Vitamin A is the most powerful and effective anti-aging product on the market.
What is Vitamin A?
Vitamin A is a fat soluble vitamin with tons of amazing health benefits.
In addition to having amazing antioxidant properties, Vitamin A also protects cell membranes, boosts the immune system, promotes bone growth and tooth development, and is very important for maintaining good vision.
There are many different forms of Vitamin A, all of which are sourced from two main groups: carotenoids and retinoids.
1. Carotenoids
The first Vitamin A group is Carotenoids.
Carotenoids, or Provitamin A, are the precursors to Vitamin A. This means that in order for carotenoids to become bioavailable to skin cells, the body must first convert them into Retinol, which is the only type of Vitamin A the body can readily use.
Carotenoids are water soluble and are found in plant based foods, such as carrots and sweet potatoes. They are very potent dietary antioxidants that can be subdivided into either carotenes, or xanthophylls.
The world of skincare only gives AF about the second Vitamin A group, though: Retinoids.
2. Retinoids
The second Vitamin A group is called Retinoids.
Retinoids are the bioavailable forms of Vitamin A found in animal based foods (fish oil, egg yolks, liver). They are fat soluble and can be found in various forms in many anti-aging skincare products.
What Are Retinoids?
Retinoids = Vitamin A derivatives
Retinoids were first developed in 1971 to treat acne. Since then, they have become a total game changer for the skincare industry. Research has proven time and time again that Retinoids are the most effective anti-aging products available.
How Do Retinoids Promote Anti-Aging?
Retinoids are ridiculously beneficial for the skin. They influence cell function by altering gene expression, which increases cell turnover.
Cell turnover refers to cell differentiation.
As I discussed in my previous post on How Our Skin Ages, the skin is constantly renewing itself through a process known as differentiation. This process begins when a cell is born in the basal layer (bottom layer) of the epidermis (the part of the skin that’s visible). As new cells are born, older cells get pushed up through all five layers of the epidermis, where they eventually reach the surface of the skin and flake off. Cell turnover is very important. It signals fibroblasts to signal collagen production (from the new cells) and prevents dead skin cells from building up.
Side Note:
For a young adult, the average time for a cell to complete this process is 28 days.
Here’s the Problem:
As we age, the rate of cell turnover declines, drastically. To put this into perspective for you, the cell turnover rate for a middle aged woman is 42 days, while for a teenager, it’s only 21 days, which brings me to my point.
Retinoids speed up the skin’s constant renewal process, which is very important for anti-aging. Retinoids increase the production of new cells. This boosts the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid, and inhibits the production of MMP Enzymes, which destroy important proteins (collagen and elastin).
So, what does this mean for you?
When used regularly as part of your skincare regimen, Retinoids prevent and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and pigmentation. Retinoids also increase epidermal thickness, which is the source of wrinkles. They repair photoaging (sun damage), improve and brighten skin texture, and unclog and reduce the size of pores (reduce acne).
Oh, and let’s not forget that after all, Retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A, a powerful antioxidant. This means that retinoids have strong antioxidant properties and are excellent free radical fighters.
To sum that all up, when it comes to maintaining a youthful appearance, consistent Retinoid use is an absolute MUST. Seriously.
Talk about amazinggg.
Retinoids in Skin Care
Although there are many different Retinoids, the most reputable anti-aging skin care products contain one of the following four Vitamin A derivatives:
- Retinoic Acid
- Retinol
- Retinyl Esters
- Retinaldehyde
Retinoids are available in various forms. Some forms require a prescription, while others are available over-the-counter (OTC). Retinoid products vary in derivative, brand name, strength, effectiveness, concentration, formulation, and type.
IMPORTANT:
The body is only able to directly accept and use one Vitamin A derivative: Retinoic Acid.
All other forms of Vitamin A are inactive when applied directly to the skin, and must go through and enzymatic conversion process in order to be bioavailable to skin cells. More on this later.
FYI, below are a few of my fave OTC Retinoid products:
Retinoid Forms
Retinoic Acid (Tretinoin)
Retinoic Acid is the baddest bitch in the anti-aging skincare game. It is the active, strongest, and most acidic form of Vitamin A.
Fun Fact:
Retinoic Acid is about 100 times stronger than Retinol.
Retinoic Acid is the only form of Vitamin A that the skin directly accepts and uses, because it’s found naturally inside cells. In order to be effective, all other forms of Vitamin A must be converted in the body to Retinoic Acid.
Research has proven that Retinoic Acid prevents the signs of aging and reverses skin damage caused by extrinsic aging.
There are two issues with Retinoic Acid:
- Being that it’s the most acidic form of Vitamin A, Retinoic Acid can easily irritate the skin. Symptoms of irritation include: dryness, peeling, extra sun sensitivity, redness, and flaking.
- Retinoic Acid is only available by prescription.
Retinol
Retinol is very similar to Retinoic Acid. The main difference between the two is that Retinol is available over-the-counter (OTC), meaning it’s obtainable without a prescription, and Retinoic Acid is not.
Retinol is the alcohol form of Vitamin A. Although it is quickly absorbed, Retinol is not active when first applied. In order to become active, Retinol is required to go through an enzymatic conversion process before becoming Retinoic Acid. This two-step process allows Retinol to remain highly effective.
Essentially, Retinol is the same thing as Retinoic Acid, the body just absorbs it at a slower pace. Retinol is also much less irritating than Retinoic Acid.
Retinoids & Retinols: What’s the Diff?
Most beauty queens and skincare enthusiasts are quite familiar with the terms Retinoid and Retinol, but are unaware of the difference between the two.
The main difference is the way the body converts it.
Retinoids is the general term given to the many different forms of Vitamin A derivatives. Retinols are one of these forms- a subset of Retinoids.
Retinyl Palmitate
Retinyl Palmitate is classified as a Retinyl Ester, which are the storage forms of Vitamin A.
Retinyl Palmitate is the most common Retinyl Ester and consists of pure Retinol and Palmitic Acid.
Retinyl Esters, such as Retinyl Palmitate, are the weakest, least effective Retinoids of the group. The enzymatic conversion process for Retinyl Esters is much more complex than Retinol. The added complexity results in a very small amount of Retinoic Acid every making it to the cells. However, they still have excellent antioxidant and emollient properties and are less irritating on the skin (20% less irritating than Retinol). These properties make Retinyl Esters a great choice for those with dry, sensitive skin who are just starting out with Retinoids.
Fun Fact:
When dietary Vitamin A is ingested in the body, it is stored in the liver in the form of Retinyl Palmitate. More on this later.
Other Retinyl Esters include: Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Linoleate, and Retinyl Propionate.
Retinaldehyde (Retinal)
Retinaldehyde is the aldehyde form of Vitamin A. It’s very potent and causes very minimal skin irritation.
Retinaldehyde is a precursor to Retinoic Acid and requires very minimal conversion- only one step. It’s also referred to as a transitional form of VItamin A because it transitions Retinol to Retinoic Acid.
The downside to Retinaldehyde is that it’s very expensive, so it’s often seen in ridiculously expensive skin care products. Even if $500 night creams are in your budget, I would recommend you take a hard pass. Most luxury skin care products are actually do contain Retinaldehyde only include a super tiny amount. Pretty much, enough to include in on the ingredient label, but not nearly enough for it to be considered effective.
Do yourself a favor, stick to one of the other three options.
How Do Retinoids Work?
Here’s where things can get a little bit confusing.
Some of this shit might be a tiny bit repetitive, but read it anyways. Seriously, not kidding. Because in order to truly understand the importance of regularly using a Retinoid as part of your skincare regimen, it’s a good idea to understand why the skin literally, like NEEDS it.
With the exception of Retinoic Acid, all forms of Vitamin A (Carotenoids and Retinoids), must go through an enzymatic conversion process before they become bioavailable (useable) to skin cells.
How the Body Processes Carotenoids
Carotenoids (Pro-Vitamin A or Pre-Vitamin A) are technically the precursors to Vitamin A and are obtained through diet.
I made it pretty clear in my blog post on dietary antioxidants, that Vitamin A (Carotenoids) is one of the most important antioxidants to include in your diet if you want to combat the visible signs of aging.
Coming from someone who legit eats one sweet potato every day for it’s high beta-carotene content, I am in no way implying that dietary Vitamin A is not important. Sweet potatoes are one of many vibrant carotenoids with exceptional antioxidant properties. They are amazing sources of VItamin A (in the form of Beta Carotene), but check this out:
When a sweet potato is ingested, the small intestine absorbs the Vitamin A (Beta Carotene) and stores it in the liver as Retinyl Palmitate. When it is needed by cells, the enzymatic conversion process begins. First, Retinyl Palmitate is converted into Retinol where it is transported through the bloodstream from the liver to the skin. In order to pass through the cell membrane and enter skin cells, such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes, the body must convert Retinol back into Retinyl Palmitate. From here, the Retinyl Palmitate is again, converted back into Retinol, and then finally into Retinoic Acid so that it can be used by the cell.
I’m dizzy from writing that, so I can’t even imagine WTF you’re thinking right now.
Moral of the Story:
Vitamin A is one of the best dietary antioxidants to combat free radicals. However, in the time it takes for Beta Carotene to be converted into Retinoic Acid and start benefitting the skin, a new wrinkle has already appeared on your face. F*ck that.
For this reason, the world has been blessed with the super amazing, Retinoids.
How the Body Processes Retinoids
When applied topically, the enzymatic conversion process of Vitamin A derivatives (Retinoids) to Retinoic Acid is much more potent and efficient that consuming Vitamin A from dietary sources.
All the Random, Very Important Shit
All topical antioxidants are high maintenance, but Vitamin A is pretty much the Jennifer Lopez of the group, a stuck up b*tch. Like, we get it, you’re hot, but calm TF down.
Anyways…
Packaging
In my post on topical antioxidants, I discussed the importance of packaging.
Similar to other antioxidants, Retinoids might as well be vampires because they f*cking HATE the sunlight. And if you even dare entertain the thought of wearing ANY Retinoid during the day, then you’re going to hate yourself too, because it’s going to seriously f*ck up your skin.
Oh yeah, Retinoids also hate oxygen.
If Retinoids are exposed to daylight and/or oxygen, they begin to oxidize. Essentially, this means that they start losing their effectiveness, little by little, until all of their anti-aging properties are gone.
When shopping for a Retinoids, ALWAYS look for products that are packaged in dark or opaque (not clear), airtight bottles or tubes, preferably with a pump dispenser. If not, you’re wasting your time, money, and energy.
Application
When you first start using a Retinoid, do not apply it every night.
You’re skin needs to get used to it. Think of this like tanning salons (which btw, I do not support). If you’re pale as a ghost, you aren’t going to walk right in on your first visit and use a Level 5 High-Pressure Bronzing Bed for the max amount of time. Obviously that would be dumb, duh. You have to start with a lower level bed, build your tan, and work your way up. Retinoids work the same way.
Start by using it every few nights, then after a couple of weeks, bump it up to every other night, then eventually every night. After that, increase the strength.
After cleansing and removing all makeup, allow your skin to dry completely (at least 20 minutes). This is super important. Then apply a tiny amount of the Retinoid to you forehead, and each cheek, and blend a very thin layer into the skin. Make sure to get the outer corners of the eyes where crows feet can form (your future self will thank you for this).
Side Note:
There is literally no better example of “less is more” than when talking about Retinoids.
All you need is a pea sized amount. That’s it. Don’t think that by using more you’ll get better results or something, it won’t happen. You’ll actually just end up irritating TF out of your skin.
What Form Should I Use: Prescription vs. Non-Prescription
The Retinol form you use is totally based on your skin type.
If you have super sensitive skin, it’s a good idea to start out with Retinyl Palmitate. This way, you’ll avoid irritation and eventually can build up to a stronger Retinoid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty much suitable for all skin types.
Obviously, prescription strength Retinoic Acid is the best, most effective option. Personally, I use a Retinoic Acid, Micro Retin-A, and I’m obsessed. Retinoic Acids come in different strengths, so if you do go down this route, talk to your dermatologist about which strength is right for you.
Retinol is probably the most widely used Retinoid on the market. Although it’s not as effective as Retinoic Acid, it essentially achieves the same results, just at a slower pace and without the harsh irritation. Retinol is also available in many different strengths, so it’s best to start with a lower strength and work your way up.
Tips & Precautions
Only Use Retinoids At Night Time
Many people and articles will tell you that it’s totally fine to wear a Retinoid during the day. Well, they have no idea WTF they’re talking about.
Retinoids are photo-inactivated, which means that they are broken down (oxidized) by daylight. When this happens, they become less effective.
Always Wear SPF, ALWAYS
Retinoids, especially Retinoic Acids and Retinols, increase photosensitivity. This makes the skin much more susceptible to sun damage.
Whether it’s sunny, raining, snowing, whatever- ALWAYS wear SPF, especially when using a Retinoid.
Start Slow & Work Your Way Up
There is literally NO benefit at all to being too aggressive when first starting out using a Retinoid. Remember my tanning bed analogy? What happens to people who are white as ghosts and jump right into a Level 5 High-Pressure Bronzing Bed? They irritate their skin and burn.
Start with a non-prescription Retinoid, such as Retinol or Retinyl Palmitate, and work your way up. This way, you’ll avoid the annoying side effects. Peeling skin is not cute.
Exfoliating Provides Better Results
When the skin is dry and dead skin cells are on the surface, Retinoids (and all skincare products for that matter), aren’t as easily absorbed. For this reason, it’s best to use a chemical exfoliant daily, such as a BHA or AHA. This will allow for the Retinoid to be better absorbed by the skin and will yield better results.
Check out my all time FAVE exfoliants:
If You Need to Add A Moisturizer, Wait Until Your Skin is Completely Dry
If you’re finding that Retinoids are drying your skin out, you can add a moisturizer. Here’s the thing: if you do decide to add a moisturizer, you absolutely must wait until after the Retinoid has been applied and the skin is completely dry (at least 20 minutes). Personally, I have very dry skin, so especially in the colder, winter months, I will apply coconut oil on top of my Retinoid product before bed.
Whatever you do, do not apply the moisturizer before applying the Retinoid. The moisturizer acts as a barrier and will make it very difficult for the Retinoid to penetrate the skin.
Pregnancy
If you are pregnant, or thinking about becoming pregnant, consult with your doctor before using a Retinoid. Excessive amounts of Vitamin A have resulted in birth defects.