Has anyone have NOT tried Retinol yet?😅 If so, it’s the perfect time to think about buying a retinol product as this hero ingredient will make your skin so much better, especially enlarged pores by aging and developed pigmentation due to slow skin cell turnover.
🌈What is Retinol?
Retinol, a derivative of vitamin A, is a powerful and highly effective skincare ingredient that helps improve various skin concerns, including fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, acne and uneven texture. Retinol works by promoting cell turnover, stimulating collagen production, and improving skin elasticity, resulting in a smoother, more youthful complexion.
🌈The Common Forms of Vitamin A
(It’s worth to know the type of vitamin A in formulation, understanding better about retinol so added this section even though bit long, hope you don’t mind reading😉)
Retinoic acid is the only form of the ingredient that is bioavailable (effective) to the skin so all vitamin A derivatives must convert to retinoic acid.
(The derivatives of vitamin A, that are often described as retinol: Retinyl Acetate, Retinyl Linoleate, Retinyl Palmitate and Retinyl Proprionate. )
✍️ The types of vitamin A
- Retinyl acetate: increasing in popularity, this form is less irritating and more stable than retinol, with similar performance
- Retinyl palmitate: another commonly used form, this retinol ester is very low-to-non-irritating but has much weaker activity
- Retinol: most popular version of vitamin A over-the-counter and retinol works when it converts to retinoic acid. Its performance is quite similar to retinoic acid, but it can be very irritating
- Retinaldehyde (Retinal): easily converted within the skin to retinoic acid, and also provides very similar benefits but with lower irritancy
- Retinoic acid: prescription-strength retinoids such as Tretinoin
👉prescription formulas deliver the best results, but there are more risk such as skin irritation, redness and peeling (Retinoid is not ideal for those with sensitive skin)
👉higher concentrations result in higher conversion rates to retinoic acid however can lead to increased irritation
🌈Where To Start?
Retinol is a commonly used over-the-counter (OTC) form of vitamin A and is a relatively gentle form of retinoid so I may recommend this ‘Retinol’ type as a starting point.
cf. Retinoid(s) is an umbrella term that encompasses all forms of vitamin A, including retinol, retinal, and prescription-strength retinoic acid. Retinoids can be found in both OTC products and prescription medications, such as tretinoin (Retin-A) and adapalene (Differin) – used to treat severe acne, psoriasis, and other skin conditions.
Retinol comes in many forms such as serum, gel and cream, also a variety of strengths, from 0.015 ~ 1% (which is safety limits and the regulator differs depending on country) and 0.1% of strength retinol delivered significant improvement in photoaging and collagen production.
*Ref. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641~PMC9618501
🌈Product Recommendations
< IOPE Retinol Expert 0.1% >
IOPE Retinol Expert 0.1% is the first released and most popular product in Korea. It contains stabilized pure retinol 0.1% with other skin-beneficial ingredients to target skin aging, such as wrinkles, pores and skin elasticity – proven to improve skin firmness, density and wrinkles in 2 weeks. Features the specially designed tube maintains the retinol efficacy until the very last drop through a three-stage oxygen barrier system.
< COSRX The Retinol Cream >
Low irritation with 0.1% pure retinol, created with the optimal ratio of key ingredients for first-time retinol users just starting to notice the appearance of fine lines caused by dry skin. t’s non-comedogenic and proven results showed improvement of wrinkles, elasticity, lifting and pores in 2~4 weeks.
(This warning is easy to miss so squeeze the tube gently to prevent the content overflow, yes I’ve done that too😝)
🌈Product comparison
Both products are made in Amore Pacific, and I have found that only 4 ingredients are different in the formula.
Both are non-sticky, fast-absorbing and don’t leave any greasy feeling (results may differ depending on your entire skincare application). Applies very smoothly so I was generous on the amount and caused some skin peeling the next morning which is common for first time retinol users or over-application. IOPE contains fragrance (although very weak) and COSRX doesn’t, however if you’re sensitive to scent like me you can smell a bit of garlic butter, but it will go away instantly.
The price is huge different even though same manufacturer and similar ingredients with retinol 0.1% strength – COSRX The Retinol Cream (20ml, ₩25,000) and IOPE Retinol Expert 0.1% (30ml, ₩85,000), however it’s important to know that the source of the product, the formula, concentration and ingredients combination make how effective to the skin. I believe that IOPE has been well-studied in retinol since 1994 to make stabilized quality retinol and put all ingredients together to efficacious formulas for the best result, as well as innovative packaging so it seems reasonable. One thing for sure that both products are worked well for my skin, delivering results I expected for quickly – still want more😁
🌈Conclusion
Retinol, a synthetic derivative of vitamin A, is proven to repair photodamage, improve skin firmness and wrinkles, and also help reduce acne. It has potential irritation such as redness, itchiness and peeling skin however has more positive effects on aging and acne-prone skin so if you’re totally new with retinol it’s worth experiencing. Start with a low concentration and gradually increase the frequency and strength as your skin adjusts. This helps to minimize potential irritation.
I have more to talk about retinol and would like to introduce more products so see you in the next post very soon.
Thanks for reading~
*Some article (definition of retinol & the forms of vitamin A) quoted from Goole and personal care science website article (Blog-4192/FormulatingwithVitaminAinskincare-7501/).
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