In today’s world of Sephora kids, TikTok trends, and sk-influencers raving about every brand new product line sponsoring them, it can be really difficult to figure out what you should actually be putting on your face. One of the skincare ingredients we hear a lot about is retinol. So what is retinol? Who should be using it? And does it matter if you buy it during Sephora’s big sale or should you get it through a medical office?
What is retinol? To put it very simply, Retinol is a form of Vitamin A. Vitamin A is in a group of fat-soluble substances and belongs to the category of retinoids.It acts as a multi-tool for your skin. It addresses so many different concerns that it is considered a staple in most adult skincare routines.
What does retinol do? Retinol stimulates fibroblasts to synthesize collagen fibers, improves skin elasticity by removing degenerated elastin fibers and promotes angiogenesis. Some studies indicate that retinol also enhances production of elastin fibers.*
What does retinol help with? Retinol (Vitamin A) is the first vitamin approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as an anti-wrinkle agent that changes the appearance of the skin surface and has anti-aging effects. This means it helps with things like
Wrinkles
Hyperpigmentation
Texture
Acne
Pore Size
Melasma
Sun Spots
Age Spots
Scars
Cellular Turnover
Retinol is a topical product. This means we apply it directly to the skin’s surface. The retinol then stimulates the skin cells to both turnover (exfoliate) and proliferate (make more).
Retinol is truly a must have in your skin care routine, but why is it important to use medical grade? To put it simply, it works and it works relatively quickly. Over the counter retinol products take 6-12 months of CONSISTENT use for efficacy. Medical Grade Retinol products usually take about 6 weeks to see those results. With regular use, these results continue to improve.
With this in mind, there are some side effects of starting a retinol. Typical side effects include redness, flakiness, mild irritation, itchiness, and photosensitivity. An added benefit to medical grade retinol is having your aesthetic professional there to guide you through the process. There are tips and tricks to help make this acclimation process easier to manage. We can layer retinol with other products like a moisturizer to minimize side effects. We can adjust how often we use it. We can start with certain retinols and build our way up to others.
Skincare is not one size fits all. Each person is unique. Their skin is unique. Their lifestyle is unique. This means our skincare routine needs to be specific to them. If we are making the investment, spending our hard earned dollars on these products, we should know they are going to work.
That, at its simplest, is why a medical grade retinol is so important. It works. Medical grade retinol has the best ingredients, in the purest form, at the appropriate strength, and these products are backed by extensive research and studies.
It can all be a little overwhelming. Schedule a consultation with an aesthetic expert to find out what will work the best for you. You don’t have to try to figure it out alone.
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