"When I start talking about retinol, I am constantly visited by two opinions formed in society. The first opinion is that there is nothing better than retinol and what it does is simply necessary for everyone who wants to improve the condition of their skin. The second is that the skin is irreversibly damaged after using retinol. more likely to have more pigmented spots, skin sensitivity or dilated capillaries. So, myth or truth?" - tells carolinashop.lt beautician Gabriele Grybaitė.
What is retinol?
When starting to destroy myths, you should first introduce retinol itself and what it is for
used. Retinol, otherwise known as Vit.A, belongs to the retinoid group. This group also includes natural retinal, retinoic acid, retinol palmitate, retinaldehydes and synthetic retinoids tretinoin, isotretinoin, adapalene and others. Depending on the chemical composition of Retinoids, they have different breakdown products, different endpoints and different skin effects and functions. Retinoids are generally used in cosmetics for their anti-aging effects and stimulation of regeneration. Retinoids stimulate the production of important structural skin substances, such as collagen, which has a significant effect on skin elasticity and turgor, and also activates cell turnover. (MEPolcz, A. Barbul,
2019., "The Role of vitamin A in. Wound healing"). But when it comes to retinoids and their abundance, the question is, how do you choose?
Effects of retinoids on the skin
Depending on how it breaks down in the skin and when it becomes active, retinoids affect the layers of the skin differently and are active differently. However, the effects of these ingredients are similar, only the results are achieved at different times and cause different skin reactions.
Effects of retinoids:
1. Reduces wrinkles
2. Improves skin tone and texture
3. Reduces skin inflammation
4. Visually reduces the size of pores
5. Reduces scars
6. Increases the effectiveness of other measures
Seems like the perfect product that does it all. But the point is simple. Retinoids, as I mentioned, basically stimulate the production of structural skin substances and activate cell turnover, promoting skin regeneration. During these processes, the production of collagen and elastin is stimulated in the skin, which affects skin tone, elasticity, and the visual reduction of pores. The "plumper" the skin is, the smoother it looks. So, using retinol can do a lot to improve the appearance of the skin, but it should be remembered that in addition to aging processes and inflammation, there is one of the most common skin problems - dehydration. What prevents the proper absorption of retinoids, as it causes a very large reaction when used,
which is usually difficult to tolerate. Skin conditions such as barrier damage, sensitivity or reactive skin should also be kept in mind.
This begs the question, can everyone use Retinol or retinyl esters?
How to choose the right "retinol"? So from my explanation of what retinoids are, we understand that there are many forms of it.
They usually differ in their breakdown products and different skin stimulation. The well-known and widely used Retinol is a weaker form of retinoid that can be found in over-the-counter cosmetics, while synthetic retinoids such as tretinone, adapalene, etc. - these are prescription drugs prescribed by dermatologists. Basically, these are the same retinoids, but their use, need and choice must be responsible and selected according to the condition of the skin and the desired result. To help you understand the difference between over-the-counter retinol and prescription tretinoin, I'll show you how retinol breaks down in the skin:
When applied to the skin, retinol is converted to retinaldehyde and then to all-trans retinoic acid, in other words tretinoin. This means that Retinol only begins to work after it is broken down into tretinoin, and it causes far fewer side effects than applying tretinoin immediately, which starts working on the surface of the skin. THIS MEANS THAT RETINOL IS MUCH BETTER TOLERATED AND CAN BE USED FOR MINOR SKIN PROBLEMS. Retinol palmitate first breaks down into retinol, then into retinaldehyde and only then into tretinoin and becomes active, which means that it works even slower and is less irritating to the skin, but it affects the deeper layers! So, as we've come to understand when choosing retinoid forms, a lot
what matters is their effect and strength!
Now that we've figured out how retinol works, the question arises about other forms of retinoids. When it comes to retinoids, I am very cautious about sharing information on my social media. Why? Because this ingredient must be chosen individually, very responsibly and most importantly - according to your personal skin problem!
What to look for in the composition?
So now we're going to talk about Retinoids that can be found in cosmetics and what names to look for.
In cosmetics, you will usually come across names such as:
Retinol (vit.A) – commonly used to combat photoaging and to control sebum production.
Retinyl palmitate - anti-aging and wrinkle reduction
Retinaldehydes - pink and wrinkles.
Retinoic acid – acne, psoriasis, wrinkles.
So, according to these descriptions, you will already be able to orient yourself more easily when looking at the composition of the tools.
Most often, we will find retinol and retinyl palmitate in cosmetics, in different concentrations.
The higher the concentration of retinol, the more this ingredient accumulates in the dermis of the skin and the unpleasant sensations may be felt more and more, but the effect is more effective. Despite the higher efficiency, it is important to emphasize that in this case efficiency should be achieved gradually and not immediately. In order to get the best results from retinol, the skin needs to be EXERCISED (Journal of cosmetics Dermatology, Volume 15, issue 1, 2016).
So is retinol right for everyone, Myth or Truth?
I will say Myths, simply because nowadays everything is accepted as the only and
undeniable truth. Retinol is not suitable for skin that is sensitized, dehydrated, has certain CONTRAINDICATIONS for the use of retinol, skin diseases or unbalanced
barrier with a reactive skin condition. Only when the skin is properly moisturized,
you can start using retinol if you are not sensitive and the disease is not activated (certain diseases, we are not talking about those where dermatologists specifically prescribe retinoids for the treatment of certain diseases). And how do you know if the skin is properly prepared?
If you have noticed, you can usually buy retinols with higher concentrations only with the consultation of a beautician. This is precisely due to the fact that only a specialist can properly select stronger concentrations and thus not harm the skin. Usually, the buyer can only get Retinols of weak concentration, because if it is not suitable - there will not be a very strong damage to the skin and in the worst case the skin will only be minimally irritated! So let's protect ourselves, don't choose products blindly, because we see advertisements announcing that retinol is suitable for everyone and always, or if it works for a friend, it will work for me too! SUITABLE FOR ANYONE WITH PROBLEMS THAT FIT THE CRITERIA TO USE RETINOL!
Frequency of retinol use
Also in this case, it is urgent to emphasize that retinol is not the same substance as: vit.c, niacinamide, lactic acid - which can be used practically at any time with desired intervals or simply as a temporary product. You start using retinol - we've been using it in practice for a long time - for results and proper skin balance. We start using retinol from the weakest and rarely, for example once a week. And we monitor skin tolerance. If everything is tolerated, there are no unpleasant sensations - we increase the use up to 2 times a week and more often. If the skin fully tolerates frequent use of retinol, we increase the concentration and start again with infrequent use and increase the frequency until full skin tolerance. Therefore, when using retinol, we must be conscious, understand our skin's reactions and evaluate them adequately!
Does Retinol harm the skin?
The second opinion is not based on science or scientific research, but on a person's "opinion" or personal experience. People talking about skin being "vulnerable" after retinol is practically creating a complete MYTH that scares people who have absolutely no idea about retinol, but whose skin is a potential "user" of retinol. When it comes to pigmentation, sensitivity or dilated capillaries after retinol, one can make only one assumption - improper use, irresponsibility and not understanding how much you can "earn" yourself by performing a facial routine outside of the protocol. Retinol use and age spots have nothing to do with it, except that people who don't use SPF and use strong products are basically setting themselves up for age spots. This is not a "side effect" caused by retinol, but it is our irresponsibility.
The same is the case with the other aforementioned discomforts such as sensitivity or visible capillaries. In this case, it can be assumed that the skin was not used, retinol was used too often or too strongly! Therefore, in this case, constant care by a beautician or our own awareness and understanding of our skin and its reactions is necessary.
I always tell my clients that in order to introduce stronger products into the routine, and Retinol is one of the strongest, we need to get our facial routine perfect. So that we don't "make money". Only when your home face routine is perfectly coordinated with the use of retinol - can we avoid all "side effects".
So to dispel this common misconception, I want to highlight the aspects that should be considered before starting to use retinol:
1. Facial care must contain enough moisturizing components.
2. Do not mix strong remedies together. Use the products according to the beautician
recommendations only at that time and do not experiment.
3. Introduce retinol gradually and start with the weakest concentrations.
4. Choose a form of retinoid based on the problem at hand, not what your "friend" uses. We are all unique, so we should use the products that suit us personally.
5. Retinol and SPF are inseparable friends. So if you are a sun lover - retinol is not for you.
The article was prepared by cosmetologist Gabrielė Grybaitė, we invite you for a free consultation on the selection of tools here.
