The two biggest buzz words in skincare today, Retinol and Retinal. Although they sound very similar, they have some differences when it comes to treating your skin. You’ll notice more and more skincare products containing Retinol or Retinal, and for good reason! Let’s take a look at the key differences between these two ingredients.
We’re going to rewind a bit and take a look at RETINOIDS. Retinoids are a derivative of Vitamin A, the absolute OG in effective anti-ageing. Retinol and Retinal sit under the umbrella of Retinoids. Vitamin A is extremely powerful and will work it’s butt off to resurface the skin, enhance your natural collagen production, brighten your complexion, minimise blemishes and treat fine lines and wrinkles. By changing the function of the skin cells, using a vitamin A derivative will improve your complexion in so many ways. Think smoother looking skin, reduced pore size, and a brighter and more even skin tone.
Retinol molecules can penetrate deep beneath the epidermis and to the dermis. From here, Retinol gets to work on neutralizing free radicals (which are a huge cause for premature ageing), increase the production of elastin and collagen to give an overall plumping effect.
“But guys what is the actual difference between Retinol and Retinal?” you ask, well here goes. They do similar things, but the speed at which they take effect differs. Retinal has been clinically proven to work up to 11 times faster than retinol! Both will tackle cell regeneration and collagen production while also inhibiting melanin production which gives you that even skin tone. But other key differences are that Vs Due to this it will kill off the bacteria that causes breakouts so that your skin is left looking radiant and clear.
Retinoids aren’t suitable for everyone though, especially if your skin is highly sensitive or Rosacea prone. If you are a sun seeker, then you may not be able to use a Retinoid as the ingredients will make the skin very sun sensitive. Finally, and probably the most important, pregnant or breastfeeding women need to be careful using any product that contains Retinoids. Seek some advice from a dermatologist to see what is suitable for that stage in your life.
If you are wanting to introduce Retinoids to your skincare routine, introduce it gently, baby steps first. To begin with you can apply a pea size amount only 2-3 times a week, before you apply any other serums or moisturisers, and avoid the eye area and the corners of your mouth.
The most important thing to remember is that you absolutely need to apply a SPF30-50+ sunscreen every day. Every.single.day.
Results take time, be persistent and patient when you begin using Retinal or Retinol – we estimate you will start to see results in about 3-6 weeks.
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