Fine lines and wrinkles are a part of life, but, with the right ingredients, they don’t have to be a super noticeable part of your complexion if you don’t want them to be. While ingredients like peptides and niacinamide are associated with slight wrinkle reduction, the real winner is retinol. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Scratch that—of course you have. While the hero ingredient is shouted from the rooftops of almost every major skincare brand, not everyone knows what it is, or, more importantly, why it’s so effective at creating a younger-looking visage. To help uncover the facts, we chatted with a couple of the top dermatologists. Ahead you’ll discover everything you need to know about the holy grail anti-aging ingredient.

What is retinol?

While retinol is a coveted ingredient in the skincare world, it’s important to look at its origin to fully understand why it can so effectively turn back the clock on your complexion. According to board-certified dermatologist Dendy Engelman, M.D., retinol is the active form of vitamin A, which regulates collagen production and promotes skin repair in the body. By adding it into skincare products, cosmetic chemists can hack the way skin ages by replenishing the very ingredient that helps keep complexions radiant and youthful. 

How does retinol work?

When something seems too good to be true, it helps to know the details to decide whether or not you can trust in its promised results. According to Dr. Engelman, “retinoic acid (aka retinol and retinoids) is an extremely effective cell-communicating ingredient that can connect to almost any skin cell receptor site and tell it to behave like a healthy, younger skin cell.” What’s more, she explains, it also functions as an antioxidant, allowing it to repair free-radical damage—which is a major reason that skin shows signs of aging in the first place. 

What’s the difference between retinol, retinoid, and retin-A?

Here’s where it gets tricky. While retinol is the most-talked-about form of vitamin A, retinoids are where we should start. According to board-certified dermatologist and founder of Entière Dermatology Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, M.D., retinoids are essentially a basic umbrella term for both over-the-counter retinols and prescription retinoids, and scientific studies back this up. “Retinols, which are readily available over-the-counter, contain a lower concentration of the active retinoic acid ingredient than retinoids,” she says. Additionally, she says that prescription retinoids have a much higher concentration of the active ingredient so therefore are more readily available for the skin to use, which is why most dermatologists recommend retinoids (not retinol) for heavy-hitting rejuvenation. 

As a result of their concentration levels, retinol and retinoid affect the skin differently. According to Dr. Levin, while retinol and retinoid have the same goal and purpose, “retinol works more gradually compared to the retinoid treatments prescribed by a dermatologist due to their difference in molecular structure and how they are processed in the skin.” This means that while you might notice eye-catching retinoid results in a matter of days, it could take weeks to notice a change from retinol.

Then there’s retinoic acid or tretinoin. The prescription-only ingredient is the most active form of vitamin A, not to mention the fastest acting. “Biochemically, retinoid and retinol, do the same thing—it may just take longer to see results with retinols, since they are weaker,” Dr. Engelman says.

Is retinol good for your skin?

There’s a reason why everyone and their mother swears by retinol—it gets the job done. And by job, we mean increasing collagen production, reducing collagen breakdown, accelerating skin cell turnover, improving discoloration, hydrating skin, and even reducing acne. In other words, it truly is a hero ingredient. Of course, if you ask someone with sensitive skin, they may say otherwise. That’s because, as Dr. Engelman points out, retinol is known to cause dryness, redness, and irritation when first introduced into a routine. However, if you stick to finding a way to keep at it, pretty much any dermatologist will tell you it will be worth it. Dr. Engelman says that with continued usage of this ingredient over time, you can see an improvement in fine lines and wrinkles, texture, and tone as it strengthens the skin barrier.

The post Retinol 411: a deep dive into skincare’s hero anti-aging ingredient appeared first on MyMedicPlus.

Anti-Aging is the biggest concern among people of all generations these days.

But what is anti-aging? To answer this, we need to know what aging is. Aging is a natural process where biological activities slow down over time in the human body. Physiological, developmental, and psychological changes also arise in the process of aging. Anti-aging is the idea to halt or slow down the process of aging. Though there are no “magic pills” that can stop the signs of aging, a combination of a healthy diet, lifestyle changes, and proper supplements can add a couple more years to life.

Since everyone has different dietary needs, one should always consult with a doctor before starting any changes. Aside from that, there are many anti-aging supplements in the market, but only a few of them work wonders. Let’s talk about how anti-aging supplements work.

Antioxidants

One of the vital supplements that slows down the signs of aging is Antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances that fight with free radical damages in the human body. Free radicals are the toxic molecules that the human body produces from oxidative damage and other factors, such as stress, overweight, unhealthy lifestyles, smoking, and more.

Free radicals are related to cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and so on. They oxidize cell membranes, and DNAs, and also destroy their normal functional abilities. Usually, the human body is capable of producing antioxidants from consuming whole foods and vegetables. But with busy lifestyles, it is practically impossible to consume an adequate amount of nutrients each day.

To neutralize such harmful free radicals, we need to take proper antioxidant supplements to stop premature aging. Here are some antioxidant supplements that help with free radical damages:

• Vitamin C
• Vitamin E
• Niacinamide
• Coenzyme Q10
• Resveratrol
• Grape seeds
• Lycopene
• Flavonoids

Collagen

Collagen is a fibrous protein naturally found in our body. It acts like a glue to keep cells and tissues together. Collagens are composed of amino acids that work like building blocks for other proteins. Collagen strengthens our skin and helps with cell turnover instantly to get more youthful-looking glowy skin. The less the cell turns over happens, the more build-ups a skin gets.

That’s why we see babies and children’s skin look so young and fresh, unlike adults because of their high rates of cell turnover from naturally occurring collagen. Sadly, it decreases over time as we age. According to Youth & Earth, the signs of aging, for example, sagging skin, deep wrinkles, joint pains, and muscle loss, are some of the side effects of low collagen production. An increase in age, environmental factors, harmful sun rays, and smoking all contribute to collagen loss. Foods that are rich in vitamin C should be eaten daily to increase the amount of collagen in our body.

Supplements are also useful for turning back the clock of aging. Studies have found that adults who took collagen supplements every day for a certain period, had major improvements with reducing joint pains, increasing muscle mass, and boosting skin elasticity than those who didn’t take the supplements.

Omega fatty acids

Omega 3 fatty acids are another essential supplement for supporting anti-aging. Omega fatty acids are a family of fatty acids that play a crucial role in brain functions and other body parts, particularly in older people. Omega fatty acids are good fats that maintain a healthy heart. They also support energy production when taken daily. Researchers found that omega fatty acids have potential effects on lowering age-related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. They also help build the resiliency under the skin surface.

The higher the elasticity a skin has, the more youthful and glowy it looks. Certain fatty acids also improve various skin conditions similar to dry skin, psoriasis, and eczema. They act as barriers to protect healthy cell membranes from harmful outcomes. Omega fatty acids are found in fatty fish, such as salmon, tuna, and mackerel.

Some of the vegetarian sources like flaxseeds and chia seeds also contain omega fatty acids, only not as efficient; however, it is not recommended to consume a large amount of fish for this purpose alone because of the harmful mercury effect, one can take a high-quality fish oil supplements to get the full benefits of omega fatty acids.

The post How Anti-Aging Supplements Work appeared first on MyMedicPlus.