One of the most efficient ingredients in skincare, Vitamin A deserves the raves it gets for the way it can transform even the most troubling skin issues.
We’re all about high-performance cosmeceuticals that create change within the skin and Vitamin A is one of our most relied-upon skin fixes to treat a wide range of issues from acne and persistent breakouts to hyperpigmentation, acne scarring and premature ageing. You can find it in a number of our skinstitut MVPs including our best-selling Retinol Serum, Rejuvenate 15 Serum, our new EXPERT Reveal Retinol Oil.
What is Vitamin A?
An antioxidant with impressive skin-transforming super powers, topical Vitamin A is a highly active skincare ingredient that’s widely considered to be a skin changer by dermatologists and dermal therapists. In fact, it’s one of the most extensively researched and evidence-backed skincare ingredients out there. You’ve probably heard the names of a number of Vitamin-A derivatives (also known as retinoids) and there are four different types most commonly used in skincare. Retinol currently has the highest profile and is the chosen active in many anti-ageing and anti-acne products. There’s also Retinyl Acetate, prescription-only Retinoic Acid, and Retinyl Palmitate which is one of the mildest forms of Vitamin A.
What does Vitamin A do for your skin?
Retinol has an impact on the skin in a number of ways. It speeds up cellular turnover, helping to bring fresh, shiny new cells up to the surface. It also boosts the production of natural ingredients already present in the skin but that decline over time with age; think Collagen, Elastin, and Hyaluronic Acid. Those ingredients all contribute to keeping your skin plump, hydrated, and resilient. Retinol also helps to stimulate the production of new blood vessels in the skin which improves colour and tone, helps to fade pigment, and softens skin texture.
Which form of Vitamin A is right for your skin?
Vitamin A has earnt a bad rap in the past for being super irritating but it’s more important to consider the type of Vitamin-A derivative and the concentration within a specific product. At skinstitut, we offer a range of different Vitamin-A products, all of which are created to be active but not harsh on the skin. If you want to start a more gentle Vitamin A-based treatment product, try our Rejuvenate 15 Serum. Ideal for sluggish, dull skins in need of revitalizing, it’s an active hydrating serum powered by a multi-tasking vitamin complex which includes a blue-green Marine Algae called Lana Blue which has naturally occurring Vitamin-A properties to help stimulate cellular renewal. It can also be used morning and night, unlike Retinol-based products.
If you want to up the intensity, you can move on to our hero Retinol Serum for a stronger dose of Vitamin A (but not if you have sensitive skin). This treatment serum contains an encapsulated form of Vitamin A (0.25% Retinol) that’s amazingly effective for dealing with acne and persistent congestion, uneven skin tone, and dullness. Our new EXPERT Reveal Retinol Oil is our newest Vitamin-A recruit and we love this for dry, more mature skins wanting to refresh and revitalize. An innovative oil blend of 1% Retinol and the gentler retinoid, Retinyl Palmitate, It targets the visible signs of ageing like fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and sun damage, and dull, slack skin that’s not bouncing back like it used to. A remarkably hydrating night treatment, in consumer testing 91% of the testing panel reported that they didn’t find it irritating.
Whichever form of Vitamin A you’re using, it’s essential that you follow the usage instructions diligently, paying close attention to the amount and frequency of use. When it comes to Retinol products, less really is more and if you’re heavy handed, your skin will react quickly and angrily which can show up as redness, irritation, and dry, flaky patches.
The most important thing to remember about Vitamin A
The reason Vitamin A derivatives like Retinol are recommended for application at night only is not just because it’s when your skin does its best (repair) work. It’s such an active ingredient and so excellent at boosting new skin cells to the surface; and those new cells and your freshly revitalised and refined skin are not used to UV exposure which means once you start a Retinol routine, you need to be even more diligent about sun protection. Add our Age Defence SPF50+ to cart so you and your skin transformation are (literally) covered.
