What is Retinol? 

Retinol is a type of vitamin A that helps keep your skin healthy and younger-looking. Retinol is also known as an antioxidant as it helps reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. As we age, our skin produces less and less collagen. To help combat this, dermatologists recommend adding a retinol product to your daily skincare routine.

We all want healthy, youthful skin and unfortunately, we don’t get to choose how our skin ages. But with great products like Mars By GHC’s, you can make the journey to healthier, more beautiful skin an easier one.

Retinol is a powerful antioxidant that helps keep skin healthy and youthful. It fights against the main signs of skin ageing by stimulating collagen production, which boosts the skin's elasticity and density. It also helps to strengthen the epidermis from the inside, which makes it resistant to damage from UV rays, pollution and harsh weather.

Now that we understand the basics about retinol, let us look at some of the more specific uses that it has, and whether or not it really works.

Benefits of Retinol for Skin

Retinol is one of the most powerful ingredients in anti-ageing skincare products. It is a form of vitamin A, which helps with cell regeneration and collagen production. Retinol can be found in many products, including moisturizers, serums, eye creams, and facials.

When applied topically, retinol can bring back the skin cells and function to a more youthful state by speeding up the cellular turnover. This helps prevent unclogged pores, thereby, reducing acne breakouts. Retinols also improve the texture, fine lines and brightness of the skin.

Here are some other benefits of retinol for the skin:

1. Retinol and Acne: As we age our bodies produce less collagen but more oil. As a result, we may start to see some acne issues. Retinol can help to control those breakouts as well as help to reverse some of the other signs of ageing.

2. Retinol and Wrinkles: Retinol will help to keep your skin healthy and can reduce some of those wrinkles as well as help to keep your skin moisturized. They also stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin color.

3. Retinol and Collagen: Retinol, a form of vitamin A, is a proven anti-ageing ingredient. It helps moisturize skin and decrease the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Retinol also encourages your body to produce more collagen, which is important for plump and smooth skin.

4. Retinol and Skin Cells: Retinol works by stimulating cell turnover, which means that old, dead skin cells on the surface of your skin are sloughed away. This also means that while retinol is a powerful anti-ageing ingredient, it can be drying on the skin if not properly moisturized.

5. Retinol and Hyperpigmentation: Retinol thins out the topmost cornified epithelial layer of the skin and helps in normalizing the function of sebum and the hair follicles. This helps in preventing acne and hyperpigmentation.

Within skincare, retinol can be found in creams, serums, and lotions; however, within dermatology, it is more often used in a prescription retinoid such as Tretinoin (the generic name for Retin-A).

Retinol is one of the most popular treatments used by dermatologists because it’s an anti-ageing ingredient that works well on different skin types to treat acne, improve the appearance of scars, and reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

However, stronger retinoid medications like Accutane and Retin-A may show some potential side effects like irritation, dryness, redness and peeling. If you are using too high a strength or apply retinol more frequently than you should, you may also experience scaly patches.

Eczema flare-ups, swelling, stinging and skin discolouration are also seen as some side effects but only in rare cases.

Retinol for Anti-Ageing

Retinol is a dietary fat-soluble vitamin obtained from animal sources like salmon, beef, meat liver, fish liver and eggs. However, it can also be bought from the market and applied topically to the face to tackle wrinkles and fine lines. 

The benefits of retinol can't be fully appreciated without a basic understanding of the processes that lead to the signs of ageing. The main explanation for this ageing relates to a reduction in collagen production.

Collagen is a protein that helps keep the skin smooth and elastic. Excessive exposure to the sun, stress, pollution and smoking can all lead to reduced levels of collagen.

The effect of this is that it makes the skin less elastic, which leads to lines and wrinkles appearing. Retinol can help reverse this process by boosting collagen formation under the skin.

Retinol helps the skin renew more rapidly. It works by increasing the rate at which skin cells turn over, and also encouraging cell growth. This reduces dryness and fights lines and wrinkles. It also increases the production of collagen, promoting elasticity and giving the skin a more youthful appearance.

Remember, retinol or any other natural ingredient is not a quick fix for skin issues. While prescribed retinoids may have an effect within a week or two, it can take upto more than 6 months for OTC retinol to give the same kind of results. You may start noticing some visible changes in your acne after 12 weeks but sun damage or signs of ageing can take much longer time to improve.

Take Away

Retinol can be found in many different forms including retinoids, retinoic acid and retinaldehyde. If you aren’t sure which form is best for you, we recommend speaking with a physician or dermatologist to get personalized recommendations for your skin and care routine.