Retinol
What is it?
- Retinol is an active form of the vitamin A molecule
What does it do?
- Retinol stimulates collagen production and turnover of skin cells.
- It encourage the skin to shed problematic layers in exchange for healthier cells.
- Using retinol improves the firmness of skin, reverses sun damage, and reduces dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, so it is used in many anti-aging products. It has the ability to resurface the skin’s texture for a smoother and even-toned appearance.
Retinol & Acne:
- For those who get whiteheads, closed comedones and general clogged pores, retinol can help smooth and clear this condition with continued use.
- For those who get red, sore, inflamed acne (papules and pustules), retinol will generally not give any improvement for this type of breakouts and may increase inflammation and breakout activity.
Important to know:
- Retinoids can only be damaging to skin if you have a sensitive underlying skin condition like eczema or rosacea. However, those with sensitive skin conditions may still be able to use it if it is introduced gradually.Daily use of sunscreen is crucial to seeing successful results with a retinoid
- Most retinoids are not photo-stable or sunlight-stable, meaning they should be kept in an opaque, well-sealed container and used only at night.
- Retin-A, is a much stronger and more powerful alternative (prescription needed) for treating severe acne, scarring and wrinkles.