Sunday Riley Care and Keeping: Acids, Retinoids and Oils Done Right

Reduce frequency before reducing hope. Drop to two or three nights a week, apply it to fully dry skin rather than damp, and keep other exfoliants out of the same evening. A brief tingle on early uses is a common owner report; persistent stinging is information, and the brand's short contact framing, apply, wait, rinse, exists for exactly this situation.

Slow the ladder down. Retreat to a few nights a week, press ICE Ceramide Cream over the top as the closing layer, and give the adjustment period weeks rather than days before judging it. Even experienced retinoid users report this phase; beginners experiencing it should step down to Luna and climb again later.

Dose and timing are the fix. Use fewer drops, press them in rather than sweeping, and let the oil settle for several minutes before dressing or bed. Owners with very fair skin often move C.E.O. Glow to the evening slot, where its visible glow is a pleasure rather than a laundry risk.

Check the expectation first: despite the resurfacing name, Pink Drink is a peptide and ferment essence with no exfoliating acid in its printed ingredients. Its job is to be the hydrated, layered first step under a serum, judged over weeks by how the whole routine sits. If surface smoothness is the goal, that job belongs to Good Genes on its own nights.

Apply Luna earlier in the evening rather than at the pillow's edge, use drops rather than a dropper full, and let the oil settle into skin before bed. A darker pillowcase on Luna nights is the pragmatic owner solution while the habit forms.

Use clean, dry hands or a spatula for the ICE and C.E.O. cream jars and close lids promptly; wipe jar rims weekly so dried cream does not foul the seal. For pumps near the end of a bottle, store upright and prime with slow full presses. Dropper oils keep best upright, away from steamy shelves, with the pipette kept out of contact with skin to protect the oil inside.