I am often asked "What's the best antiageing skincare product I can use at home" and the answer is always RETINOL!
Retinol is not a new skincare fad . The powerful, fat-soluble form of vitamin A was actually discovered back in 1909 and has a well deserved reputation as a wrinkle-fighter.
It promotes cellular turnover to diminish lines and wrinkles. It increases collagen and elastin growth beneath the skin and combats pigmentation and acne scarring. Everything you want from a product!
The problem is that it's often underutilised or misused. The confusion comes because it is a retinoid, and retinoids fall into four main categories: retinol, retinoic acid, retinyl esters and retinaldehyde. There's a misconception that they're the same, and interchangeable. They're not!
Tretinoin (aka retinoic acid) is prescription strength and is 20 times more potent than over-the-counter retinol. This is usually prescribed for acne or severe, indented acne scarring, pigmentation or melasma. The high prescription concentration causes cells to turn over faster and deliver quicker results, meaning it can also cause quite a bit of inflammation and redness.
Retinol, on the other hand, slowly coverts to retinoic acid, and therefore takes longer to work on the skin. Because of this, retinol users can experience less irritation.
What you need to remember with retinol is: start low, go slow and be patient.
Start off with a pea-sized amount of a low-percentage formula and slowly move up the ladder (retinol tends to go up to one per cent at the highest level) until you reach the perfect personal zone: not too low, not too high.
Retinol can initially cause a skin process called retinisation: initial redness, dryness and flaking that can last between one and four weeks. It's a sign of your skin undergoing a shock of accelerated cellular growth. It's not necessarily an adverse reaction, more a tolerance adjustment.
I have seen people panic and discontinue retinol use at this vital stage however it is a bit like starting the gym and then giving up at the first hint of muscle soreness!
Retinol is one of those skincare ingredients that really forces you to "trust the process" but, given the right dose, patience and usage, it can deliver beautiful skin.
Your skin will thank you now, and for decades to come.
WITH RETINOL REMEMBER:
START LOW
GO SLOW AND
BE PATIENT
YOUR THREE-STEP ROUTINE TO HELP BUILD SKIN TOLERANCE
•If you know you are sensitive... try the "retinol sandwich" method. This involves applying moisturiser, then your retinol, then another layer of moisturiser to minimize dryness and redness
• For the first 10 applications, apply retinol every third night.
•The next 10 applications, apply every second night.
•Finally, build up to every night.
If your skin is still sensitive, then keep it at every other night
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