Retinoids in summer? Yes. You just need to know how.
Every summer, the same question comes back: should I put retinoids away completely for a few months? The answer isn't as simple as we've been told for years.
Retinoids are one of the ingredients I genuinely love in skincare. Not because they're trending right now, but because, used correctly and consistently, they can be one of the most interesting parts of a long-term skincare routine.
Fine lines, texture, radiance, pigment spots, pores, blemishes — vitamin A has earned its place in modern skincare for good reason. And yet summer arrives, the first genuinely sunny week hits, and many women automatically tuck their retinoid away in a drawer, telling themselves they'll get back to it sometime in autumn.
Is that really necessary? Not always.
That's exactly what drew me to Leahlani's approach to using retinoids during summer. It captures precisely the kind of skincare philosophy I love too: we don't need to be afraid of active ingredients. We just need to know how to handle them.
A retinoid in summer doesn't have to be taboo
One of the most common assumptions is that retinoids and sun can never, under any circumstances, coexist. In reality, the whole topic is a little more nuanced.
Retinoids are best used in the evening. At the same time, especially at the start, they can cause dryness, redness or irritation, and irritated skin needs even more protection from the sun.
But that doesn't automatically mean you have to stop a well-tolerated retinoid completely for several months the moment summer begins.
Personally, I'd let how my skin actually behaves, and how much sun it's about to face, guide me far more than the calendar.
If you use a retinoid long-term, your skin tolerates it well, you apply it in the evening, and you're genuinely diligent about SPF during the day, it can absolutely stay part of your routine through summer too.
My three rules for retinoids in summer
There's no need to overcomplicate this. If you want to keep a retinoid in your summer routine, I'd stick to three simple rules:
- Use your retinoid in the evening. Apply it to clean, dry skin and let it work overnight.
- SPF in the morning is non-negotiable. Ideally broad-spectrum protection and a generous amount of product.
- Reapply SPF during longer time outdoors. A beach day, the garden, a day trip or several hours in the city are a different situation from a quick walk from the car to the office.
That last point, I think, makes the biggest difference. SPF isn't a morning serum you apply once and consider done for the whole day.
And honestly, a good SPF is, in my opinion, one of the best anti-age products we can have at all.
And this is exactly where I love Leahlani's Aqua A
If you've been with Liviny for a while, you probably know I love active skincare that doesn't need to be harsh to make sense.
And that's exactly why I enjoy the Aqua A Retinoid Renewing Serum from Leahlani so much.
At its heart is HPR — hydroxypinacolone retinoate, a modern derivative of vitamin A. Leahlani chose it for a formula that combines the benefits of retinoid care with a real focus on skin comfort.
And that matters to me enormously. I don't want to apply something in the evening that leaves me spending the next three days trying to rescue my skin barrier. I much prefer long-term, consistent care that my skin tolerates well and that I actually want to keep coming back to.
Aqua A also isn't built around a single active ingredient. The formula also contains ceramides, plant-based antioxidants, oils and marine botanical ingredients.
Active skincare that still feels unmistakably Leahlani. Sensory, beautiful, and made so that your evening routine never feels like another chore before bed.
When I would actually put a retinoid away
Here, I think, we need to be sensible. If I know I'm heading on a holiday where I'll spend the whole day on the beach, several hours on a boat, or in intense direct sun, I happily simplify my routine for a few days.
And if the skin is already irritated or even sunburnt, I definitely wouldn't put a retinoid on it.
In that moment, I don't want to be active. I want to be gentle. I'd give my skin calm, hydration and simple care focused on the skin barrier.
In her summer ritual, Leahlani works, for example, with the hydrating mist Bohemian Ruby, the soothing Happy Hour, and the more nourishing Bless Balm that follows.
And that's exactly the approach I love. Skin doesn't need to be exfoliated, stimulated and pushed to perform every single evening.
Sometimes the best skincare is the one that knows when to ease off.
If you're just starting out with retinoids, summer isn't the time for heroics
This is something I'd stress especially to anyone who's just bought their first retinoid and wants to catch up on the last ten years in a week.
Start slowly.
With Aqua A, it makes sense at the start to apply the serum every other evening and, depending on how your skin responds, gradually increase the frequency. Apply the serum in the evening to clean, dry skin.
If you're also using acids, exfoliants or other intensive actives, you don't need everything in the same evening. For me, a well-built, simple routine is far more luxurious than a bathroom full of active ingredients competing for attention every night.
Vitamin C in the morning, retinoid in the evening?
Yes. I love that combination.
Mornings mean antioxidant care, hydration and SPF. Evenings mean cleansing, a retinoid and follow-up care depending on what my skin needs at that moment.
It doesn't need to be more complicated than that.
And maybe that's one of the biggest things I've learned about choosing skincare over the years: more products don't automatically mean better skin.
What matters far more is choosing a handful of genuinely good things, knowing why you're using them, and giving them time.
And what if you've already been sunburnt?
In that moment, I'd put every ambition for the perfect anti-age routine aside. No retinoid, no intensive exfoliant, and no proving to your skin that today's skincare plan simply has to be finished.
Right now, what matters is calming the skin, hydrating it, protecting it and letting the skin barrier rest.
For slightly overdried, stressed summer skin, I love exactly the kind of products Leahlani makes — a hydrating mist, a soothing serum and a beautiful balm on top.
Your skin gets comfort, and you get the feeling we love skincare for in the first place.
So, should you give up retinoids every summer?
Not automatically, in my view.
If my skin tolerates them well, I use them in the evening, and I know I can be genuinely diligent about sun protection during the day, I don't see a reason to throw away months of a well-established routine just because it's summer.
What matters far more is reading the circumstances. An ordinary summer day in the city isn't the same as two weeks on a tropical holiday. Healthy, calm skin isn't the same as skin that's red after a full day in the sun.
And being able to tell that difference is, in my opinion, real skincare experience.
Why Leahlani feels so close to me in this
I never fell in love with Leahlani because it makes the most aggressive skincare on the market. Quite the opposite.
Their products combine results with the joy of using them. Active ingredients with Hawaiian botanical ingredients. Function with texture, scent, and that small moment in the evening when you open the bathroom cabinet already knowing exactly which bottle you're reaching for.
Aqua A is exactly that kind of product for me. It doesn't need to shout. It needs a few drops in the evening, consistency and time.
Because the best skincare, in my view, isn't the one that reminds you every evening how "active" it is. It's the one where, after a while, you notice your skin looks better — and you're still looking forward to using it.
And that's exactly the kind of products I want to have at Liviny.
This article is my personal editorial take on retinoids in summer, inspired by Leahlani's article "Retinoids In Summertime: Myth-busting + Tips!".
