Retinol - the MVP of skincare?

Retinol - the MVP of skincare?

I was on FaceTime with my Mom the other night and, as she is a skincare lover like me, the coversation turned to retinol as she was talking about getting her derm to prescribe one.
I only have a small amount of experience with retinol/retinoids(although I wish I'd started earlier) - I bought the Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Retinol a couple of months ago and ended up giving it to my best friend. I didn't see any results after 3 or 4 weeks, but mainly I just didn't like the formula itself - it contains silica, which is a good stabiliser, but the product itself has the same feeling as Maybelline Baby Skin primer which I really dislike. Like Baby Skin it tended to ball up when layered over/under other products. I found it uncomfortable to wear at night (when one should use a retinol/retinoid - some people use this serum as a primer but I'd prefer to use it at night like God intended). I am now slightly miffed at the fact that they clearly say 'with retinol' on the packaging when in fact the ingredient is retinyl palmitate which is an ester/derivitive of retinol (Vitamin A) and palmitic acid ( a saturated fatty acid). Maybe this is splitting hairs, but I like to know exactly what's going on my face. So this is the first thing to be aware of when purchasing retinol/retinoid products - make sure you know which you want and which you're getting, especially if you are buying it yourself and are not being prescribed it by a dermatologist/GP. 



So, what exactly is retinol?

Retinol is basically Vitamin A. Vitamin A occurs naturally in the body but is also found in dairy products, fish, certain fruits, vegetables and meat. It is necessary for the maintenance of vital organs - heart, lungs, kidneys etc. as well as many other functions (bone growth, helping eyes adjust to light changes etc - remember as a kid you'd be told to eat your carrots so you could see at night?! Turns out there's some truth in that!). Topically speaking, when a retinol comes into contact with the skin, enzymes work to convert it into retinoic acid and this is what promotes the growth of healthy skin cells, prevents the build up of dead skin, smooths, increases the production of collagen and thickens the deeper layers of the skin thus resulting in the reduction of wrinkles. (I think of it this way and I apologise in advance, it's not the best metaphor!!) -Think of your mattress. You put on the mattress protector (deeper levels of the skin), and then a valanced sheet (the skin we see on our faces). After a couple of days of tossing and turning (think years of your skins life) the mattress protector has become lose and wrinkled which in turn loosens and wrinkles the valanced sheet. Once you straighten and reattach the protector, your top sheet is smooth again. Retinol is less stable than its synthetic counterpart retinoid, and for this reason shouldn't be formulated with water as it will cause it to be more sensitive to air, light etc. Silicone is a good stabiliser in this case. Retinol also tends to cause more side-effects than retinoids and can take longer to show results as your skin has to work to convert it (something else to be aware of - the more conversions your skin has to do to transform retinol into retinoic acid, the weaker the effects of the product will be). For this reason many people, especially those starting out would choose to go with a retinoid as it's easier on the skin which has less work to do in terms of conversion, acts faster, is more effective and can be a lot less irritating. Products that contain retinol include The Ordinary Adanced Retinol 1%* (I've just bought this from Cloud10Beauty and although it contains silicone it feels smoother than the PC serum, very similar to their Silicone primer actually) and La Roche Posay Rendermic R (contains water and also retinyl lineoleate which is a retinol deriviative and probably stabilizes the retinol. I think it also helps the skin to convert it faster, thus making it more effective and less irritating than a pure retinol).

Got it. So what are retinoids/Retin A?

Retinoids/Retin A are the synthetic derivatives of Vitamin A. They generally contain higher quantities of retinoic acid than non-prescription retinols.Tretonin, one of the strongest, was the first retinoid to be approved by the FDA around 40 years ago. Initially it was being prescribed to people who were suffering from severe acne, but when it was found that the product was also getting rid of fine lines it became famous as an anti-ageing product - however, it is only available by prescription and can cause strong side-effects - redness, peeling etc. Another is Differin, which is milder. If you are using either of these or any other prescription retinoid and are experiencing particularly bad redness/peeling/irritation it could be a good idea to switch to a milder 'over the counter' retinoid like Sunday Riley Luna or The Ordinary Advanced Retinoid 2%. Overall, a retinoid is stronger and more effective than a retinol, and would be more suitable for someone whos skin just can't tolerate pure retinol/has problems with acne or sun damage etc/ just wants to see results fast. Most derms would recommend using a retinoid instead of a retinol as it's more effective. As I said above, your skin doesn't have to work as hard to convert a retinoid so it can be less irritating, if it is a milder dose. (obviously if you are using Tretonin and Differin you can expect some irritation, just make sure it's not overly bad - if it is see your derm/GP). Unless you have particularly aggressive acne or sun damage etc it could be worth getting yourself one of these products to start out before you decide to get a prescription from from your derm/GP, but that's up to you of course!

Tips for using retinol/retinoids

*Absolutely not to be used if you are pregnant/breastfeeding
*SPF is obligatory, as with acid toners - 15 SPF or higher, and ideally, one that protects you from UV and UVB rays. I'm a factor 50 girl, face and body.
*It's completely fine to use retinol/retinoids with AHA/BHA exfoliators e.g. Glow Tonic and Liquid Gold.
*Make sure you own a soothing and hydrating cream, something like Dr Jart Ceramidin or Kiehls Ultra Hydrating Overnight Mask for if/when your skin gets irritated
*Don't be tempted to use more product thinking that it will be more effective. A pea-sized amount smoothed all over the face is enough.
*You can use a retinol/retinoid with Vitamin C/Ascorbic Acid
*If you have a very bad reaction see your derm/GP
*Bear in mind that retinol is an expensive ingredient and retinol products, or at least a lot of them, are expensive for a reason. Ideally I would have liked to start my own retinol journey with SR Luna, but at 85 sterling I just can't justify it at the moment. While The Ordinary one that I picked up is around 7 euros and extremely cheap, I've heard good things about it and its formulation so I'm giving it a go.
*Typically a retinoid/retinol is something that you would start using in mid-late twenties, or even early twenties if you are a smoker/drinker.
*Cleansers containing retinol/retinoids are a waste of time and money - you're just washing it off.
*If your skin is having trouble with a strong retinoid/retinol it's a good idea to try a milder retinoid to break yourself in 
*Retinols/retonoids should be used at night after cleansing,toning/acid toning and before serum.
*If you're starting out you could consider mixing your retinol with your serum/putting a serum on first so as to buffer the skin.
*Again, if you're starting out I would recommend using your retinol/retinoid every second or third night just to get used to it.
*If you are someone who waxes, don't use a retinoid/retinol for two-four days before and after .

So this is just a brief introduction to retinols/retinoids/Retin A. If you, like me until recently, weren't sure of the difference then I hope this helped! As I mentioned I have just purchased The Ordinary Retinol 1% - this was before I decided to research this topic, and although I haven't used it yet I have opened it (hence can't return it) and plan to start with it tonight. In hindsight I wish I had done my research earlier and gone for the Advanced Retinoid 2% but hindsight is 20/20. I plan to mix the one I have with my serum for the first couple of uses -  I'm going to start with every second night to get my skin used to it. If my skin goes haywire I'll stop. I will definitely do a review on this retinol when I get to grips with it, wish me luck!


Thanks for reading!
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A x



*In April 2016 the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety suggested that the retinol content of products should be no more that 0.03%. While this has not affected EU regulations as yet this could be an issue in the future.