This Is Why We Retinol
On the journey of finding healthy aging skincare products Retinol is probably one that you hear about the most. Granted there are tons of other ingredients that offer stellar benefits for keeping skin radiant, plump and bright but none of them really hold a candle to our girl Vitamin A.
Earlier this year I decided to join the retinol gang and really be consistent with my use, I found a retinol serum with a lower percentage as I wanted something I could use more frequently and then I locked in! Being consistent with any skincare product is important but since this serum promised to smooth texture and deter the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles I had to make sure I was on point and it honestly didn't disappoint. Retinol is now apart of my daily skincare routine and I think it should be apart of yours too, let's get into why!
What Is Retinol?
To really understand retinol we have to first get into Retinoids. The word Retinoid is actually an umbrella term for Vitamin A and it has quite a long history of treating acne, wrinkles, fine lines and pigmentation. Retinoids are considered the gold standard in anti aging skincare because of their ability to not only promote collagen production — the thing that’s responsible for the structural integrity of the skin — but it's s ability to prevent collagen degradation, which is the root cause of wrinkles and skins loss of elasticity over time.
Retinol along with retinoic acid and retinol palmitate are all apart of the retinoid family and are the 3 most common retinoids seen in over the counter cosmetic products. Retinal is also apart of this large family tree and slightly more effective than retinol however it is highly unstable and therefore harder to find in products. For this reason many estheticians suggest sticking with retinol as it still has extensive data behind its efficacy and can be bought at a cosmetic level more consistently.
Basically retinol a top tier ingredient in the retinoid family that is super effective in fighting wrinkles and pigmentation.
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What Makes Retinol a Good Choice For Anti Aging?
Earlier I mentioned that retinoids have the ability to promote collagen production in the skin as well as prevent the degradation of collagen, and it does! Collagen is responsible for the overall structural integrity of the skin, helping keep it firm and tight so naturally the loss of collagen is responsible for wrinkling of skin and loss of firmness. By interacting with retinoic acid receptors in the skin retinol is able to jump start collagen production and improve the function of the cells that support wound healing.
Skin aging is a complex process that is highly influenced by internal and external factors. Chronoaging or chronical aging is an inevitable process of skin aging naturally over time but there is also photo aging which refers to changes that are induced by things like UV radiation. Retinoids have been researched extensively and have been proven to not only help prevent but reverse changes in skin due to photo and chronoaging. She’s basically that girl if you’re concerned at all about keeping your skin looking as youthful as possible all the live long day!
Are There Any Side Effects?
We all know too much of a good thing can still end up being a downer and retinol isn’t exactly an exception. While this powerhouse ingredient has great benefits it can also come with a few draw backs such as redness, flaking and stinging. Before you give up on retinol though, understand that these side effects are not guaranteed for every product and can be mitigated based on application, dosage and frequency.
If you are a beginner retinol user it's s suggested to start with a dosage between 0.1% and 1%, the most important thing is to protect the integrity of the skin and luckily retinol is still very effective in lower percentages. Start off by using your over the counter retinol no more than 2-3x per week, if you’re really concerned about irritation you can apply a thin layer of moisturizer first as a protective barrier before going in with your serum.
For those who are using a retinoid that has been prescribed by a Dermatologist it is best to follow the usage instructions they provide as well as having a solid skincare routine that focuses on barrier strength and hydration.
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All In All..
Retinoids have a host of healthy and anti aging benefits for all skin types, its most important to find a retinoid that works for your skin and start off slow and steady! I will continue to use my low dosage retinol serum for now but I certainly plan up step it up at some point in the future, after all I’m not getting any younger.