Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About Retinol
Somehow in the beauty industry, flawless, glowing, and youthful skin always seems to come down to one constant ingredient – Retinol.
Chances are you’ve heard about this topical product more than a few times, and you’ve likely questioned if it can work for you too. Perhaps you’ve even tried it. It’s that popular and tested, and proven by many.
What’s true and what’s not about this wonder ingredient will be revealed:
What is retinol?
It’s not surprising that several people who use retinol for their beauty routine don’t know what it is. Well, slap on a few trusted approvals of a product, and there goes any desire to get into the details of the product.
Retinol is a type of retinoid and all retinoids are gotten from Vitamin A. The various existing types of retinoids all have various strengths and can be classed into two groups – prescription formulations and over-the-counter varieties.
While retinol may seem to have been with us since forever it was only recently discovered in the 20th century. It took many more years before retinol could be made into products, and it was until 1984 that retinoids became available in skincare products.
The skin and retinol
Following our short history lesson, the anti-aging property of retinol was discovered after Retin-A was approved by the FDA to treat acne. This was in 1971 and Retin-A qualified as a prescription formulation. Retin-A was successful in reducing wrinkles and acne blemishes.
Retinol provides its benefits through a biological process where it binds to receptors in skin cells. This promotes cell turnover and collagen production. The result is that healthy new skin is pushed to the surface quicker than normal. Some experts say that it is almost impossible for retinol not to work on any skin because the skin is biologically set up to work with retinol.
With its wide range of capabilities, this anti-aging molecule can be applied to the skin to target different skin conditions from wrinkles to acne, fine lines, dullness, and more.
How fast are the results?
“There is no immediate gratification when using a retinol product (even the prescription form) like there is with an acid-based product,” says Renee Rouleau, Austin-based esthetician and founder of Renee Rouleau Skin Care.
It can take weeks to months to continue to experience results with consistent use. However, skincare experts always advise long-term use to truly enjoy the benefits of retinol.
Is it true retinol makes your skin look worse at the initial stages?
In most cases, yes. You can indeed experience dryness, redness, and flakiness during your fest few weeks of using retinol. All of that is simply your skin adjusting. The changes fade up like they never existed to reveal bright and radiant skin.
You can incorporate this skincare wonder into your beauty routine easily. Use daily at night or in the morning. A good age to start using retinol is from 30 years for more naturally youthful skin.
Read more from I On The Scene: HERE.
