Retinol Irritates My Sensitive, Acne-Prone Skin, so I Tried This Shockingly Good Alternative Instead

No one knows more than me how frustrating it is having skin that’s reactive and sensitive. Over the years, it’s been hard to find products that clear up acne without making the problem worse. Recently, I realized that one of the major irritation culprits for me was retinol. Even if I found a formula that didn’t visibly cause more breakouts or irritation, I would notice that some formulas would weaken my barrier function or cause my skin to be extra dehydrated after using it for a few weeks. Sigh. The revelation came once I stopped using it for good.

A visit to organic skincare brand Sonage’s studio alerted me to the damage retinol was causing. Many formulas, the aestheticians informed me, are not great for ultra sensitive skin—even if it appears that your skin is doing just fine. She instead suggested that I try a retinol alternative cream that I could use twice a day. I’ll admit, at first I was skeptical because I’d never been able to find a retinol alternative that I felt truly worked. I’m glad I gave this one a go, though. I was pleasantly surprised by how well it worked without irritating my crazy sensitive skin. If you share a similar skin type, you’re going to want to keep reading. I’m sharing all my thoughts on Sonage’s Refixion Sans Retinol Crème ($60) below.

I was super skeptical to put this on my face at first because it contains coconut oil—a known comedogenic ingredient which isn’t the best for acne-prone skin. What I quickly realized once I started using it, however, was that oils weren’t the issue for me—it was always stronger actives making my skin act up. It’s almost ironic that the usual treatment for acne is strong exfoliants and other actives like benzoyl peroxide, but for some of us, our skin simply doesn’t like those kinds of ingredients and responds by flaring up even more. If a super gentle approach is also what your skin needs, then this cream is definitely worth a try.

This formula features bakuchiol as its star ingredient which is a super effective alternative to retinol. While this cream is definitely designed for fine lines and wrinkles, it worked really well in helping to clear up my super inflamed, irritated skin after I tipped it over the edge with strong actives. Below, you can see what my skin looked like before I started using it. I had a lot of inflammation pop up which is frustrating, but luckily once I stopped using anything too active, it calmed right down.

I noticed that my skin started to calm down and improve within four days of using it. Pretty impressive, no? I can’t say this approach will work for everyone because everyone’s skin is different, but if you do find that your skin also doesn’t respond to stronger exfoliants like salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, then it’s definitely worth a go. I realized that my barrier was so inflamed and damaged because of all the harsh products I was using on it—it needed some serious TLC in the form of scaling back on stronger ingredients. It’s definitely been a process and my skin still isn’t all the way there, but I noticed that this sped up healing time and had the same effect as a retinol would without even the slightest bit of irritation.

Now, as much as I love the results delivered by this cream, there are a few cons I have to mention. It does have a strong botanical smell so keep that in mind if you’re sensitive to scents. The finish of the cream is also a bit more matte than I would like. I usually love a dewy, glowy finish and this doesn’t always deliver that. It does, however, provide enough moisture and really works in terms of helping to smooth texture, fine lines, and it clears small bumps in a flash. Below is what my skin looks like now after having used it for about 3 weeks. There’s been a huge improvement in inflammation, scarring, and acne. I’ve been using this cream with a few other star products from Sonage that I’ll tell you more about below.

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