RETINOL IN SKINCARE

Happy Saturday🤩! Today, I am sharing with you all you need to know about retinol in skincare! Retinol is a powerhouse ingredient, backed up by years of research studies, showing its many values. It’s the one ingredient I believe anyone, with any skin type, can benefit from. It all comes down to how you incorporate it in your routine.

So, if you want to know more about retinol in skincare then keep on reading. Don’t forget to check out my previous post: THE BEST HYDRATING SERUM FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE!

What is it 🧐

Before explaining what is retinol, it’s important to understand what’s retinoid first. Retinoid is the umbrella term for any synthetic vitamin A where as Retinol is a type of retinoid that’s gentler and that can be purchased over-the-counter. The concentration of retinol can vary between 0.01% to 3%. Studies have actually shown that even small amounts of retinol can make an impact in the appearance of visible signs of aging and more (Source).

Benefits 🤍

But what does retinol do to your face exactly? In general, retinol supports healthy cell turnover to refine the skin, boost radiance, and to target signs of aging.

It penetrates the middle layer of skin and helps neutralize free radicals. This helps boost the production of elastin and collagen, which creates a “plumping” effect that can reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and enlarged pores. It basically communicates with the skin, telling it how to look and behave younger. On top of that, retinol can be used to target acne and overtime, fades acne scars (Source)!

How to use it 🫧

When using retinol for the first time, it’s important to remember a few words of caution:

Sunscreen is a must because retinol tends to make your skin more sensitive
Avoid using retinol and strong actives, such as AHAs, at the same time. Try alternating between retinol creams and exfoliants. That way, you’ll get the benefits from both without irritating your skin.
If retinol does irritate your skin, use the “sandwich” method. So, apply a light layer of your moisturizer, apply your retinol treatment on top then finish off with another layer of your moisturizer.

Moreover, since retinol is considered a strong active ingredient, I’d recommend starting with a small dosage (0.01% – 0.3%), using it just 1 to 2 times per week then build up from there to see how your skin tolerates it. The worst skincare mistake I’ve done is using a 1% retinol every night for a month. That totally damaged my skin barrier resulting in acne, inflammation, irritation and dryness. Learn from my mistake. Go slow.

My product recommendations ✨

My go-to brand for retinol products is Paula’s Choice. They truly formulate this ingredient perfectly and depending on your skin type, they propose different options. The one I am currently using has a concentration of 0.3% of retinol. It’s gentle, smoothes out my skin texture, and makes my skin look more healthy and glowy! This ingredient has definitely become a staple in my skincare routine as I am approaching my 30s (that’s in 4 years, but i like to prepare 😉) and as I have a lot of skin issues I’d like to target. This ingredient does it all.