New subscribers, enjoy 20% off next order. Be the first to hear about new launches and promotions. Subscribe now to receive your code!
New subscribers enjoy 20% off for today only. Be the first to hear about new launches and promotions. Subscribe now to receive your code!
Learn More
Retinol The Superhero Ingredient
Retinol is widely regarded as the most effective topical treatment available, but yet there is so much confusion when it comes to this wonderful ingredient. Today I am going to talk to you about who retinol is for, why use retinol, the effects of retinol and the different variants of vitamin A.
Let’s get started..
Not to get too technical but the correct word is actually Retinoid. Retinoid is the term used for the entire family of vitamin A derivatives, including over the counter products (which are the gentlest) and prescribed (which are the most potent). There are different types, and all comes down to their strength.
Here are some different types:
All these different types are derived from Vitamin A. So Retinol is Vitamin A.
First of all you need to know what you are using and what you want to treat. My advice is always consult with your skin consultant and they can advise you on which retinol product to get.
The two types I will be talking to you today is Retinol Esters and Retinol as these are in a lot of our products that we stock on Millies.ie. Later on I will recommend some products for you to introduce to your skincare regime, all available on our website.
The Benefits:
Retinol is one of those ingredients that treats nearly all skin concerns.
The list could go on, but you get my point.. therefore it’s so important to have some form of Vitamin A in your regime.
There is no set time to you use retinol, if you are young start in your late 20s especially if you have breakouts it will really help. The best type is to start on retinyl palmitate for younger clients. Whatever age you are there is a Vitamin A product for you.
New technology has helped with side effect in a lot of the brands. Today there is very few side effects to using retinol and this is because of its deliver system and buffers such as encapsulation retinol, Drone and time release which causes little or no irritation at all.
Unfortunately, a lot of people have been put of my using retinol as their skin has had a response NOT a reaction. This is why it is so important to consult with your skin consultant first before buying a retinol. If used incorrect the skin will feel tight dry and sometimes peel this can be mistaken for a reaction and it is only your skin responding to the ingredient as it has been used incorrectly or you have used it too much.
We would always recommend to drip feed retinol into your skin, and what I mean by this is to start off very slow. This avoids all those side effects that one can experience when using retinol.
Side effects when used incorrectly include: Redness, dryness, irritation and flaking. To avoid this start by using your retinol once to twice a week and when your skin builds it tolerance to it you can introduce more. Once you get it right, honestly there is nothing like the results and how smooth your skin will become.
Tip:
If you are using retinol you can skip other exfoliators such as AHAs and BHA, doubling up can compromise the skin. Combining acids and retinol can cause irritation so stick to one or the other!
Topical Retinol is not for everyone unfortunately
People with an impaired barrier find it uncomfortable, skin types such as Rosacea, hypersensitive, eczema and psoriasis. My advice is to concentrate on repairing your barrier first and then you can start slow with a low form of vitamin A such as retinyl palmitate or another option could be treating your skin from within with Vitamin A.
Here are some Skin Supplements you can use if you feel you are not able to use topical Retinol.
Recap:
3 important things to remember when using Vitamin A.
The Bottom Line
Retinol is safe, amazing ingredient to add to your skin regime, the benefits only increase the longer you use it. The younger you start the more preventative it will be in terms of reducing the formation of fine lines and wrinkles. A question I get all the time is “Am I too late to start using retinol”? and my answer is absolutely not.
Consult with your skin Consultant at Millies.ie today to find out more.
Top Picks
