Think of retinol as a protector for your skin’s middle layer. It works against harmful stuff called free radicals, which can make wrinkles and large pores show up on your skin. Plus, it might also make things better for folks dealing with specific skin issues.
Retinol is a well-known ingredient in skincare products that you can buy without a prescription. It’s made from vitamin A and is mainly used to help with skin issues like wrinkles and acne.
But, it’s important to know that retinol isn’t as strong as prescription retinoids, which you’d get from a doctor. Still, among the non-prescription options, retinol is the most powerful, even more so than other products like retinaldehyde and retinyl palmitate.
Retinol can do a lot of good things for your skin, but it can also have some side effects. If you’re wondering if you should add retinol to your skincare routine, keep reading to find out more about this important ingredient.
Types of Retinol:
Retinoids come in various forms, such as retinol, retinaldehyde, and retinoic acid.
No matter which type you use, it’s important to know that enzymes in your skin change all retinoids into retinoic acid. The closer a retinoid is to retinoic acid, the faster your skin can use it. At Dermalogica, we make our retinol creams and serums with active ingredients like retinol esters or retinol to lower the chances of irritating your skin and to keep your skin as healthy as possible.
1. Retinoic Acid:
This is a kind of retinoid that you can only get with a prescription, like isotretinoin. It can often lead to skin irritation.
2. Retinol:
Retinol is the most potent retinoid you can buy without a prescription. It’s about 20% weaker than retinoic acid, and your skin slowly changes it into retinoic acid. That means it’s not as likely to cause irritation to your skin.
3. Retinyl Esters:
Retinyl esters, such as retinyl palmitate and retinyl propionate, are the gentlest retinoids. They take a longer time to turn into retinoic acid and are less likely to irritate your skin.
4. Microencapsulated Retinol:
Dermalogica uses microencapsulated retinol, which helps keep the retinol stable and as strong as possible. It also forms an invisible barrier on your skin’s surface, which helps prevent your skin from losing moisture. This is important for reducing the look of wrinkles and fine lines.
Benefits of Retinoids:
- Speeds up the process where old skin cells get replaced by new ones, making your skin look fresh.
- Helps even out skin tone, making your skin color look more even.
- Smoothens out skin problems caused by getting older.
- Protects your skin from losing collagen when you’re out in the sun.
- Boosts the production of collagen, which keeps your skin firm and youthful.
How to Use Retinol?
Start Slowly: Begin with retinol slowly to help your skin get used to it and reduce irritation. Begin by using it just once a week, then every other day, and eventually every day.
Nighttime Use: Apply retinol at night to avoid irritation from the sun.
Use Sunscreen: Always wear sunscreen during the day to protect your skin from the sun.
Skip Other Exfoliants: Don’t use other exfoliating products unless they’re meant to be used with retinol in the same product and your skin therapist or doctor says it’s okay.
Add Hydration: Include hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine to minimize any irritation that retinol might cause.
Why Do People Use Retinol?
Skin ages for various reasons, and research suggests that up to 50% of the signs of aging on our skin come from things we’re exposed to in our daily lives. This includes stuff like the weather, sunlight, pollution, how much we sleep, what we eat, and even how stressed we are. Some of these things are good for our skin, and some aren’t. But if we’re often exposed to things that aren’t so great, it can make our skin age faster than it naturally would.
As we get older, our skin doesn’t renew itself and make collagen (the stuff that keeps our skin firm) as quickly as it used to. This is why we start seeing things like dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. It happens because our skin’s ability to protect itself gets weaker due to slower cell renewal and recovery. Retinol is a helpful way to deal with these signs of aging because it can speed up the renewal of skin cells.
How Does Retinol Work on Skin?
Retinol is like a coach for your skin. It encourages your skin cells to speed up their renewal process, which makes your skin look smoother and more even. To make this happen, your skin needs to build something called ‘retinoid receptors.’ These are like little helpers that naturally exist in your skin, and they assist retinol in doing its job.
To get your skin ready for retinol, it often needs to create more of these retinoid receptors. That’s why it’s a good idea to start using retinol slowly and then gradually increase the amount you use. This way, your skin can build up its retinoid receptors and handle retinol better as you go along.
How It Works?
Retinol is a special type of stuff called a retinoid, which comes from vitamin A. Unlike some other skincare products for older skin, it doesn’t scrub away dead skin cells on the outside. Instead, its tiny parts go deep under your skin’s top layer, down to the middle layer called the dermis.
When it’s in that middle layer, retinol does a great job of fighting off something called ‘free radicals.’ This helps your skin make more elastin and collagen, which makes it look fuller and can make things like:
- Tiny lines
- Wrinkles
- Big pores
start to look smaller.
Sometimes, people use retinol to help with acne and the marks it leaves behind. But if you have really bad acne, you usually need a stronger retinoid that a doctor prescribes, along with other medicines that fight the redness and bacteria.
One more thing, retinol also gently cleans up the top layer of your skin, which can make it feel smoother and look better.
What It Helps With?
Retinol is mainly used to fix these skin issues:
- Tiny lines
- Wrinkles
- Sun spots and other problems from too much sun, like wrinkles (sometimes called ‘photoaging’)
- Skin that feels bumpy or not smooth
- Dark patches on your skin, like melasma and other kinds of spots
For the best results, use your skincare product with retinol every day. But remember, it might take a few weeks before you notice a big difference.
Side Effects:
Even though the FDA approves retinol, it doesn’t mean it won’t have any side effects.
Lots of folks who use retinol notice their skin gets dry and irritated, especially when they start using it. Some other things that might happen are:
- Skin turning red
- Feeling itchy
- Skin peeling
To make these side effects less bothersome, you can try using retinol every other night or every third night at first. Then, gradually start using it every night.
If your skin keeps feeling uncomfortable, it’s a good idea to talk to a skin doctor (dermatologist). Actually, it’s smart to chat with a dermatologist before you even start using retinol to make sure it’s a good choice for your skin.
Only a small number of people, less than 10 percent, might have more serious side effects, like:
- More pimples
- Skin that’s itchy and red (eczema)
- Skin changing color
- Getting really sensitive to sunlight
- Skin forming blisters
- Skin stinging or swelling
One tip: Put on retinol about 30 minutes after washing your face; it can help make your skin less irritated.
If you’re using more than one product with retinol at the same time, be extra careful. Check the labels on your products, especially if they say “anti-aging” or “for acne,” because they often have retinol.
Since retinol can make your skin sensitive to the sun, it’s best to use it at night.
Cautions:
Spending too much time in the sun can make the dry and annoying side effects of retinol even worse, says the Skin Cancer Foundation.
Oddly enough, the sun can make some of the same problems you’re trying to fix with retinol even worse, like age spots and wrinkles. To lower these risks, make sure to wear a sunscreen with minerals in it (with an SPF of at least 15) whenever you’ll be outside for a while.
If you’re expecting a baby or thinking about having one soon, it’s usually a good idea to steer clear of retinol. Talk to your doctor about it if you think you might be pregnant.
And if you have eczema or rosacea that’s acting up, using retinol might make it worse. So, it’s better not to use it if you have either of those skin issues going on.
When to Talk to a Doctor?
You can buy retinol products without a prescription, but it’s a good idea to chat with a skin doctor (dermatologist) before picking a specific one. They can check out your skin and suggest the best product for you based on what your skin needs.
If the regular products you find in beauty or drug stores aren’t doing the trick for your skin, your dermatologist might recommend a stronger prescription retinoid instead.
These prescription ones are more potent, but that also means they can have more side effects. So, it’s super important to follow your doctor’s instructions and use sunscreen every day.
If retinol isn’t giving you the results you want, there are other options you can talk to a dermatologist about, like:
- Things with alpha-hydroxy acids (like glycolic and citric acids) for fighting signs of aging.
- Beta-hydroxy acids (like salicylic acid) to make your skin texture better and fight acne.
- Chemical peels to remove the top layer of your skin and make it look better.
- Dermabrasion, which can also help with your skin’s texture and tone.
- Fillers for smoothing out small lines and wrinkles.
- Laser treatments to get rid of red and brown spots or scars on your skin.”
The Bottom Line:
Retinoids are famous for helping both with skin aging and acne.
Retinol is the easiest type of retinoid to get and works well for most people. But don’t expect instant results; it might take a couple of months of using it regularly before you notice a change.
Before you pick a retinol product, it’s a smart move to talk to a dermatologist. They know a lot about skin and can give you great advice, especially if they’re familiar with your skin.
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