YAY for Vitamin A!
You know that getting an A on your report card is good but having it as a part of your skincare routine is even better! You might hear your dermatologist talk about adding a retinoid cream into your routine or you might be overwhelmed by all the retinoid products at your favorite beauty store. But what is a retinoid? A retinoid has become a catch all term for any vitamin A cream. You can find vitamin A creams over-the-counter (OTC) like retinol, adapalene or natural forms like bakuchiol. There are also prescription strength versions that include tretinoin, adapalene (stronger than the OTC option), trifarotene and tazarotene. Prescription retinoids are stronger than their OTC counterparts and may yield better results.
So why vitamin A? Topical retinoids can help your skin in multiple ways. Retinoids are used to treat acne, fine lines and wrinkles and promote new collagen. They can also help with making the skin appear less dull and lighten dark spots. Sounds like a wonder drug, huh? To a degree, yes. I recommend a version of a topical retinoid as a foundation to any skincare routine. The challenge is finding a retinoid that is tolerable and making sure you know how to use it correctly to minimize any side effects. Because vitamin A creams are increasing skin cell turnover and decreasing oil production, they can cause dryness, redness, stinging or burning. If you have darker skin, irritation from topical retinoids can cause dark spots to appear. Often patients are frustrated by these side effects and stop using topical retinoids.
However, if you understand the irritation factor and make a few adjustments to how you use your vitamin A cream, you can have your cake and eat it too! If you want to use a topical retinoid, you need to train your skin to get used to it, like you might train to run a marathon. If you’ve never used a topical retinoid before, then your skin is what I can “retinoid naïve,” and you should use a lower potency version and gradually increase the strength over time to your tolerability. If you think about the marathon analogy, no one goes out and runs a marathon tomorrow. You gradually train, increase your mileage over time and nurse those sore muscles with ice, stretching and hydration. When you use a vitamin A cream, you choose a lower potency first, apply every 2-3 nights and gradually build up frequency based on how your skin handles it. You battle any dryness by adding in moisturizer. You can moisturize after your retinoid or before and after, what we call the sandwich method.
Can you overdose on a topical retinoid? Yes! It may sound strange but you can use too much. When you apply a topical retinoid, it’s important to use a small amount, around a pea size, and apply evenly across your skin, avoiding the creases near the nose and eyes. And don’t forget sun protection. Retinoids can make you more sensitive to the sun so it’s important to partner it with a good sunscreen in the morning.
Trotter’s Take: Retinoids, or vitamin A creams, are the foundation of a skincare regimen dedicated to healthy skin. They have many skin benefits but consult your dermatologist to find one that is a good fit for your skin needs.
Take a moment and listen to my conversation with Dr. Todd Schlesinger as he talks about the chemistry between vitamin A and the skin.
