The Skin Nerd: there's no need to be afraid of retinoids
In my eyes, and in the eyes of nearly every skin expert, many types of vitamin A are essential for skin health and they are ingredients that I feel everyone should have in their routine, in the form of retinoids and beta carotene from plants, for example.
In our skin, vitamin A assists in skin cell renewal. You may have heard about vitamin A but aren’t certain about what products you’ll find it in, or you have heard of retinol but weren’t aware it was vitamin A. I promise you it is not as confusing as it sounds!
Retinoids are what we apply to our skin, derivatives of direct vitamin A. There are many types of retinoid, and they all aim to convert to retinoic acid. The differences between the retinoid is usually how long it takes or how it goes about being converted to retinoic acid. Prescription retinoids, often recommended for those with acne or to target fine lines or wrinkles, usually have a shorter or more straightforward conversion process, which is why a GP or dermatologist often recommends you introduce it slowly at first.
The same can be said of some cosmetic retinols from skincare brands. The benefit is that you may see the results sooner, the pitfall is that you may experience a retinoid response, when your individual skin isn’t used to vitamin A and thus you see some flaking, perhaps irritation and a bit of redness.
This type of cosmetic retinol does suit some people very well even from the very beginning – skin can be very resilient, and these days, delivery systems (how an ingredient gets into the skin) tend to be optimised to reduce irritation. For example, the Neostrata Skin Active Firming Retinol Repair Complex (€80, theskinnerd.com) contains microencapsulated retinol – meaning that tiny amounts of retinol are encapsulated in a protective coating - so that your skin can tolerate it slightly better!
However, I personally believe that if you can achieve expected results without irritation, that is the way to go so I advocate for a very specific form of vitamin A: retinyl palmitate. It’s the fat form and like retinol, it works to help speed up skin cell renewal and to trigger the synthesis of collagen in the skin.
The Environ SkinEssentiA AVST step-up system is a go-to for many – AVST 1 Moisturiser is the beginning for most, but those with very sensitive skin can use AVST Gel, with a very low amount of vitamin A and vitamin C that can help sensitive skin acclimatise to vitamin A over time. AVST Gel, AVST 1 and AVST 2 are suitable for use during pregnancy, according to Environ, which is incredibly rare in vitamin A products!
Because of my love for vitamin A and how I feel that it is a must-have for everyone, it is part of the Skingredients Core 4 in Skin Protein (€42, skingredients.com & selected stockists). Skin Protein is our vitamin A + vitamin C anti-ageing serum, formulated with all skins in mind, and it can be used both AM and PM.
For added benefits, I included a pro-collagen peptide that is clinically-proven to decrease the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
If you have tried retinol or a vitamin A product and declared it not for you, try a different form of vitamin A and introduce it slowly. I promise you that the results are worth that little bit of effort at the beginning.
Heliocare is an SPF range that I have adored for a very long time - it's a personal go-to for holidays! Some forms of vitamin A make skin sensitive to light, so an SPF is even more imperative (I advocate for using it 365 days a year, whether you're using A or not!). This is the ideal SPF for those who are very oily and want a super matte finish. What I love about Heliocare is that they include an enzyme that helps with skin DNA repair so when you're applying it daily you're protecting and repairing at the same time. It's very lightweight, so it is not for those who like to finish their morning routine with a heavier cream!
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