Retinol has been a popular anti aging compound for the last 3 years or so. Apart from helping with wrinkles and complexion, it's also used as a prescription acne treatment. So what are the pros of using retinol? Firstly, it has the ability to penetrate the skin quite far down through the layers. This is a huge advantage because so many compounds are simple not able to do this and will sit on the surface of the skin doing absolutely nothing for your wrinkles!
Secondly, retinol is a pure form of Vitamin A and this vitamin is the most important of all vitamins for our skin health. When we age, the new skin cells forming are not the same as the cells that formed when we were younger. It is this that causes the changes in the appearance of our skin. So in theory, if we can produce new skin cells identical to those we produced when we were younger, we can get back our youthful skin. Nothing yet can do this 100% or even close, however, retinol can to some degree, encourage our new cells to grow back as young cells and this is why wrinkle creams containing this substance can have some dramatic effects on our skin. Some creams contain quite high concentrations of retinol, as much as 1%, which may not sound like a lot, but in fact any more and you would not be able to put it on your skin!
Most people who use retinol regularly, report that their skin is smoother, wrinkles and fine lines are reduced and they see an overall more youthful look to their complexion.
So what would be the cons of using anti aging products with retinol in them? One of the main potential problems is sunburn. Retinol causes your skin to be more succeptible to the ultra violet rays of the sun. The obvious way to prevent this is by using a good sun block cream. Another problem reported by customers is skin peeling and dryness. This is very likely to happen because retinol is quite a powerful ingredient and the more sensitive your skin is, the more likely you are to get peeling. Also, the higher concentration of the cream you are using, the higher chance of peeling. If you have dry skin already, then you will almost certainly notice that is gets even dryer and starts to flake. Another issue is redness and even puffiness in some of the more delicate areas on your face. You should not use retinol around your eyes, unless you are using a formula developed specifically for the eye area. This will have a much lower concentration of the active ingredient.
So, using retinol can produce great results, but it also requires caution and common sense. Most of the common problems should disappear in a week or two, once your skin gets used to the product. However, it's always better to start off with a lower concentration and move up to a higher one later. This is the advice given by most regular users. Obviously if you have problems using this substance and they don't go away after a couple of weeks, it would be adviseable to dtop using it and find an alternative.
