Over the last year, our daily routine has changed in several unexpected ways and as a result many of us have taken more ‘me-time’ to invest in our skincare routine. One savvy ingredient that's always in demand, and even more so now, is retinol. Hailed for its ability to turn back time and boost collagen production as well as evening texture and smoothing skin – retinol is considered the gold standard anti-ageing ingredient by many dermatologists.
All derivatives of Vitamin A are called retinoids; retinol is one of these retinoids.
Retinol is a very intelligent ingredient that when you apply to your skin, it essentially tells your skin cells to behave like younger, healthier cells. This results in higher collagen levels, which means fewer blemishes, fewer fine lines and plumper, more radiant skin.
There is a lot of misconception around retinol and how you add it to your routine. To avoid irritation, you need to build up skin’s tolerance ; Begin by using it twice a week for 2-3 weeks or every third night and then just shorten the gap between uses. The aim is to build up to using it every night before bed, so gauge how your skin responds to each use.
And another thing to remember? This isn’t a product to use during the day. Not only is retinol broken down by the sun which effectively renders it useless, but it also decreases skin’s tolerance to UV.
Retinol is suitable for anyone and every skincare routine as long as you introduce it correctly to your skincare routine. You need to use retinol for six months to see best results, as it means you need to await healthier skin cells coming through and giving them time to start behaving differently; it’s worth the wait.
