application to once nightly is ideal, and there’s always the option to dilute your retinoids with a moisturiser to minimise dryness if necessary.

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