Why Is Retinol So Good For Your Skin?

If you’re a fan of Cherry Healey (we are!), you may well have already seen her recent documentary, The Truth About Looking Good, in which she examines the effectiveness of various skincare products. The ingredients of these products were obviously a major focus, and Cherry particularly highlighted a class of products called retinoids for their powerful anti-ageing properties. We stock a number of retinoids right here at AP Skincare in the form of our Retriderm range, so we thought it was a great time to take another quick look at what makes them so effective, and how best you can use them to keep your skin looking and feeling amazing.

What Makes Retriderm Such A Popular Choice?

One of the major findings of the programme was that the highest price tags didn’t necessarily mean the best results! Throughout her investigation, Cherry discovered that while certain skincare companies appeared to exaggerate their claims, retinoid products generally produced consistently fantastic results.

Part of what makes retinoids – like the ones found in our Retriderm range – quite so effective is their key ingredient, retinol. We understand that might already be getting a bit confusing, so bear with us! Essentially, once applied, these products work by converting retinol into a form of Vitamin A; an essential vitamin for your skin, and one which has a long list of benefits. To start with, it boosts your collagen production, which forms the underlying structure of your skin. Not only that, though – it also reduces pigmentation, and improves your skin cell turnover. Dr Anjali Mahato, an expert dermatologist whom Cherry consulted for the programme, says that all these factors combined means that retinoids are brilliant for “meaningfully reducing fine lines, wrinkles and pigmentation in your skin”.

Dr Mahato advises that it’s best to start small with retinoids to find out what works best for you. “Let your skin get used to that, and then build up to 1% Retinol.”

How To Use Retriderm To Fight The Signs Of Ageing

We’re completely in agreement with Dr Mahato here at AP Skincare. That’s exactly why our own Retriderm range is separated into two tiers, and best used in a two-step programme. If you’ve never tried any of these sorts of products before, we’d suggest starting on Retriderm Vitamin A 0.5% Retinol Skin Serum. It’s an oil-free, aqueous formula that’s packed with fast acting proteins (including collagen, elastin, and Vitamin E) to firm up and regenerate your skin, for exceptionally longer-lasting results.

Meanwhile, the Protein Rich Serum Retinol 1% is intended as the next step up in this two-step programme, and has been formulated for more mature and sun-damaged skin to leave skin even softer, smoother and more radiant. Due to the concentration of retinol in its makeup, though, this product can easily irritate unprepared skin, so we wouldn’t normally recommend starting on it.

A Quick Word Of Advice

Don’t forget – if in doubt, you can always ask a friendly member of our team right here at AP Skincare! Your skin’s welfare is our first priority, so we’ll first check if Retriderm is right for you. In clinic settings, our skincare experts will place you on 0.5% to start with. We’ll also assess your skin and ensure that you wear an SPF 50 as well. SPF (short for Sun Protection Factor) is essential to protect your skin when you use any retinol product, but the SPF much be of a high enough concentration to be effective.

“Using specific concentrated Vitamin A’s, such as Retriderm, offers your skin effective and clinically proven anti-ageing benefits.” says Jo Prasad, our Principal Dentist. “These, coupled with our Heliocare range of SPFs, are ideal daily tools for getting the best out of your skin.”

Above all, we’re here to help! Retriderm is at its most effective when combined with one of our expert skincare treatments here at our Blackburn skincare clinic. A great example is our eDerma Roller collagen therapy, which also focuses on encouraging regenerative collagen activity in the deeper layers of your skin. Why not pop into our treatment centre today, or give us a call on 01254 297 000, and see what we can do for you?