About a month ago several friends asked me about retinol and whether I use it to fight early signs of aging. I had always thought that retinol and Retin-A were acne medications (I was half-right), so when I heard about this supposedly untapped fountain of youth I had to try it. I asked around and got a variety of responses. My friend’s aunt, a longtime aesthetician in a dermatologist’s office, was enthusiastic about it, suggesting a new regime for me based around the cream. However, one of my buyers, when I mentioned it to her, told me it basically burned her face off. Obviously, I immediately sequestered the bottle she had purchased less than a week before, now useless in her medicine cabinet, for my own use.
I am not a doctor so take my advice as you will. I have done some thorough research (spoken to a PhD candidate who studies skin cancer, my dermatologist, my friend’s aunt, and Wendy – duh) and can speak from personal experience as well. Here is my advice. All my 25+ year-old ladies, this is for you.
Retin-A is an effective and highly potent acne fighter; a convenient side effect is that it successfully fights wrinkles. This is because Vitamin A, in addition to removing the keratin plugs that form blackheads in your skin, stimulates collagen production and cell turnover. However, Retin-A is a hardcore chemical that should really only be used by people with serious acne. If you don’t have acne but still want the collagen and anti-zit benefits of Vitamin A, use retinol. Retinol is the kinder, gentler form of Vitamin A that exists in nature. It, too, fights aging by correcting damaged skin cells through collagen production, while addressing splotchy patches and zits. Even though you don’t need a prescription, retinol is strong (1% is the highest concentration) so you should ease into using it.
Follow some guidelines:
1. Prep your face before you apply. Completely wash with a gentle cleanser/toner that is pH-balanced. Look out for sugar in the ingredients of many OTC face washes – sugar crystals have jagged edges that will irritate your skin, causing it to produce more oil. Brush your teeth and dry your skin thoroughly beforehand because Vitamin A products do not mix well with moisture. Finally, apply some vaseline or rosebud salve to your lips to protect from perioral irritation. Wait until your skin is completely dry before using the retinol cream.
2. Using more retinol cream does not mean you will get rid of more wrinkles. Use a pea-sized amount to cover your entire face.
3. Retinol can only be used at night because it makes your skin extremely sun-sensitive. Always wash your face thoroughly in the morning to remove traces of the cream. Apply a hydrating moisturizer during the day with a separate SPF cream on top. Many people don’t realize that SPF cannot be absorbed by skin so SPF moisturizers 1) sit on top of the skin, 2) don’t moisturize deeply, and 3) create build-up that causes acne.
4. If you are unsure, speak with your dermatologist to find out how often you should use retinol. Most experts recommend using it every other night at first to acclimate your face to the intensity but that might be too often for some people. Retinol dries and thins the skin so if your skin is not overly-wrinkled then you probably don’t need to use it so regularly — especially in the winter, when skin is already dry.
The first week, I used it 3 times (every other night), and on the sixth day my skin broke out in a painful rash on my cheeks. I stopped using it immediately (this was two months ago). My rash faded within an hour and for two weeks after that my skin was flawless. Then I noticed I was developing some bumpy pimple-looking things on the usual areas and I applied the retinol cream again. Literally the next morning my skin was perfect again, blemish-free and less dull. I spoke to Wendy, who is Chinese and thirty-two, and she said she does not use it at all in the winter because her skin is way too sensitive. Instead, she applies it once a week or so in the summer when oils tend to build up on the face. I have been using it 1-2 times every other week and my skin looks tighter (although admittedly I do not have many wrinkles).
Would love to hear any readers’ thoughts and experiences with retinol. I have listed three different retinol creams to try, all at the .5% concentration (I used Skinceuticals’ Retinol 0.5). Always start with this lowest effective concentration and have the goal of eventually building up to 1%. However, this will and should take time. Use 1-2 times a week to start and in definitely don’t be shy about skipping weeks. You don’t want to play all your anti-aging cards before you are even in your thirties!
Update: One of my smart readers, AKarounE, chimed in with some notes about Retin-A and why it might work for you. Her comments are very helpful and insightful — see below!
Next up, a wrinkle-fighting eye-cream. And now a word from my resident Mad Scientist.
Some products to try: DERMAdoctor Neova Retinol ME .3%, $75; Skinceuticals Retinol 0.5, $50; Ayur-Medic Retinol Cream, $68
