Discover why some skincare products with retinoids (retinol, retinal, retinoic acid) are more reliable and yield higher skin benefits than others. Learn the proper approach to introduce a topical retinoid confidently and painlessly into your routine, even if you have sensitive skin. Enjoy mastering retinoids and their skin health & youth-boosting properties!
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Last updated: June 16, 2023
Hello and welcome! After my latest post about the mechanisms of action of retinoids in the skin and why they are particularly beneficial in the summer (you can read it here), you might be eager to soak up the essentials of topical retinoids use. So let’s get into it!
Why opt for a topical retinoid instead of oral vitamin A supplements?
Because topical retinoids metabolize within the skin – they convert into all-trans-retinoic acid, the biologically active form of vitamin A – and excess retinoid acid breaks down through enzymatic processing.
Thus, the amount of topical vitamin A that may get into the bloodstream (and thus have the potential to cause any systemic secondary effects) is small.
Yet, to be in complete peace of mind, avoid applying retinoids to your skin when you are pregnant or breastfeeding (learn the why on my previous post on retinoids).
On the contrary, over-the-counter vitamin A supplements or other oral retinoids (such as isotretinoin, prescribed by your dermatologist) enter the systemic circulation. Thus, the uptake of oral retinoids must be under the supervision of a medical doctor.
In my opinion, over-the-counter oral vitamin A supplements should be too. You don’t want to ingest too much vitamin A and increase your odds of suffering, for instance, hypervitaminosis A.
It’s better to cover the oral requirements of this vitamin with your foods.
Choose a quality retinoid
Retinoids stimulate epidermal renewal and the cutaneous immune system.
That helps remove sun-damaged cells (such as cells with ultraviolet light-induced DNA mutations).
Why? Those cells die before they get a chance to get cancerous (due to the retinoid-enhanced cellular turnover). Or they get removed by immune system cells before getting the chance of causing trouble.
Those mechanisms also foster the removal of inappropriate pigmentation (such as dark spots) and the restoration of adequate melanin production.
Moreover, retinoids stop collagen destruction upon sun exposure and favor the synthesis of quality collagen (thus keep wrinkles away).
So, without a doubt, they can effectively help to limit cutaneous sun damage.
In addition, retinoids regulate sebum production and hence are great to reduce blackheads and for those with oily and acne-prone skin.
Overall, retinoids improve how our skin works. However, it is crucial to choose reliable retinoid-containing skincare products.
Retinoid ingredients and formulations
There are several types of retinoid ingredients on the skincare market. Included in non-prescription products you may find retinyl esters, retinol, or retinaldehyde (retinal). Anything more powerful than that (for instance, retinoic acid) usually requires a medical prescription.
If you are just curious to try retinoid-based products for your skin (you aren’t seeing a dermatologist to get a prescription retinoid), you should be aware that not all products with retinol or retinal are created equally.
First of all, many retinoids (including retinol) degrade upon contact with light/air or unwanted interactions with other molecules and hence become inactive before they can even get to the live layers of the skin.
Their stability depends on other components of the formula and the preservation of their molecular integrity with different systems (such as encapsulation techniques or, importantly, an opaque container).
Bearing retinol stability in mind, many skincare brands incorporate retinyl esters in the products that they market as retinol-containing. And that’s misleading. Let me tell you why..
Retinyl esters are more stable than retinol (and might be cheaper as well). But they are weaker than all other retinoids in terms of activity within the skin.
As you might remember from my previous blog (you can see it here), all-trans retinoic acid is the biologically active form of vitamin A.
Within our cells, retinal must go through one enzymatic reaction to convert into retinoic acid; retinol undergoes two reactions; retinyl esters must sustain three different steps (see the image below).
Let’s picture the whole process since you apply your retinoid until it works inside the skin.
First, any retinoid must get into the inner, alive layers of the skin. Probably, only a fraction of the total retinoid will make it there.
Once there, only part of the cells will have the ability to convert any retinoid into retinoic acid. For instance, the innermost, highly proliferative cells situated in the basal layer of the epidermis won’t do that.
Therefore, as you might have guessed, retinyl esters have the lowest probability of working.
Additionally, the extra conversion step they must experience is slow (as happens with the conversion step of retinol into retinal) and thus limits the whole process of conversion into retinoic acid..
Then don’t be disappointed when you buy a retinol product that contains just retinyl esters (for example, retinyl palmitate) or a mix of retinyl esters with a (much) lower amount of retinol (thus, the latter will appear below on the ingredients list).
That might not do much despite your consistent skincare efforts!
Some of those products might even claim to have a certain percentage of retinol yet count both retinyl esters and retinol as part of it. And some brands won’t tell you that. Indeed you’ll believe that the product features a great percentage of pure retinol.
Retinyl esters aren’t terrible ingredients. Only, they will not yield the same skin health-enhancing benefits that good topical retinol or retinal can offer. Yet, they can help maintain the stability of the skincare formulation as a whole.
Therefore pay close attention to the ingredient list (INCI) displayed on the products before purchasing them.
Of course, the ingredients list won’t tell you the whole story about a product. There are factors that you cannot guess from it. Such as how much the overall formulation favors the stability or cutaneous penetration of the retinoids. Or the purity and (right) molecular conformation of the retinoids included.
Also, the percentage of retinoid varies from one product to another. Some brands manufacture similar retinol/retinal products with different strengths (see an example below).
Regardless of retinol percentage, formulation matters a lot. And whether that feels good on your skin or not.
For example, those retinol products of the image above might not be the right choice for someone with oily skin since they consist of retinol inside an oil, squalane. You will have to pick a product and see how it works for you!
Guide to get your skin familiar with a topical retinoid
If you’re doing this on your own (and not with a dermatologist to treat concerns such as acne or premature skin aging), start with a good retinol (or retinal) product.
Not a product with retinoic acid (RA), even if you can buy it over-the-counter. For instance, in Europe you can find sanitary products (not cosmetics) with RA that do not require a medical prescription.
Once you have it, start slow and apply it in the evening. I suggest you use it just once or twice a week initially (especially if you have sensitive skin).
It may sting or cause some mild skin irritation when you apply it for the first time.
If that happens, put on a layer of facial moisturizer before the retinol and another on top of it. That’s a retinoid sandwich – it’ll minimize skin irritability. I do that often!
Progressively refine your retinoid regimen
If you don’t get much visible skin peeling or irritation, you can start upgrading your retinol routine and go ahead with it two or three times per week.
Then work your way up (you can use it every day if your skin is fine with it). You can always go one step back if you notice, for instance, excessive skin dryness.
However, if you notice significant skin peeling or irritation, better wait one or a few weeks more to upgrade your routine to the next level (that is, one more day per week). And so on.
You may similarly jump into retinal or retinoic acid. Yet bear in mind that those are stronger. Thus, to begin with, just once a week application is reasonable in those cases.
What if my skin doesn’t get accustomed to retinol or retinal?
Some people have difficulty getting past the mild irritation or peeling phase from the beginning (which may last a few weeks).
In that case, the first option is to look for a product with a lower percentage of retinoid or a different vehicle, such as a more emollient product (for instance, a moisturizer instead of a serum).
Another option if you still want to incorporate a retinoid in your skincare routine would be to consult with a dermatologist. They will guide you through that.
Will I always get better results with a higher retinoid percentage?
Again, formulation matters. You won’t always get the best skin aging prevention or reversion results with a higher-strength retinoid product.
Most importantly, if you upgrade your retinol percentage and you experience skin irritation, then stick with the lower retinol percentage!
Consistency is the most relevant factor in getting skin benefits from retinoids. You can get great results from lower-strength retinol, retinal or retinoic acid over time. There’s no need to go further.
That’s different if you’re dealing with notable acne troubles. If I were you, I’d consult with a dermatologist directly.
A few skincare products with retinoids
Here a few examples of products with retinoids that might work for you. Most are for facial skin, but you can use them on the back of your hands or other body areas that you may want to treat.
Medik8 6TR INTENSE Vitamin A Serum
La Roche Posay Redermic R Retinol Bundle [creams for the eye contour (0.3%) and face (0.1%): you can buy them separately].
First Aid Beauty Retinol Serum
Advanced Clinicals Retinol Firming Cream: I prefer this one for the body (hands, legs, etc.) It comes in a big pot and it’s not greasy at all (it spreads very well). Thus, you may want to apply a moisturizer afterwards if your skin is dry.
Avène Physiolift Smoothing Regenerating Night Balm
Avène Physiolift Smoothing Eye Cream
How is your experience with topical retinoids? What products do you use? Share your concerns in the comments section below!
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Take care and see you soon!
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