Using Retinol Skin Care Products – Some Information
Retinol skin care preparations have been found to be helpful for diminishing wrinkles and fine lines and for boosting the level of oils in the skin for those of us who are middle aged or older. They are also effective in improving the appearance of the skin for people with chronic cystic acne. In addition preparations} are especially helpful for those with aging or sensitive skin who might not be able to use harsher preparations. Some people have found that they experience flaky, dry, red or scaly skin after they have used a chemical peel and for these a more suitable choice is possibly applying a retinol cream daily.
Studies on Retinol Skin Care Preparations
More and more studies are discovering that retinol certainly has a useful effect on older skin. A fairly recent research study at the University of Michigan tested retinol lotions on some quite elderly, fit people, the majority around 80 years old. For six months they applied the lotion to a small area on their upper arms. Skin biopsies at the end of the trial showed marked lessening of fine lines and wrinkles. If this works so well for the skin of an eighty year old then it must surely help much younger skin to recover or preserve a youthful appearance! Unfortunately the effect is not permanent as a few of the elderly people noticed that their skin had started to go back to its previous state after six more months 6 months without retinol application.
What is Retinol?
Retinol is another name for vitamin A and is one of the chemical group, retinoids. This group of compounds also contains tretinoin which is often present in lotions and creams not available OTC as it is much stronger than retinol. These types of compounds are tiny, so small in fact that they can permeate the skin’s upper layers to get through to the collagen and elastin that provide support for the skin from below. Vitamin A is an essential component of elastin and collagen. Over time damage from the environment occurs to these structures resulting in less skin support resulting in wrinkles and lines. Retinoids, when they have reached the lower layer, set about repairing the collagen and elastin, resulting in a smoother, firmer skin with reduced lines.
Acne Treatments Using Retinol
Retinol products are very good exfoliating agents and they also efficiently clear pores. This makes them good products to use if you have acne.
Retinol for Dry Skin
Retinol skin care products are excellent for the treatment of extremely dry skin as they efficiently moisturise the skin.
What Are the Side Effects?
Initially when using a retinol skin care product you may notice mild irritation, redness, stinging or itching. This is generally very temporary and is perfectly normal. If it doesn’t go away you should stop using the preparation.
Retinol Increases Sun Sensitivity
The best time to use retinol skin care products is just before bed. They make the skin a little more susceptible to the sun so if you do use them in the day be certain to always apply a sunscreen as well.
