Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years, you should already have fully embraced the use of retinol products. Or at least heard murmurings about this skincare heavyweight and what it can do for your skin.
Basically, if you want to avoid dull, crepe-like, Miss Havisham territory you NEED to get on it.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A and has been used in skincare products since the 1970’s. However, recently there has been a landslide of more “user-friendly” products that are sold over the counter and are widely available no matter where you are in the world.
What does it actually do?
Vitamin A (retinol, retinoids, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid) acts directly on the DNA in skin cells to boost cell functions that tend to slow down once we hit the grand old age of 30 (cry - we know 30 is not anywhere near old, but we have to go with what science says). By increasing cell turnover, retinol enhances radiance in your skin as well as thickening the second layer of the epidermis (which makes the skin look firmer!)
But it doesn’t stop there, retinol also boosts collagen production and helps to prevent its breakdown whilst simultaneously helping skin to hold onto hydration and balancing oil production.
To sum up, Vitamin A in all of its forms IS the hero product of your dreams and can be used to treat a multitude skin concerns including acne, premature ageing and pigmentation.
How do I apply a retinol product?
Different brands will give you different instructions but we’ve listed a few key things to remember below to get you started!
• Retinol should be applied to the skin straight after cleansing in the PM and left for 15-20 minutes to really work into your skin.
• You can (and should!) use other products in addition to retinol, but these should be applied after your retinol.
• Don’t apply too much – a little goes a long way with retinol, especially the higher strength versions.
• Don’t expect overnight results – there is scientific evidence to suggest it can take up to 12 weeks to see a difference. But be consistent!
• Don’t start off using retinol every night – take it easy! We’d suggest to begin using your product twice a week and monitoring progress, before upping your useage by one day every week until you are using it 5 times a week.
If you have any further questions about retinol or vitamin A, please get in touch with us on instagram @33dowanhill or email us by clicking the link below.
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33Dowanhill
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