Disclaimer: This is meant for general skincare advice and sharing of knowledge. This is not medical advice.
Welcome back! This is part 2 of my series ono anti-aging ingredients. These are not meant to be used in order so just try some and see if you like them. Part 1 was all about Vitamin C. Part 2 was all about Hyaluronic Acid and you can read about those with the link provided. Today is going to be all about retinoids and how they can help with fine lines and wrinkles. Again, I have mentioned this in the other two posts but the goal should be to find what works best for you. A lot of skincare is trial and error method. Finding an anti-aging product for you that checks the boxes that you need is the most important thing. Like any skincare product, it can depend on skin type, financial costs, and convenience of use. I just want to provide you different options and how they work so that you can use this information to find a product that works best for you!
Retinoids are what is known as a vitamin A derivative and they are commonly used in the world of acne and aging. When we think about aging, most people ask about what to do with fine lines and wrinkles? These are the two most common complaints people have from a cosmetic perspective. As you age, your skin production of collagen and elastin decrease which can lead to thinner skin, less flexible skin, and ultimately fine lines and wrinkles. This basic diagram shows you this:
As you can see, there is less collagen and elastin (lines and circles) in the dermis of the skin which leads to less elasticity there for causing wrinkles. The questions remains:
How do retinoids help this?
Retinoids help to increase collagen production. As just discussed, wrinkles and fine lines are a direct result of collagen and elastin production being decreased so the main and most important goal is that it helps to stimulate your cells to produce more of this. A lot of things in skincare is to help stimulate or replace things that decrease as you age and this is no different.
Retinoids inhibit the production and transfer of melanin therefore decreasing brown sun spots that can come up on the face leading to a more natural even skin tone
Retinoids increase skin cell turnover which can get rid of dead cells leading to a higher amount of new skin cells and therefore getting that “glow” look
The benefits of retinoids can typically be seen after about 6 months of consistent use. The biggest thing to be aware of is that retinoids can be drying so I recommend using them every other night to start and build up as you go. If you go back through my archive, you can see some other posts where I have talked about moisturizers and what to do about dry skin. Also, one thing to know is that this must be used at night time because the sun can essentially deactivate the medicine rendering this useless.
The only over the counter retinoid at this time is called Differen gel which as the active ingredient of adapalene. Here is a here to it but you can find this at any other drug store out there. It also can help a lot with clearing out pores and can be a vital part of a good acne skincare routine.
Overall, this warps of the three part series about aging and how you can prevent fine lines, wrinkles, and dark sun spots. There are hundreds of products out there but I think starting with Vitamin C serum, Hyaluronic Acid, or Differen gel can make a big different. Find what works for you and stick with it.
As I have talked about in my first post. The key to results is a good routine and you must remain consistent and get into a good routine in order to make the most of it. I am happy to help you with any of your skincare needs. Always feel free to reach out if you have any questions or need help! Have a great Monday!