What is Retinol
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A that helps to repair sun damage, acne scaring, reduces fine lines, wrinkles and lessens hyperpigmentation. With continued use the complexion appears younger, fresher, smoother and brighter. Sounds like utopia regarding beauty to me! There’s no wonder that it is the most studied and proven skin care ingredient on the market.
How Retinol Works in the Skin
Retinol speeds up the skins metabolism and cell turnover which begins to slow in your early 30s. This increase in skin metabolism encourages a greater production of the amount of proteins, collagen and ceramides the skin cells make thus making the epidermis thicker and stronger. Retinol also increases cell turnover in which old pigmented cells from the lower layers of the skin are brought to the surface where they can be shed off more rapidly. This results in evening out discoloration and brightening of the skin tone. Another benefit of increased cell turnover is new healthy cells in the basal layer of the skin are made more frequently which act like young cells that are plump, hydrated and have optimal cell function. As a result you achieve plumper, smoother skin that is more healthy and resilient with fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Retinol also helps to reduce the appearance of acne scars, exfoliates the skin and unclogs the pores (making them look smaller and reducing acne). Having clear pores allows other products to penetrate deeper into the skin, making them more effective. Retinol is not recommended for inflamed acne but it is beneficial for clearing blackheads and clogged pores.
Benefits of Retinol
- Boosts collagen
- Increases hydration and moisture in the skin
- Brightens the complexion and reduces sun damage
- Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Thickens the skin
- Reduces acne scars
- Clears blackheads
- Makes pores look smaller
- Refines skin texture
Retin-A vs Retinol
Whats the difference between prescription Retin- A and Retinol you ask? Prescription formulas of vitamin A contain retinoic acid, the magic ingredient that fights visible aging. Nonprescription alternatives such as Retinol, need to be converted to retinoic acid by the skin at the cellular level. By bypassing this conversion, prescription formulas tend to work faster but with that can cause a lot of irritation such as redness and peeling. While retinol is more gentle than retinoic acid, biochemically it does exactly the same thing — it may just take longer to see results. Generally it takes anywhere from 3-6 months to see results using Retinol so stay persistent with use and don’t give up! If you’ve been using Retinol for a while and your results seem to plateau, just use a stronger strength. Its like working out at the gym, after you get stronger you can increase the weight. Its better to start at lower strength and work your way up to minimize side effects.
*One important note, cosmetic companies can add the smallest about of retinol to a product and use passionate marketing claims and fancy packaging but it might not be in a high enough percentage to actually stimulate change in the skin. So be mindful of drugstore brands. You may be paying for their marketing and not for an effective product.
Our Retinol Formula
Adina Pure Skin Care’s Renewal Lotion contains an active level of retinol to stimulate change in the skin along with collagen supporting peptides, potent antioxidants such as astaxanthin and niacinamide to brighten and hydrate the skin. The retinol we use in formulation is in a liposomal delivery, meaning the retinol is micro encapsulated to improve skin penetration while slowly releasing retinol in the skin which mitigates irritation. Stability is 30-55% better than pure non-encapsulated retinol. Our time released formula can be used on all skin types including sensitive skin because of the slow even delivery of retinol into the skin. Together these ingredients work synergistically to improve skin tone, elasticity, firmness, and radiance.
How to Use
Start by using your retinol product two to three times per week. I personally like to use it for two nights on then two days off then one more night on as your skin builds tolerance. Eventually you can work up to using it around 4 nights a week. For best results, you must use retinol consistently and often. Your skin has other needs, though, so you don’t want to use it every single night. To maximize results use an exfoliating acid lotion or toner on opposite nights. This is really important. Retinol works to encourage dull, sun-damaged skin cells to rise to the surface for easy removal. Using a gentle, exfoliating acid lotion or toner once or twice a week such as Refining Lotion will accelerate these cells’ removal. The vitamin A can then absorb deeper into the skin to perform its best. Using both in your routine will reveal a smoother, more even-toned texture. You could alternatively to an exfoliating acid, use a gentle face scrub such as Skin Revitalizing Scrub to lightly polish the dead skin cells off. Make sure that at least one to three nights a week (depending on your skin) skip the exfoliating acid and retinol and use a hydrating serum and cream containing antioxidants, humectants, peptides and nourishing oils to help protect your skin barrier, encourage collagen production from a different perspective and allow your skin to rebuild. Your skin requires a variety of ingredients to age healthily. Therefore, you don’t want to constantly stay in exfoliation/cell turnover mode by only using acids and retinol.
Using retinol can be a game changer in your skin care routine to encourage a firmer, brighter and clearer complexion. Go slow when starting off and stay consistent with use. Skin damage didn’t occur overnight so don’t expect to fix the years of damage overnight. Consistent use will lead you to beautiful results!