“Retinol helps unclog pores, exfoliate and smooth the skin, reduce the appearance of pigmentation, improve skin hydration, treat acne, and reduce fine lines and wrinkles”.
Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, something which we can get from foods like beef liver, eggs, salmon etc. and which is highly important for our eyesight as well as maintaining our skin in good condition. Very often and for whatever reason we need to take supplements to get adequate levels of Vitamin A and for the same reason we need to use retinol to perfect our skin’s condition. When we use it in our beauty regime ‘retinol works to neutralize free radicals, stimulate collagen production and accelerate skin turnover, smoothing fine lines and wrinkles and blurring acne marks and other blemishes in the process’.
By the time we hit the big 4-0 we have already been exposed to the sun ample of times and this inevitably leads to collagen damage (the substance that holds the body together). So that’s the right time to start thinking about using retinol; to help stimulate collagen, strengthen the skin and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. You can either use products that have retinol as an ingredient or go the whole nine yards and use a retinol serum/cream before your daily night regime.
Since retinol needs some fine-tuning of around two to six weeks – skin peels and becomes red – it is vitally important to use only a pea-size amount. For most people, this is just an adjustment period, and this irritation progressively goes away revealing a healthier and brighter looking skin with less wrinkles. Also retinol can cause skin dryness therefore it is often recommended to use it every other night at first and then gradually increase applications. In addition, wearing a sunscreen during the day is extremely important, because skin becomes more sensitive to sunlight. The best thing you can use in combination with retinol, according to Dr. Zeichner, is a moisturizer, which can help hydrate and prime the skin and reduce the risk of irritation from retinol.
A big part to the great results retinol has is application. Too much or too often can have adverse effects and that’s definitely not what we want.
The first thing you must do before every night application is to make sure your skin is cleansed correctly and completely dried. Apply your eye cream so as to protect the delicate skin around your eyes. Take a pea-size amount of your retinol and start from your chin and work upwards and outwards. Wait for a couple of minutes and then apply with your moisturizer.
Remember to apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen in the mornings to protect your skin!
Till next week…
