Getting older is natural, looking older is not!

So you want to delay getting a facelift for as long as possible or even avoid it (like me) entirely.  So here’s what you need to do – use retinol.  Here’s why: this one ingredient boosts collagen, softens skin, evens texture, and fades dark spots.  The data is clear (we hope whoever is controlling the data is clear on this) that women who regularly use retinoids age better than women who don’t.  Here are a few key things to know before getting started:

You don’t have to use it every night.  Start with twice weekly and follow up immediately with you regular moisturizer or face oil.  After a few weeks, step it up to three times a week.

It should be an “at bedtime-only” thing.  Retinoids are photolabile, meaning they break down in the presence of sunlight.

A little irritation is OK.  Redness and flaking are signs that the active form of retinol, a compound called retinoic acid, is working in the skin to make more collagen.  Just give your skin a few days to recover between applications.  I recommend trying RoC Retinol Correxion Sensitive Night Cream if you’re not sure or you experience burning or stinging.  Fyi – I have sensitive skin and I was using the regular Roc with retinol night cream, then followed up with face oil after waiting a few minutes for it to sink in.  I took a long break so I’ll have to start using it again.

Have patience – it takes at least a few months to work.  Your patience will be rewarded.  I just found out that even if it doesn’t look like the retinol is doing anything, it’s building collagen stores in the skin that will help as you get older.

TIP: do an at-home peel a few days before starting retinol.  This will get rid of dead skin cells allowing the retinol to penetrate faster and the fresh, new cells to benefit most from the ingredient.  I like the Vica-C exfoliating peel by Mica Beauty.

What you don’t know about Retinol:

It doesn’t work by exfoliating.  Even though they can make skin flaky (at first) they work by increasing the activity of enzymes in the skin that make more collagen.

It doesn’t make skin more sun-sensitive.  Your skin might become more heat-sensitive, but that means it may feel hotter and look a bit redder if you go outside on a hot day, but that’s not burning.  That said, don’t forget to apply sun protection for the obvious reasons.  My favourite sunscreen is La Roche Posay Anthelios Mineral Tinted SPF 50.  It does the trick and gives a healthy glow.

You can use it around your eyes.  This is where your skin really needs the collagen boost.  Try not to get it in your eyes but if you do, don’t freak out.  It won’t do any harm, just rinse your eyes with water. RoC makes a specific one for eyes.

Mica Beauty Vita-C Exfoliating Peel 
available at:

http://www.intrigueimports.com/product_info.php?products_id=132

There are other skin creams available with Retinol.  Go to the beauty counter or do some research yourself.  Maybe you can pick up a few samples somewhere like “Sephora” to try out a few and decide which works best for you.

Have you tried any?  What do you recommend?