What is Retinol?
With retinol comes a long, long list of proven benefits. It’s a derivative of vitamin A and has been hailed as one one on skincare’s holy grail ingredients.
Retinol products are best known for their excellent anti-ageing results with its ability to improve skin texture, boost collagen and diminish dark spots. But this ingredient is not a one trick only. This powerhouse active also triumphs in the treatment of acne, dark circles and redness too.
Retinol can be used on sensitive skin types
It is true, retinol is powerful and does have the potential to cause some irritation if not introduced to your routine correctly. This is because retinol causes the skin to shed cells faster than normal which can cause the skin to flake, appear dry and also break out as you get used to the retinol product. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
We always recommend a slow, ease into our 0.2% retinol Vit A Serum for new users. The trick is to introduce retinol every third night for three weeks, every second night for two weeks to then begin using it every night. In order to get the best results, retinol should be used every night of the week so that the rejuvenation is maintained.
What’s more, you only need to apply a very small amount to see the difference. Apply to clean dry skin at night. Retinol should only be used during the night because it can make the skin more sensitive to sunlight. Whether using retinol or not, SPF should be worn all day everyday. We would always recommend an SPF that is broad spectrum and at least SPF 50 to ensure ultimate protection from the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays.
Retinol presses pause on ageing skin
Our cell turnover works on a 28 day cycle, in which cells regenerate and create a fresh layer of new skin. This cycle lasts up until our early 30s. After this point, when we hit our mid 30s, our cell regeneration slows down and only turns over every 50 to 80 days. With slower cell turnover come the visible signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles.
Retinol is amazing at restoring youthful, bright skin by sinking into the skin and speeding up your cell turnover. Essentially, retinol is a trickster, fooling your body into thinking that it is younger then it actually is!
Retinol is not just an anti-ageing hero
Retinol may be the gold standard in wrinkle-preventing and line-smoothing treatments, but it’s also overlooked when it comes to addressing a number of other common skin concerns. Retinol can also play a vital role in securing beautifully healthy, clear skin by addressing acne, dark spots and redness.
Retinol works its magic by stimulating cell turnover, which in turn increases collagen and elastin production. By doing so, skin is plumper, clearer, pores are shrunk, dark spots are faded and redness is calmed. Retinol works on a cellular level, which means that it is able to truly resurface your skin in a way that most topical level skincare products. This is key to the reason why retinol can totally transform the quality of your skin over time.
Have we converted you to a retinol enthusiast? Check out our Vit A Restore Serum to start your new retinol love story.
