Okay ya’ll, let’s talk about retinoids!
Retinoids are the holy grail of any dermatologist’s skincare routine. What are they, what do they do, and WHY are dermatologists so obsessed with them??
Firstly, retinoid is an umbrella term. There’s various kinds of retinoids, some over the counter, some prescription strength. OTC retinoids, like retinyl propionate, retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, will be more gentle, aka a great place to start. Retinoic acid or tretinoin are prescription strength retinoids (more effective, but can cause more irritation)
What do retinoids do? Retinoids increase skin cell turnover, meaning allow your skin cells to renew themselves faster. Our skin goes through a process called keratinization. Baby skin cells start from the bottom layer of the epidermis, work their way to the top, hang out for about 28-40 days, then get shed off. As the cells move up, they lose their nucleus, so the top layer is mainly dried, dead skin cells. Overtime, this process of natural exfoliation slows down. Retinoids help speed up that process, allowing our skin to renew itself faster.
This is where that myth comes from of retinoids “thinning the skin.” They don’t thin the skin, they actually stimulate collagen production thickening and strengthening the dermis. Retinoids do thin the topmost layer of dead skin cells, the stratum corneum. This allows bright, smooth, even textured skin.
Retinoids also help lighten dark marks over time, yup, you guessed it, because of this increase in skin cell turnover!
By increasing collagen production in our dermis, they prevent fine lines and wrinkles. Collagen and elastin are also what keep our pores structured. Sun damage over time denatures this collagen—retinoids help to counteract that and keep our pores nice and tight.
Retinoids also smooth out scars over time, have been shown to be beneficial for stretch marks, and allow better absorption of our skincare products. Retinoids make our skin cells less sticky—this prevents white head and black head build up. Oil production is regulated, since oil is produced at the base of these pores. Keeping pores open and clear, retinoids allow the oil our skin produces to be evenly distributed throughout the skin for lubrication, instead of accumulating in certain areas, leading to that shiny T-zone!
As you can see, retinoids pack a powerful punch.
But, using them can be tricky, because retinoids can cause some dryness. Combined with other active ingredients, this can lead to irritation.
To incorporate a retinoid into your routine, start with use a few nights a week. (Night time use is preferred, as they can get deactivated by the sun) Make sure to use a moisturizer morning and night EVERY day, to maintain your skins moisture barrier. As your skin gets used to the retinoid, you can increase frequency of usage. Choosing a gentle cleanser will also help prevent dryness. Our goal is to maintain our skin’s hydration to increase its tolerance of the retinoid (since it has so many benefits!)
So that in a nutshell my friends, is why dermatologists would bathe in retinoids if we could. Give them a try, and let me know if you have any questions!
