As we wrote in our lengthy retinol description the problem is that the conversion is not terriblyeffective. The evidence that RP is still an effective anti-aging ingredient is not very strong, in fact, it's weak. Dr. Leslie Baumann in her fantastic Cosmetic Dermatologybook writes that RP is topically ineffective. With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work. This product contains 3-o-ethyl ascorbic acid. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness We think that the truth lies somewhere in the middle, and we agree with Dr. Baumann's conclusion: " sufficient evidence to establish a causal link between RP and skin cancer has not been produced. Nor, I’m afraid, are there any good reasons to recommend the use of RP". We would addespeciallyduring the day! Your skin uses Vitamin C to build collagen. Collagen production plays a role in having a strong skin barrier and having plump skin.

Below, you’ll find products with 0.15% retinoid for beginners, through to 1% blends for more experienced users. Is it okay to use retinol every night? Butylene Glycol– Used to create a nice product texture and help delivery of other ingredients. Might be somewhat helpful in attracting water to the upper layer of the skin. Its main job is usually to be a solvent for the other ingredients. Other tasks include helping the product to absorb faster and deeper into the skin, making the product spread nicely over the skin, and attracting water (humectant) into the skin. Once only found in dermatology clinics but now available over-the-counter, retinol can speed up skin cell regeneration and boost collagen production to smooth, firm and take years off your complexion. Ever the multi-taster, it can also help to unclog pores and prevent acne.

As for the three magic abilities of Vitamin C, we again mostly haveonly the manufacturer's claims, but at least those are very promising. EAC seems to have both an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect, and it's claimed to be able to boost the skin's collagen production. The strong point of EACthoughis skin brightening. On top of manufacturer claims, there is also clinical in-vivo (tested on real people) data showing that 2% EAC can improve skin tone and whiten the skin. Centella Asiatica also often shows up in products that try to treat cellulite or striae. Of course, it cannot make a miracle but it might have some effect via regulating microcirculation and normalizing the metabolism in the cells of connective tissues.

Mother Nature also created wax esters but for a totally different purpose. Chemically, a wax ester is a fatty acid + a fatty alcohol, one long molecule. Wax esters are on the outer surface of several plant leaves to give them environmental protection. 25-30% of human sebum is also wax esters to give uspeople environmental protection.Retinol and retinal (abbreviated from retinaldehyde) can be bought over-the-counter and are weaker than retinoic acid, which is generally a prescription-only agent,” she says. Vitamin E helps stabilize and provide a boost in the benefits of ascorbic acid. It helps aid in UV protection but becomes unstable when exposed to UV and air.

Vitamin C is also a key component in helping your skin regulate collagen, thus making it effective in improving wrinkles and fine lines. As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. These antioxidants also protect skin against UV damage. Dr. Leslie Baumann wrote a great review of the debate and summarized the research available about retinyl palmitatehere. It seems that there is a study showing RP being photo protective against UVB rays but there is also a study showingRP causing DNA damage and cytotoxicity in association with UVA. Water– Plain old water. Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. You can usually find it right in the very first spot of the ingredient list, meaning it’s the biggest thing out of all the stuff that makes up the product. It’s mainly a solvent for ingredients that do not like to dissolve in oils but rather in water. Madecassoside can also help in burn wound healing through increasing antioxidant activity and enhancing collagen synthesis. Asiaticoside was shown to increase antioxidant levels on rats skin when applied at 0.2%.As for using ALA topically, we have to say that its role and effects seem to be less direct than with LA. ALA's main role in the skin appears to be modulating the immune response of the epidermis. This is probably helpful for inflammatory skin diseases but most studies examine ALA as an oralsupplement and not when applied topically. One exception, we could find, is a study that found that topically applied ALA has nice spot-fading abilities. Moisturising hyaluronic acid and ceramides can help to lessen the severity of retinol side effects. However, Dr Mahto recommends waiting 15 to 20 minutes after applying your retinol serum before applying your chosen moisturiser, so as not to minimise the retinoid's efficacy. What can you not mix with retinol? Whatever your chosen dose, retinoids can make your skin more sensitive to harmful UV rays, so always use a suncream with SPF 30 or higher during the day. Should you moisturise after retinol?