What is retinol and how to benefit from it ?
A guide of best retinol products available in India.
#1 what is a retinoid?
The retinoids are a class of chemical compounds, derivative of vitamin A. There is a lot of confusion about retinoids but to clarify: retinol, adapalene, tretinoin (retinoic acid), tazarotene, retinaldehyde are all within the retinoid family with different degree of efficacy because they need to be converted along the way to be used on the skin.
RETINOIDS |
Within the retinoids family, retinol needs to be converted into retinaldehyde which then needs to be converted into retinoic acid in order to be active in the skin.
RETINOL | RETINALDEHYDE | RETINOIC ACID |
#2 What does retinol do and why dermatologists talk about this ingredient all the time ?
By far one of the most interesting ingredients in skincare because retinol is multitasking and here are the benefits:
- Improve skin texture
- Reduces fine lines and wrinkles
- Decrease dark spots, hyperpigmentation and melasma
- Acne treatment
#3 best retinol for beginner
If you are just getting started with retinol you might want to look at a category of products with "gentle formulas" in order to test the tolerance of your skin for this ingredient and therefore avoid irritation. Retinol is an ingredient that should be introduced gradually to your skin. As a beginner, dermatologists recommend products with a lower concentration ( even if the efficacy is not optimal at the start). Therefore at the start, retinol will be less irritating than retinoic acid, overtime you can scale up to a more effective formula depending on your skin tolerance.
A great retinol to start with is the Cerave resurfacing retinol serum, it uses an encapsulated retinol that slowly releases itself throughout the day which makes it much more tolerable for the skin. the formula is also supported by other really good ingredients that help to calm the skin like licorice, niacinamide and ceramides to help restore
the skin barrier.
OLAY Regenerist Retinol 24: one of the nicest formulated products because in addition to retinol it has great complementary ingredients like peptides and niacinamide to support the action of the retinol and it also has a nice moisturising vehicle.
#4 rETINOL FOR THE BODY
If your are using retinol on your face and you are happy with the result, you will experience the same benefits by using it on the body. Therefore it can be beneficial for textured skin around knees and elbow, hyperpigmentation and discolouration.
You can select a formula supported by other nourishing ingredient like jojoba oil, cocoa butter, hyper-nourishing squalane.
For face and body never forget a layer of sunscreen after retinol application.
#5 retinoids for acne
Retinol helps decrease the oil production, increase the skin cell turnover and prevent the inflammation from acne. Therefore, if you are looking for an acne treatment you may want to discuss the use of adapalene with your dermatologist ( stable ingredient and pretty affordable).
Highly recommended product: La Roche-Posay Effaclar adapalene gel
Other types of retinoids available under prescription for acne : tretinoin and tazarotene.