RetinOL, RetinAL, RetinWHO
RetinOL, retinAL, retinWHO?
Choosing the right skincare product is important, so why is it so confusing? With so
many products on the market and new ones arriving every minute it is hard to keep
up. I’m going to help you make sense of skincare ingredients each month. First up –
retinol, and their siblings.
All of these ingredients are converted to vitamin A within the skin cells. Vitamin A
tells your skin cells how to behave. Think of it as the conductor of the orchestra. It
helps production of new skin cells, increases both collagen and elastin production
(the structural proteins responsible for firm and bouncy skin), and also boosts your
skin’s immunity.
Meaning – using these ingredients reduces lines and wrinkles, helps your skin fight
off bacteria helping fight acne, reduces dark spots. Overall stronger skin.
Retinol
Retinol is the gold-standard ingredient for skincare. There is so much evidence to
prove its worth. Retinol is probably the one in the list you have heard of. Retinol is
converted within the skin cells to vitamin A. Importantly, it has two steps before it
becomes the active vitamin A that your cell can use. Everyone has different ability to
do these conversions, so you may not get the same result using the product your
friend swears by. Retinol can cause irritation, so you should be starting low and slow.
More on that later.
Retinal
Retinal is more powerful. It only needs one step to be converted to the active vitamin
A. This also means the results are more consistent. But it can be much more
irritating. Again, starting off with a low strength just 2-3 times a week is best.
Retinol palmitate
Retinol palmitate or retinol propionate require 3 steps to convert. I am sure your
seeing the pattern now, the more steps to convert the “weaker” the retinol. So these
ingredients are the least powerful, which means they’re a great option for sensitive
skin types. If you’ve had issues with retinol before, these can be a good starting
point. They’re not bad.
Prescription only
There are some creams which are already active vitamin A, such as tretinion, but
these must be prescribed. They’re not suitable for everyone, they cause the most
irritation. I think it’s easy to fall into the trap of strongest is best, but that’s not always
true.
Tips
I would always be looking for a product which lists the percentage of the ingredient,
this way I know exactly what I am putting on my skin. So if I needed to increase or
decrease the strength, I know what my next steps are.
I also look for a product with an air-tight bottle. These ingredients can become less
effective once they are exposed to air. Personally, I don’t like dropper bottles much
anyway due to risk of introducing bacteria into the product.
Patience is key – generally early results can be seen after a month. But really it
takes 12 weeks of consistent use to see a real change.
Problems
As I have said, irritation can be an issue with these ingredients. It’s very important to
apply a pea sized amount only onto clean, dry skin. You can also sandwich it with a
gentle moisturiser, by putting a layer of moisturiser, then your retinol, then another
layer of moisturiser. This helps to buffer the retinol, effectively reducing the
concentration you are using. After a few weeks, if your skin is okay you can take
away the first layer of moisturiser. Very importantly they are not safe for use in
pregnancy and you should always use SPF as they make your skin more sensitive to
the harmful UV rays.
If you have gone too hard too fast and your skin is flaking and sore – take a step
back. Nourish your skin and try again when your skin is better, which can take a few
weeks.
I did fall into that trap in my early 20s, using a product that was much too strong for
me and applying it too often. It took me a while to recover. Now, I can happily use a
low strength retinol every other night, it helps keep my hormonal acne and those
pesky lines at bay.
Aimee, AD Aesthetics Pharmacist at Abbey Pharmacy, Sherborne
As seen in October issue of The Sherborne Times
