There was a time when only women used to go for various types of beautification processes to look beautiful. However, in this modern era you will find several men who also try different grooming ideas to look handsome and dashing. In the world of makeup and beauty, you will often find companies promising youthful skin with the help of their products. However, only a handful of ingredients that are used in various skincare products for men have lived up to the hype.
One of the latest additions to this world of skincare is retinol. It is basically a derivative of vitamin A that has become rather popular due to its anti-ageing properties. People know retinol by different names, such as tretinoin, retinyl palmitate, and Retin-A, to name a few. Retinol has the ability of smoothening, correcting, and also regenerating skin. It can work like a charm when it comes to reducing fine lines and clearing acne. It can also diminish pigmentation and the appearance of sun damage on your skin.
Apart from the properties discussed above, retinol is also an antioxidant. There have been several researches on retinol and it has been proven that it can easily jumpstart the production of collagen in your skin. According to several dermatologists, retinol is an extremely powerful tool when it comes to taking care of your skin and is suitable for all. If you are serious about anti-ageing, whether it is restorative or preventive, it is important for you to retinol in your anti-ageing formula or routine.
It is often seen that the strength and the complexity of retinol often tends to mystify consumers. As a result of this, they often end up misusing the ingredient. Even if you intend to use it in small amounts, over-the-counter retinols may prove to be anything but user-friendly. The ingredient has the potential of causing temporary bouts of dryness, peeling, redness, sensitivity, and irritation. Before you decide to use retinol in your anti-ageing formula, it is better for you to try and find out as much as possible about it.
How Does It Work?
By the time you are in your late twenties, your skin cells fail to communicate with each other as effectively as they used to when you were younger. As a result of this, the rate of producing new cells slows down drastically. This is the root cause of all signs of aging.
Retinol is basically an adamant obtrusive that gets into the process and forces skin cells to behave in a more functional and rational manner. It will not be wrong to say that retinol improves the communication between the cells. Once this is achieved, new cells are produced that gives way to younger and clearer skin. There is no need for you to wait for the signs of aging to become visible in order to start using retinol. However, things may turn a bit bad for your skin when you reach your thirties. Thus, better start using retinol in small amounts sooner rather later in life.
It Is Not Good To Go Strong All the Time
Would you go and bench press double your body weight on the first day of your gym? Only a fool would ever think of doing this. Every physical trainer or coach will tell you that beginners require consistent training for a period before they can be allowed to pile on 45lb plates. This is the same logic that applies in terms of retinol.
When you opt for over-the-counter retinols, you will notice that these are available in different concentrations. It ranges from 0.1% to 1%. If you opt for a product with the highest percentage of retinol content, you may find out that it may not end well for you. If you apply a strong dose of retinol or if it is not mixed with ingredients such as ferulic acid, it may cause irritations on your skin and also make the entire routine counterproductive. Although your skin may show signs of healing, it will get inflamed and create free radicals. These free radicals are enemies of anti-ageing.
Choose Retinol for the Overall Formula and Not By Content Percentage
You will come across many people who shop for retinol by concentration altogether. It is a natural misconception that going for a strong retinol product will get you more value for money along with improved results. This is not true at all. On the contrary, optimal retinol concentration may not necessarily be the highest concentration. Your skin just needs enough of the ingredient to coat the various cell receptors.
According to research, you will get similar results from using a product with less retinol concentration as you obviously will with a product having moderate retinol concentration. Time is the only variable here. Due to the possible side effects, it is always better to go the slow and steady way to win the race.
How to Apply Retinol the Right Way?
Are you planning to use retinol for the first time? Do you know your skin sensitivity? If the answer to both the questions is “yes” then opting for an over-the-counter retinol product will be a good place to start. It is always suggested that you start small and gradually increase the frequency as your skin starts to acclimatize. To make things simpler for you, start by applying a low concentration product for a week and two applications the following week and three for the third week.
At the end of every week check and see whether there are any side effects on your skin. If there are none, you can go ahead and apply the product every other night. If you ever notice that your skin has become sensitive or red or there are irritations on the skin, go back a step and apply the previous week’s dosage. This is because, if you progress in gradations, you will reduce the possibility of any side effects and your skin will also get used to it over months or even years. Always remember that the percentage concentration of retinol is not the goal.