At What Age Should I Start Using Retinol?

What is the Difference between Retinoid and Retinol

Retinol and a retinoid are two very different substances that you can find in different creams and serums. Both are added to topical products as they can then permeate the skin and then can start helping the skin recover from signs of aging. However, despite sounding similar, retinoid and retinol can be very different. Retinoid is more of an umbrella term that refers to people that refer to all derivatives of Vitamin A. It does not include any specific types of Vitamin A, so most will use it as a general term when talking about it. On the other hand, retinol refers to a type of retinoid that you can find in nearly all over-the-counter creams and other topical products. In fact, if a product does not explicitly say that it contains retinol and instead says that it contains the retinoid, then it is very likely that the product contains a higher concentration of retinoid. A good example to look at is the Zo Retinol Skin Brightener 1%, which only contains retinol in the purest form that the FDA can permit before it becomes too concentrated. Many of our beauty experts prefer using products that contain retinol instead of other derivatives like tretinoin. It can be much easier for the skin to tolerate and has less chance of producing redness and dryness on the skin.

Who Best Benefits from Using Retinol

This vitamin A derivative can be very beneficial to use as it helps with a multitude of conditions that could affect the skin. People who are experiencing mild acne or want an effective way to treat their dark spots can use products that include retinol. People who also want to deal with their fine lines, wrinkles, and other forms of aging should also use retinol. It can make its way past the outer layer of the skin and into the deeper layers of the dermis. When it reaches the deeper layers of your skin, you can start to feel the retinol start to work its magic. It can start to neutralize the free radicals there and help increase the production of collagen and elastin in the skin. The result of the increased elastin and collagen is that the skin starts looking younger, and it is even able to help repair damage to the skin.

What is the Best Age to Start Using Retinols?

There is no specific age when you should start using retinol for your skin. Along with there being no specific rules for how old you should be, there is no specific way that you should use it either. If you want something that can help with acne, then you want to use a retinol cream to help. Our beauty experts also recommend that you should you use these creams preemptively to avoid any future wrinkles or fine lines. In that case, they would recommend that you should start in your mid-20s since that is usually when more apparent signs of aging start to show. So by using it then, you can significantly reduce signs of aging on your face. The FDA also allows girls under 12 to use retinol, but many of our beauty professionals would advise against it. Since the skin of younger girls happens to be more sensitive, it could lead to a slew of side effects.

Is Using Retinol Daily Safe?

Even though the FDA has approved the use of retinol in various products, you will still need to be careful before you start using them. Products that contain retinol can sometimes be too potent for most individuals to handle, which is why they can sometimes experience some of the side effects. You preferably want to start with a low concentration of retinol and only apply it 2 to 3 times every week. As your skin gets more used to these products, you can use them more frequently. You should also be careful to see that your cream either works in the morning or at night. Our beauty experts recommend that you should look into that because night creams may not activate in the light.

Conclusion

Retinol is possibly one of the most popular ingredients that you can find in different types of anti-aging products. And as for choosing the right time that you should start using it, there is none. You can use this product in your late 20s to preemptively reduce fine lines, or you could just use the product when you are over 30.