But first, here's what retinol does in a nutshell
- Stimulates skin collagen and elastin production
- Improves skin texture which can rejuvenate the skin's appearance
- Dampens and regulates the skin's sebum production, making the skin less oily
- Counteracts clogged pores and acts preventively and therapeutically on acne
- Reduces and prevents pigmentation changes by increasing cell renewal
1. What is retinol?
The collective name for vitamin A in skin care and pharmaceuticals is retinoids. The strongest and most effective are tretinoin, followed by retinol, retinal and various types of retinyl esters. However, only retinol, retinal and retinyl esters can be used in cosmetic products.
The retinyl esters, i.e. anything beginning with retinyl in the list of ingredients, are by far the most widely used retinoids. The reason is that they are the most stable and best suited for traditional skin care* as they do not degrade, i.e. lose their effect, as easily at room temperature. However, they are the least effective retinoids because they are twice the molecular weight of pure vitamin A, i.e. the one called retinol, and therefore do not penetrate the skin in the same way.
*Traditional skincare is what we call skincare with long shelf life that can be stored at room temperature due to various additives that are there for the product and not for the good of the skin.
2. Why use retinol?
Retinoids are widely used in skin care and pharmaceuticals because they are effective against signs of ageing, acne, psoriasis and other skin conditions. The strength of the particular thing called retinol is that its molecules are so small that they are able to penetrate the skin and reach our middle layer of skin, the dermis, where it stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. This improves and evens out skin texture, resulting in smoother skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
