Sarah Jossell, Beauty Director at The Sunday Times Style recently shared the benefits of using retinol in a skincare routine to her readers and we thought it’s as important to share it with our lovely clients who come for regular facials and ask us for skincare advice.

Retinol is one of those words you are going to hear more and more as it is becoming a favourite ingredient in lots of anti-ageing skincare products.

What is Retinol?

It is a derivative of vitamin A that increases cell turnover and collagen production, to smooth out the skin and reduce pigmentation.

Retinol has been shown to have the same effect of prescription-strength retinoic acid-like isotretinoin and tretinoin without the irritation on the skin, making it a good choice for ageing skin concerns and acne.

A recent study showed that a little as 0.1% of retinol can make a difference in the skins ageing process.

When should I start using a Retinol product?

As we age our skin goes through structural changes that affect its appearance sun exposure, lifestyle habits and internal factors all lead to the biological reactions that trigger skin ageing.

In our 20’s the cell turnover rate begins to decline and the effect of UV start to become visible.  

In our 30’s the collagen and elastin structures degrade resulting in our first wrinkles. 

By our 40’s our skin Is visibly thinner and with fewer barrier lipids the more prominent signs of ageing appear.  

The good news is that starting with retinol at any age will improve the skin appearance. It might be that you choose to add an eye cream when you are in your 20’s, usually the first place to notice the ageing process or add it into your everyday nighttime routine.

With Dermalogica we have three fantastic products,

Overnight Retinol Repair 0.5%

Overnight Retinol Repair 1%

Age Reversal Eye Cream

When evaluating the effectiveness of retinol it is just as important to think about the stability of the product, the stability of the retinol is more important than the strength. Unstable retinol molecules can degrade before the product has reached the skin.  The retinol in Overnight Retinol Repair has been microencapsulated for maximum results, meaning that the 0.5 % or 1% remains just that, along with a slow realise delivery, meaning the retinol can penetrate deep into the skin without degrading.

Expert Advice from Susan at Beauty 154 in Lancaster; “We would recommend slowly introducing retinol to your skin to minimalize irritation, or buffering the product when you first start using it.  Both overnight products come with their own buffering cream.”

If you want to learn more about retinol and how we can fit this amazing product into your skincare routine, please book in for a complimentary skin analysis. Call us on 01525 847704, email info@beauty154.co.uk or send us a message on Facebook.