The truth about Retinol

Hey babes!

Lets take a moment to look at one of the most popular ingredients in skin care; Retinol.

What it is

Retinol is a form of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is used by the body to form strong bones and build a healthy immune system. It is also used as a top ingredient in anti-aging products. Most of the Vitamin A you need comes from the food you eat. You’ll find Vitamin A in foods such as salmon, blue fin tuna, goat cheese, cheddar cheese, kale, spinach, sweet potatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and mangoes. However, even if you eat a ton of kale and carrots, (and if we’re being honest cheese….) you’re still not getting enough for it to make it all the way to your skin. Your skin is the last stop on the nutrient train.

There are several varieties of Vitamin A, called Retinoids, on the market. Knowing which one you’re using is almost as important as actually using one. There’s retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is the active form of Vitamin A, it is what is produced when the skin metabolizes retinoids. It goes deep into the skin and lightens pigment and smooths fine lines. Retinol tends to be the most common form used in modern cosmetics, as it is the most stable, therefore delivering the highest percentage of retinoic acid to the skin. But, it’s also important to note that not all products containing retinol are created equal, and I’ll talk more about that further down the post, so be sure to keep reading!

Why You Need It

Retinol is one of the most effective ingredients to fight common signs of ageing. Hyperpigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles, dull, blotchy complexion and even acne are all some of the conditions that retinol helps to fight. As we get older, our skin doesn’t slough off as quickly or as easily as it once did. You know the expression “soft as a baby’s bottom?” there’s a reason we don’t say “soft as a 30-something’s bottom…” Babies and children get a new set of skin approximately every 14 days, teenagers 21-28 days, 20’s-40’s every 28-42, and 50+ every 42-84 days. It’s the skins natural cell turnover rate that helps to keep our texture even and smooth. Once that starts slowing down, you start noticing more and more signs of aging. This is why exfoliation is so important. Unfortunately, manual exfoliation isn’t enough as it doesn’t go deep enough through the layers of the epidermis and dermis.

What You Need To Know

As I mentioned above, not all products containing retinol are created equally. There are tons of retinoids on the market, with more and more popping up at the corner drug store at affordable price points. But, are they effective, or even safe? Certain brands are boasting day and night creams containing retinol, it’s literally in everything. Unfortunately, those products don’t come with education on how to best use them to get the maximum benefit. Most of them don’t contain a high enough percentage to have any effect what-so-ever, and those that do run the risk of causing some real damage.

Retinol at its core is an exfoliant. Exfoliation on it’s own is not necessarily dangerous, but over use can be. I often will have people come in with raw, irritated skin, due to over exfoliation or over use of retinols and other chemical exfoliators. We all know the saying “everything in moderation.” That’s not just an excuse to have the occasional ice cream, it’s also a good rule to live by with your skin, as well. Too much exfoliation can strip the skin of it’s natural protective properties, called Barrier Function. This barrier helps to keep the skin protected by keeping it lubricated and preventing loss of natural moisture; called Transepidermal Water Loss, TEWL for short. This can trick people into thinking that they are improving their skin, as the skin appears tight and firm, when it’s actually starving. From a distance it looks like your efforts are paying off, but you’re doing more harm in the long run. Not only does over exfoliation cause your natural moisture to evaporate, it also allows more debris and toxins to enter the body through the skin. This is why it is so important to use products that are designed for your unique skin type and concerns, rather than buying something off the shelf because it promises younger looking skin.

Prescription strength retinoids are not exempt from this, either. I’ve seen many a face that has been abused by Tretinoin or RetinA. The retinoids in these products are less stable, causing less retinoic acid to be absorbed by the skin. This means that dermatologists will prescribe higher percentages and recommend daily use. Short term use of these products isn’t as detrimental, however, prolonged exposure will result in that same, raw, angry looking skin as a result of TEWL

So, what’s a girl to do!? You’ve got pigmentation and lost elasticity from the days when it was cool to lay out in the sun or bake in a tanning bed or you’re fighting post-partum acne and that last little bit of melasma that just won’t die. And now I seem to be telling you that your last resort is going to fry your face…. All hope is NOT lost! Find an Esthetician in your area that you can work with. They will recommend a product that they use on their own skin, and that can be trusted not to damage the skin, while still delivering the results you are dreaming of. Newer formulations of retinoids are breaking through old standards and delivering beautiful results in ways that are safer for the skin! For example, PCA uses a state of the art formula called Omnisome Delivery System. This basically encapsulates the retinol in a protective sphere. These spheres slowly dissolve over the course of 10 hours, allowing more retinol to be converted into retinoic acid, and therefore delivered deeper into the skin, where all the issues live. This is the brand of retinol that we retail where I work. We will work with you and educate you on the best retinol to use for your specific concerns, and how often you should be applying it for optimal results.

By working with an Esthetician who has your best interests at heart, you can make sure that you are not only using the best retinol for your skin, but an entire skincare routine designed just for you will ensure that your skin is supported during whatever journey you’re traveling. Don’t try to navigate the road to good skin alone, you’ll get there so much faster and with less pain if you have a copilot traveling beside you!