What Does Retinol Do?

What is Retinol? 

The first and most obvious question that you might have is, what is retinol? Despite it being one of the main ingredients in various skincare products, not a lot of people quite understand what it is or how it helps.  

Retinol is a variant of Vitamin A that many manufacturers add to their different creams as it can help with a variety of skin conditions. Two of the most common conditions that retinol helps with are Anti-aging and acne. And even though you can get various creams, serums, ointments, lotions, and gels that contain retinol over the counter, you may have to contact your healthcare provider for products with a higher concentration of retinoids. 

As a topical treatment, you will be applying it to your skin through one of the many types of products mentioned above. A good example of a product that contains retinol and helps with finding lines and wrinkles is Skin Ceuticals Retinol 1% Night Cream.  

SKIN CEUTICALS RETINOL 1% NIGHT CREAM

 

What Does Retinol Actually Do? 

As a major ingredient in various skincare products, retinol can help with a range of skin conditions. But even if you can see the effects that come with using these products, you may be wondering how they work. Well, its main purpose is to permeate the outer layer of the skin, also known as the epidermis, and remove free radicals from the dermis.  

Unlike most other ways that you can get rid of wrinkles and fine lines, retinol does not remove any dead skin cells from the skin. Instead, it focuses on neutralizing free radicals in the deeper layers of the skin, which can, in turn, improve the production of collagen and elastin. The increased production of those two gives a plumper and younger look to the skin, which many may call a plumping effect. 

So when you apply retinol products to your skin, it can help with fine lines, enlarged pores, and wrinkles. Retinol can also help treat acne but can only do so in minor cases. If you want to treat more severe cases of acne, you will have to get products with a higher concentration of retinoids. However, you first need to consult your healthcare provider before you go about buying these products.  

Some can even use retinol to treat for its exfoliating effect, which can give your skin a better tone and texture.  

 

What does it actually treat? 

Retinol can help treat a range of issues and conditions that your skin could be facing. The most popular conditions that it can treat include Melasma, uneven skin texture, sun damage, wrinkles, and fine lines. Increasing collagen and elastin production in the skin can help with all of the conditions mentioned above and give your skin a much younger look.  

However, to get the best results from your retinol cream, you will need to use it more consistently and at specific times of the day. For example, you can use a cream like the MZ Skin Day Cream every day as instructed by the manufacturer to see the results that you expect. You should also remember that it can take a few weeks before you can see the effects of this cream. But when the effects really start to kick in, it becomes very apparent how effective it is at helping your skin.

MZ Skin Hydrate & Nourish Age Defence Retinol Day Moisturiser SPF 30

 

Side effects  

Retinol can be a very potent solution to help you deal with various signs of aging. But some people with more sensitive skin can experience some side effects. These side effects are by no means seriously dangerous or debilitating and can cause minor irritation.  

There have been incidents where people experienced itchiness and redness on their skin as a result of using the product. Some have even said that they experience other dryness and general irritation. The best way to get around this issue is to start using it a little bit and start to work your way from there. You also give longer gaps between each use to slowly let your skin adjust to your preferred product.  

You can also reduce the likelihood of skin irritation and other symptoms by cleansing and washing your face beforehand.  

 

Conclusion  

Retinol is one of the major ingredients that you can find in various anti-aging creams. It is a very effective variant of Vitamin A that can especially help your skin look younger by reducing free radicals from within deeper layers of the skin. As a result, you can see fine lines and other signs of aging reduce significantly.