Bring Your "A" Game... With Retinoids!

Before I jump into why a retinol is one of my top 5 beauty products (honestly maybe even taking first place), lets first cover what retinol even is.

So I am going to explain this in the simplest terms I know how. Retinol belongs to a family called “Retinoids” which are chemical compounds related to vitamin A. Topically, vitamin A is AMAZING for the skin. Retinol is the form of vitamin A that also occurs in the skin naturally. When retinol is applied to the skin through skincare products, it uses enzymes to help convert it into Retinoic Acid. Retinoic Acid is popularly known for wrinkle reduction, evening skin tone and overall rejuvenating the skin.

My favorite thing about Vitamin A though? It’s only like, THE best acne treatment also! I remember the stressful battle of wanting to start working on aging, but also ridding and maintaining my acne breakouts and feeling hopeless. Products focused on aging were typically WAY too risky for my breakout prone skin, it’s a detrimental situation for a girl you guys!!! LUCKILY, my bff Vita-A came in a saved a sister for life. Stimulate collagen production AND get my pimples to buzz the F off? Yes, please!

How and Who?

I want to say everyone, but it’s not that simple. We all know how important exfoliation is for our skin because EVERYONE read my post on the Importance of exfoliation, right? Right. Well, Retinoic Acid is just that, another method of exfoliation! When topically applied, retinol is the cell turnover QUEEN, making it an amazing method for sloughing off those dead skin cells! If you’re wanting to work on dull, sun damaged, breakout, aging, scarred or uneven skin, you MUST look into incorporating Retinoid Acid into your nightly skin regimen! (Emphasis on the NIGHTLY! Retinol should only be applied as an overnight treatment and never worn in sunlight! Lets be honest, we have enough to work on, lets not cause any unnecessary further cell damage, guys!)

The reason I say it’s not as simple of an answer as “everyone” (as much as I wish it was!), is because high concentrations of vitamin A can be irritating to sensitive skins. There are LOADS of lines out there who incorporate vitamin A in their beauty products, so do your research! While some retinoid based products can be too much for certain skin types, there are plenty designed for sensitive skins.

Here are a few of my personal FAVORITE Vitamin A products

Rhonda Allison- Salicylic Serum: Retinol combined with the powerful benefits of Salicylic Acid makes this the ultimate acne and age fighting serum!

Rhonda Allison- Synergy-A: With top of the line stem cell and peptide technology, this is one of my all time favorite products in general! Not only because it’s a total BOSS at anti-aging, correcting and evening the skin tone, hydrating and minimizing pore size… but also because it’s designed for sensitive skins and correcting redness! Although gentle, it’s still powerful AF though, don’t get it twisted babes.

Eminence- Yam & Pumpkin Enzyme Peel -

Yas, yas, YASSS to this treatment! You remember my post on the Benefits of PUMPKIN.. so I know you must know how awesome it is for the skin then! I know it has the word “peel” in the title, but it truly isn’t that aggressive, promise. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this masque for the most sensitive skins, but I would def. recommend for anyone looking for a weekly/monthly at home treatment for pigmentation issues, fine lines and sun damage!

As always, do your research guys! You can contact me for further questions or tips, or experiment yourself! Just don't, and I repeat, DO NOT, purchase a cream from your local drugstore that advertises it has retinol in it and assume you're going to see results. There IS a difference between the active percentages in drugstore products, and it WILL make a difference in your results. Don't shoot the messenger peeps, just appreciate the valid heads up! YOU'RE WELCOME.

Peace. Love & Skin

-A