Before we dive right in, it’s important to understand what retinol is before you go singing its praises to all of your friends. Retinol is is the pure form of vitamin A and its multitasking capabilities—including surface cellular turnover, diminishing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, shrinking the look of enlarged pores, and firming and smoothing skin—are chief to its fanfare. Pretty impressive, no? Plus, it’s available in multiple shapes, sizes, and concentrations in creams, serums, peels and more, to make incorporating it into your routine as easy as can be.
Now that you know exactly what you’ll be smearing on your complexion, read on to discover who should be reaching for a retinol formula.
New Users…
Topical Retinol comes with a whole host of warnings, from causing itchy and irritated skin if used too often to making the skin extra sensitive to sunlight, so deciding to take the plunge is a big deal for first-timers. Start your Retinol journey by using products that contain only a small concentration of the ingredient (0.3% and lower) and apply it two or three times a week. When your skin acclimates to the ingredient, you can increase the percentage and frequency of use.
For A Quick Fix…
Face masks containing Retinol are a great way to boost a flagging routine, whether it already contains a high concentration of the ingredient or not. This kind of weekly treatment product is also ideal if you don’t want to commit to a full-on Retinol routine, as there can be a lot of management and organization involved which doesn’t appeal to everyone. Look for masks that combine Retinol with a number of soothing, calming and hydrating ingredients to ensure the skin responds in the most positive way.
Try the IMAGE MD restoring overnight retionol masque which contains Salicylic Acid to tackle congested pores, Shea Butter to condition and Vitamin E soothe for a dramatic improvement in the skin in just 10 minutes.
Retinol at Night…
The ingredient in Retinol is sensitive to the light and should be applied at night before bed. Remember that Retinol is regenerating new skin cells often and in the daytime it is important to apply a sunscreen (as you should anyway). Avoid daytime use of retinol or vitamin A skin products — they can create even more dryness, redness and irritation!
Try the IMAGE MD restoring retinol crème and the restoring repair creme for advanced cell regeneration and surface exfoliation or try adding the IMAGE MD restoring retinol booster to the night cream you are currently using. Additionally, the IMAGE MD restoring lightening creme is an effective hyperpigmnetation treatment that will give a plumped and more youthful looking skin texture.
Always Protect your Skin…
You should only be applying retinol at night. Actually, retinol has the exact opposite effect on the skin if used during the day. Because of the delicate new skin retinol helps to form, it makes the complexion more vulnerable to the sun. Some formulations contain retinols and SPF, but these are misleading, as retinol can make the skin susceptible to sun damage even when an SPF is worn.
Always apply broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sun protection. Image has many options in their Prevention Plus line.
