The Skin Nerd: What is vitamin A or retinol?
Vitamin A: a 'hero' ingredient for all the hoomans.
When it comes to hero ingredients, vitamin A is pretty much the Wonder Woman of the skincare universe. A powerful ally in the quest against accelerated ageing, it’s an ingredient that comes with glowing testimonials and if you haven’t quite taken the leap yet, many of us have certainly considered including it within our skincare regime. So, why any trepidation when it comes to using an ingredient with so many benefits? Well, cautious hoomans are right to take a little time to forge a plan of action. Using vitamin A is not something to rush into, and whilst the potent antioxidant is beneficial for all skin types (excluding any pregnant hoomans), you need to be familiar with the types of vitamin A first and take a slow and steady approach to minimise any irritation. Here are some need-to-consider factors to think about beforehand...
- Normalising the skin - vitamin A can make reproducing cells healthier.
- Regulating cell turnover – by naturally exfoliating the skin. Retinol increases cell turnover, which makes the skin look brighter and minimises the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Increased cell turnover also helps prevent dead skin cells from clogging pores and causing breakouts.
- Regulating oil production – which has a beneficial effect on acne.
- Stimulating collagen and elastin – Retinoids increase the amount of collagen present in the skin by stimulating fibroblast activity and decrease the number of enzymes that threaten to break down collagen.
Vitamin A comes in two variations: preformed (retinoids) and pro-formed vitamin A. The preformed variety includes retinyl, retinol, retinal and retinoic acid. Retinol (retinyl) is a fat-soluble compound and is absorbed in the body when you consume foods such as egg yolk, milk, liver and fish oils. We need the retinyl form of vitamin A as it is directly converted into retinoic acid in the body. Pro-formed vitamin A, such as beta carotene is found in plants like sweet potatoes, carrots and oranges and goes through several conversions in the body, becoming retinol and eventually retinoic acid.
With retinol being fifth on the list of most searched skincare ingredients last year, this alcohol derivative of vitamin A is the most well-known but before you jump in, there are many other kinds with varying levels of potential side effects. There are many different forms of retinoids, and the level of which you can think of like a staircase. Starting at the bottom step, there are the three fatty forms (which are retinyl-acetate, retinyl-propionate and retinyl-palmitate), on the next step is retinol (the alcohol form) and the top step is retinoic acid (the acid form and medically active form). No matter which form is applied topically, each form of vitamin A will convert into the other before finally converting back into retinoic acid inside the cell. This means that the milder forms of vitamin A will absorb slower and cause less irritation for sensitive skins, while the more active forms such as retinol may absorb faster and may not be tolerated as well. Therefore, when using retinol, it is best to start slowly, with usage no more than 1-2 times per week.
Retinyl palmitate is a gentle, fatty form of vitamin A and is recommended as your first step into the retinoid world. As the skin is lipid-loving, it tends to tolerate this fatty ingredient much better than jumping straight to the alcohol version (retinol), and if tolerated, you can progress to include retinol alongside this after a few weeks. The great news is that when you apply retinyl palmitate to your skin it will still convert into the active form of retinol called retinoic acid when its inside the skin cells! So, you get the same great results with less irritation as you can use it AM and PM every day!
• If concerned, check with your skincare professional before pairing vitamin A with other active ingredients, such as AHAs. A cocktail of active ingredients may be too harsh for your skin and cause sensitivity issues.
• Expect your skin to be reactive whilst acclimatising to your vitamin A product. Many hoomans find that they experience side effects such as redness, dryness and congestion. Often described as a retinoid response or retinol purge, this should be temporary, and it is recommended that you reduce usage until your skin recovers as opposed to stopping using the ingredients permanently.
• Always wear SPF! You should be applying SPF daily anyway, but it can become even more essential when using vitamin A as some forms can cause increased sensitivity to the sun.
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