If you haven’t heard of retinol, you should have. This Vitamin A powerhouse is one of the more important ingredients in your skincare. Retinol not only helps to rebuild and clean out our skin receptors, but it goes into the skin cell and helps repair the DNA. Think bright, happy, healthy skin!
Over time as we age and other external factors like UV-damage take hold, our Vitamin A levels deplete, and we need to increase the levels with the help of serums and creams.
Skins that need Vitamin A:
All of them! But seriously, anyone over the age of 25 starting a good skincare routine should be using retinol nightly. Specific skin concerns that benefit from Vitamin A are acne, rosacea and inflammation, pigmentation and aging skin.
How to use Vitamin A:
Vitamin A needs to be slowly introduced into the skin. We recommend starting out using Vitamin A every third day for two weeks, then every second day for two weeks until you can handle it every day. Not all skins will like it every day so find what level your skin wants.
Too much of a good thing:
If you overuse Vitamin A, your skin can become flaky as it speeds up your natural exfoliation process. It can become itchy and red and even breakout. If you have a retinol response, we recommend stopping until your skin has fully recovered, then start again at the beginning.
Types of Vitamin A
There are so many types of Vitamin A it can be hard to keep up. Here’s some of the most common.
Retinol Palmitate is the gentlest version of Vitamin A and is mostly found in organic or natural products. We call it the stepping stone as it’s what we would start you on.
Retinol is the most common Vitamin A in skincare and, depending how it is ‘delivered’ into the skin, depends on how much change you will see. Start slow and always use sunscreen during the day.
Trention is a chemist-only prescription and is the most active and volatile form of Vitamin A. It is great for quick results with a fast and effective shedding of the skin. This form is a treatment, not a regular product. Overuse of this product will make your skin weak, thin and irritated.
All skin types will benefit from Vitamin A, but require different forms or levels. It’s best to seek professional advice from your skin therapist regarding which Vitamin A is best for your skin.