Retinol Refugees: You're Not Alone

You tried retinol because everyone said it was the gold standard.

You started slow. You buffered. You followed all the rules.

And your skin still freaked out.

Redness. Peeling. That tight, burning feeling that made you dread your evening routine and that just wouldn't go away for a couple of hours... Maybe you pushed through for weeks, hoping your skin would "adjust or get used to it ." Maybe you gave up after three days or even the first trial. 

Either way, you walked away thinking: maybe my skin just can't handle actives.

Here's what we want you to know: it's not you. It's retinol.

Studies show 40-50% of retinol users experience irritation. That's nearly half. For people with already reactive skin, those odds get even worse.

You're not high maintenance. You're not too sensitive. You just need a different path.

We started calling our community "retinol refugees" people who want the benefits without the damage. Cell turnover. Brighter skin. Fading dark spots. Just not at the cost of a destroyed barrier or the sunlight sensitivity. 

Chontaduro gave us that path through our  Hydrating Dew Moisturizer for the people who thought actives weren't for them. Turns out, you just needed a different active.