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"You girls know alllll about retinoids, right? If you&amp;#x27;re avid magazine/beauty-blog readers, I&amp;#x27;m sure you do. These ingredients are the darling of every dermatologist I&amp;#x27;ve ever interviewed. They&amp;#x27;re Vitamin-A derivatives, and are proven to basically do it all: exfoliate dull skin, stimulate collagen to reduce signs of aging, fight acne, reduce oiliness. One dermatologist I speak to regularly feels that any woman who doesn&amp;#x27;t use a retinoid cream regularly is basically crazy. Yet I, until now, was one of those women.Why have I not been using a retinoid--even one of the many over-the-counter creams that contains the most widely available one, retinol? A couple reasons. First, I tried Retin-A back in high school, to combat acne, and had a terrible experience involving redness, itchiness and endless peeling that prevented me from being able to apply makeup. Second, even though retinol&amp;#x27;s effectiveness is backed by very solid science, I figured over-the-counter products didn&amp;#x27;t contain a high enough dose to do much. I&amp;#x27;m skeptical of pricey creams in general, too. Plus, I am a creature of habit and didn&amp;#x27;t feel like changing up the moisturizers I currently use (a new cream could make me break out, as I am prone to do upon the slightest suggestion of oil). Well, I am finally changing my ways. I just got back from a visit to the office of Dr. Debra Jaliman, where I emerged triumphantly onto Fifth Avenue with radiant, smooth skin (thanks to her new antioxidant peel) and instructions for a brand new skincare regime that&amp;#x27;ll make my skin its very best in time for my wedding (about 10 months from now...plenty o&amp;#x27; time). I have a triple-action fading cream to get rid of the new sun spots I&amp;#x27;ve developed at my hairline and a prescription retinoid cream, Atralin, to further even my skintone, improve my skin&amp;#x27;s texture and fight the fine lines that have just begun to show on my 30-year-old face. I&amp;#x27;ll be applying the first every other day and the retinoid just once a week to start, increasing the latter&amp;#x27;s frequency gradually to avoid irritation. So will a retinoid cream really do all the aforementioned amazing things for my skin, or just irritate the heck out of it? You&amp;#x27;ll be able to follow my progress here, as I&amp;#x27;ll of course be posting updates to let you know how it goes. (I&amp;#x27;d post a &amp;quot;before&amp;quot; photo, but just had to send my camera in for a lens repair.) I&amp;#x27;m also considering getting laser treatments to speed the reduction of the sun spots, though I&amp;#x27;m still irrationally nervous about the idea of aiming any sort of laser at my face. How many of you use a retinol product or prescription retinoid cream? Anyone have questions about buying one or using one? Ask away! Judging by our green-tea conversation last week, lots of you have very healthy skin habits, and I&amp;#x27;d love to hear more about your daily skin routines. You should also be sure to check out Beth&amp;#x27;s laser hair removal diaries, if that&amp;#x27;s a topic you&amp;#x27;re curious about. Photo: iStock"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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