In The Beauty Light: Retinol

What Is Retinol?

Retinol is a type of retinoid, of which there are several variations. It essentially helps in smoothing out existing wrinkles and prevents any new ones from forming. It contains a Vitamin A derivative, which helps treat acne and improves the overall appearance and texture of your skin. There are different types of retinoids, and are available in quite a few over-the-counter skin care products, but it’s important to understand the proper use and procedure before incorporating it in your skin care routine in order to avoid any harmful side effects.

Benefits:

• Prevents wrinkles and fine lines.
• Brightens dull skin and fades dark spots.
• Reduces the stickiness of cells that clog pores.
• Treats blackheads and acne.
• Speeds up the normal rate of skin regeneration.

Potential Side Effects:

• Skin could potentially become somewhat red and dry.

• May cause skin to become sensitive to sunlight.

• Using it more than the required amount can irritate the skin.

• Skin may peel off causing itchiness and flaking.

Incorporating It Into Your Skin Care Routine

According to Dr Sheri Marchbein, retinol should be used with something like a Vitamin C serum as she believes they work well together. Even though they serve different purposes, they help your skin look and feel great. The vitamin C is supposed to protect you skin from any damage caused by the sun so it should be applied in the morning and the retinol helps your skin repair and regenerate so it would be best to use it at night. The best way to start using retinol would be to start by using a small amount of it to get the skin used to it meaning use lower percentages and slowly increase the strength overtime. This will give the skin time to adjust and not be as prone to getting affected by the new product.

It’s also important to stick with clean and gentle products when you’re using retinol to avoid causing any further damage to the skin and to give it time to get used to the new product. As mentioned above, retinoids can cause sensitivity to the sun and the skin can potentially get a sunburn, so it’s very important to wear SPF 30+ everyday in order to prevent getting skin cancer or any other kind of harmful side effects from the sun.