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You may not be aware of the skin benefits of applying topical vitamin A on your skin. It is a must-have for anyone looking to improve their skin health.

In skincare, we refer to vitamin A as retinoids. In other words, retinoids are vitamin A derivatives. They are available in different preparations from over-the-counter to prescription-only medication. The different forms include retinoic acid, retinaldehyde, retinol, and retinol palmitate. This blog will help you understand the difference.

Here are the uses of retinoids in the skin:

  • Acne management
  • Oil control
  • Skin ageing
  • Improving dry skin
  • Pigmentation management
  • Improving skin texture problems
  • Optimal skin conditioning
  • Promoting healthy skin

How to get younger-looking skin with Vitamin A on your skin

 

There are a few cautions when using topical Vitamin A on the skin:
  • Always use at night only. Cleanse the face in the morning to remove any remaining product.
  • Avoid retinol in the eye area unless the product is specifically formulated for this region. This applies to the delicate neck region too.
  • Always apply broad-spectrum SPF during the day even if staying indoors. The retinoids sensitize your skin to UV radiation. You need to protect your skin.
  • Never use Vitamin A derivative whilst pregnant or breastfeeding or trying to get pregnant.
  • Don’t expose your retinoid serum to air or sunlight. These circumstances inactivate your serum. Hence don’t buy retinoid products sold in jars.

How Vitamin A affects the skin

In the topmost layer of the skin, the epidermis, retinoids have four roles. Firstly, it improves the barrier function of the skin. Secondly, it improves exfoliation or removal of dead skin cells. Thirdly, it evens out the skin tone. Finally, it promotes healthy cellular turnover.

In the deeper layer, the dermis, it stimulates the production of the skin support elements. Here, it acts on the fibroblast skin cells to produce collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid. Vitamin A preserves collagen by blocking its breakdown. It achieves this by inhibiting enzymes that normally destroy collagen. Additionally, it is able to reduce the pore size and reduce sebum production in this layer.

Retinoids in skincare preparations are available in a number of formulations. However, please be wary of buying it over the internet. You will need guidance when using this ‘active’ skincare.

Medical grade skincare

Types of topical vitamin A

Within the cells, all retinoids go through a step-by-step conversion to make the most active and potent form, retinoic acid. Only retinoic acid has the ability to change how the cell behaves by influencing the DNA. The least potent form of retinoid is retinol esters. They have to be converted to retinol and then finally converted to retinoic acid.

For the purposes of this blog, I will not be discussing the oral form of vitamin A, isotretinoin, commonly known as Roaccutane. This is used for the management of severe acne by dermatologists. This is a very strong medication with many precautions and potential side effects. It is only prescribed once appropriate counselling and testing has taken place, and ongoing monitoring with blood tests is in place. There are also strict precautions for 6 months after completing treatment.

Retinoic acid

Retinoic acid (Tretinoin) is only available as a prescription in the UK. Due to its potency, side effects are very common on initiation. You can expect the side effects to start 48-72hrs after application and continue for a few days. These include dryness, redness, itching, burning, tightness, and peeling or flaking. While adjusting, your skin can remain like this for a full cell cycle of 6 weeks.

Tretinoin is available in 3 strengths, namely 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1%. Needless to say low lower the strength, the lesser the reaction. In other words, your reaction can be reduced by using a lower strength product. You should start slow so the skin is acclimatized to the product. I normally advise to start with once per week building up frequency as your skin adjusts. Having personal experience with retinoic acid and experiencing the initial side effects helps me emphasise.

Although you can apply a hydrating and calming product afterward, it does hinder the performance of the retinoic acid. Aggressive protocols advise keeping this to the minimum. As it works at a cellular level, the effects take 6-12 weeks to be visible. This is something I always counsel my clients if choosing this type of skincare regime.

Tretinoin is used in the Obagi Medical Nu-Derm or ZO SkinHealth Protocol to treat significant pigmentation. However, it cannot be used continuously long term hence you need a doctor’s guidance.

Retinol

This is the form of topical vitamin A you will find in ‘medical-grade skincare. It is called medical-grade because it contains retinol at the right concentration or ‘therapeutic’ dose. They employ the most effective delivery system and packaging. An encapsulated delivery system will transfer the active ingredient to the most active skin cells in the body, the fibroblasts. Here, enzymes convert it to retinoic acid by a two-step process.

As the ingredient being applied on your skin is retinol and not retinoic acid, the skin’s reaction is less intense. Although slight itching, redness, dryness and flaking are transient common side effects, gradual introduction helps. The encapsulation technology uses a slower delivery system to drip-feed the retinol overnight to the cells for maximum benefit. Retinols are also usually combined with other ingredients for additional benefits. You may find anti-irritants, antioxidants, and peptides in the formulation.

Retinol is usually available as 0.25-0.3%, 0.5%, and 1%. You can safely use it long-term without taking breaks. Again, as the effects are at the cellular level the results can take 6-12 weeks to show.

 Retinol esters

This is the form of retinoid you will find in over-the-counter cosmetics or department store skincare ranges. It requires conversion into the active form before it can produce its effect. Consequently, only a small amount reaches the fibroblast cells. They are not usually used in medical-grade products. Unfortunately, cheap products just remain on the skin surface instead of penetrating to deep layers. Thus you get what you pay for. Albeit a form of retinoid, you may not notice significant effects.

Skin benefits of topical vitamin A in skin ageing

Retinoids improve skin plumpness and reduce wrinkles. They simultaneously stimulate the production while reducing the breakdown of collagen. Next, they increase the skin’s thickness. They accomplish this by increasing cell turnover producing new cells. Additionally, they nourish the skin and give it a healthy glow. They achieve this by stimulating new blood vessel formation hence increasing blood supply. Finally, they improve skin resiliency. They restore the skin’s immune response to build its tolerance to insults and better defend itself.

Skin benefits of topical vitamin A  in pigmentation

Pigmentation results from 3 main reasons. Long-term sun damage, hormonal influence, or following trauma to the skin. This results in an increase in melanin production in the skin giving patchy pigmentation and uneven skin tone. Retinoids improve pigmentation in two ways. Firstly, they interfere with melanin deposition. This is called ‘blending’ and aims to reduce and even out the pigmentation. Secondly, they increase cellular turnover. This helps to shed the affected pigmented skin cells from the surface of the skin.

Skin benefits of topical vitamin A in acne

Retinoids are very useful in acne management. Firstly, they increase cell turnover and reduce the clogging up of dead cells within the pores. This leads to fewer breakouts and comedone formation. Secondly, they reduce sebum production, preventing their build-up. Finally, retinoids reduce inflammation and stop comedones from progressing to papules and pustules.

Skin benefits of topical vitamin A in dry skin

Although they reduce oil production they actually improve skin hydration. This is brought about by increasing the production of glycosaminoglycans. Hyaluronic acid within the skin maintains and improves hydration.

 

As described above there is an abundance of benefits of using retinol daily. Even if you don’t have any particular skin concerns, it can help you maintain healthy, glowing skin.

If you would like to know more about these products or find out how they can benefit your skin don’t hesitate to get in contact for an appointment for a bespoke skincare plan here at Skin Enhance Clinic.

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