SKINEDIT - Why Retinol is STILL the Gold Standard

Retinol is a form of vitamin A that falls under a class of topical ingredients called retinoids. Retinoids come in a variety of different forms including retinol, retinal, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid, tretinoin, retinyl palmitate, and retinyl acetate.

First studied in the 1960s and 70s as an acne treatment, topical retinoids are still prescribed today to unclog pores and prevent the buildup of oil and dead skin cells. While studying retinoids for acne-prone skin, scientists noticed not only a reduction in blemishes but also smoother skin texture and an overall decrease in wrinkles.

So how do they work? When applied topically, retinoids cause skin cells to renew faster and produce more collagen, which can result in an increase in epidermal thickness. 

Additionally, retinoids promote cells in deeper skin layers to divide more frequently, allowing new cells to replace older cells at the surface. This accelerated skin cell turnover can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, smooth out uneven skin texture, and give skin tone a noticeably brighter appearance.

Part of the reason why retinol is so popular is that it improves epidermal thickness – an effect that’s well-documented. However, while thickening the epidermis overall, retinol may temporarily compromise the skin’s barrier function.  This means putting your skin at risk of losing moisture and becoming ultra-sensitive. That's why it is often recommended to start slow, in order to give your skin a chance to adapt. 

Retinol induces changes to certain proteins within the skin that accelerate the peeling of the skin. This can become retinoid dermatitis, or the "retinol uglies", which can include irritation, itching, stinging, burning, and scaling, and increased sun sensitivity leading to higher rates of sunburns. By using the proper moisturizer and applying SPF most people can counteract this irritancy, making the negative side effects of retinol short-lived.

Have you ever wondered why retinol is only used at night? The reason is simple: retinol has been shown to make your skin more susceptible to sunburn, plus it degrades when exposed to UV rays. That means if you apply retinol during the day, you're not only getting fewer benefits but you're increasing damage to your skin. It's also extremely important to be sure to wash off your retinol in the morning, moisturize and apply SPF.

While retinol is probably the most recognizable ingredient on the shelf, it belongs to a wider family of vitamin A-based ingredients. 

The scientific studies showing the most significant changes in skin biology have been done with retinoic acid, also known as tretinoin. Tretinoin is a prescription-only topical medication, and has a powerful influence on the skin. Tretinoin can reverse some signs of aging, by slowing down the breakdown of collagen in our skin, and stimulating the production of new collagen. It also fades dark spots and speeds up cell turnover in the outermost layer of the skin — the epidermis — which gives us luminosity and brightness. 

While prescription-only tretinoin might be the most effective, its derivatives are still very powerful.

Retinaldehyde and retinol are one and two steps back from tretinoin. You are not going to see results as quickly as you do from tretinoin, but other options can be less irritating, and depending on the concentration and the quality, you will get the same end result once it's converted to retinoic acid.

Retinoids are a powerful product, and may not be tolerated every day in all people. When you first start using a retinoid, you can expect some dryness or irritation in the first few weeks while your adjusts. That irritation doesn't mean it's bad for your skin — it just means that you may need to build up the concentration, amount and contact time slowly.

If you have great insurance, see your dermatologist about writing you a script for tretinoin.  Otherwise, La Faccia Bella carries the medical grade PCA Skin retinols and the NEW Bioline Jatò Retinol A4 treatments.  

For an extra boost, La Faccia Bella offers the Ultimate Rejuvenation Peel from PCA, which combines a TCA Peel AND 4% Retinol Peel for the highest level of peeling outside of a medical setting.

You can expect results after just one peel which include brighter, more even skin tone, smoother skin texture, reversed signs of sun damage, improved appearance of wrinkles, improved appearance of acne scarring, and increased  cellular turnover to help minimize enlarged pores. Visible peeling after treatment can last up to fourteen days but the results are well worth it!

So yes, retinol can provide everything it promises but does so even better when it’s introduced slowly, used consistently and always, always in conjunction with daytime SPF. Glow safely.