Simone Gannon: A beginner's guide to retinol

Regarded as the gold standard of active ingredients, Retinol is a topic on everyone’s lips. But given its potency, it’s important to understand exactly how it works, how to use it, and whether it’s right for you. I speak to two leading skin experts to get the lowdown.

Dr Laura Lenihan, Dr Laura Clinic

HOW DOES IT WORK?

‘Retinol helps ageing skin by promoting cell turnover’, says Dr Louise Smyth, Founder of Kins Skin Clinic. ‘It essentially makes your skin act as it did when you were a child. It makes the skin ‘fall off’ regularly and is replaced by a new, healthier, stronger layer of skin.’ It promotes collagen production, fades dark spots, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, helps to reduce the production of oil, and firms and plumps the skin, among many other benefits. So far, so straightforward. So why is there often much confusion when it comes to Retinol? The answer lies in its slightly complex family tree.