But did you know the powerhouse ingredient can also be your ticket to smoothing and firming all of your skin? Meet retinol body lotions. Retinol body lotions can help smooth fine lines, clear body acne, and correct hyperpigmentation on arms, legs, and more.
As mentioned earlier, retinol is best put to use on parts of the body most likely to suffer from sun damage such as the backs of the hands and décolletage. If you're using a retinol serum on your face, Dr Mahto advises extending its use to these areas too.
One of the most effective—and underused—anti-cellulite ingredients is retinol (what skin ailment can't it cure?), which West says thickens the epidermis and improves skin texture. Studies have shown that caffeine and retinol work better together.
Retinol travels through your skin, so even if you are not using it directly on your brows, it can still make that area sensitive to waxing. If you'd like to get your brows waxed and use retinol, stop using retinol a minimum of 48 hours before your appointment.
Gaboardi notes that retinol can work by increasing blood flow to hair follicles in the scalp, in turn encouraging hair growth.
At any time, threading is a good choice whether or not you're on Retin-A (among other skin medications, according to WebMD). But all the more on mature skin because threading doesn't pull or tug on the skin — so buzz off, wrinkles!
Retinoids work best if you use them daily. Specifically, they should be used at night because some types are deactivated by light and air. It's important to start slowly and allow your skin time to adjust. Using too much too quickly can cause redness, dryness, and irritation.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off.
Using any form of retinol makes your skin more prone to sunburn. Sun damage combined with retinol burn is a recipe for redness or discoloration, inflammation, and more.
Rather than focus on one single exercise, aim for a regular workout routine that combines aerobic exercises and strength training. Aerobic activities help you burn fat, while strength exercises build muscle and help with overall skin elasticity. Combined, all these factors may help improve thigh cellulite.
Get moving. It's one of the best treatments. It won't make your cellulite disappear, but strong muscles under lumpy areas can make your skin look more even. Try a three-part plan: a healthy diet, brisk exercise, and moves that tone your muscles.
The study was conducted in 15 women aged from 26 to 44 years who had requested liposuction to improve mild to moderate cellulite. Results: After 6-months of treatment, skin elasticity was increased by 10.7% while viscosity was decreased by 15.8% at the retinol-treated site.
Engelman agrees: "Retinol is the most potent ingredient that helps build collagen and elastin, which leads to tighter, smoother skin."This mixture has the added bonus of hyaluronic acid, which "can smooth, firm, and tighten the appearance of the skin," Dr. Bowe says.
When it comes to youth-boosting skincare ingredients, it's the undisputed champion, beloved for its long history of offering proven effects. But here's the thing: Retinol can have the same great effects for the skin below your chin, too.
Derived from vitamin A, retinoids — such as tretinoin (Retin-A, Renova, Avita) — that you apply to your skin may improve the appearance of stretch marks less than a few months old. Tretinoin, when it works, helps to rebuild a protein in the skin called collagen, making the stretch marks look more like your normal skin.
Don't Mix: Retinol with vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and AHA/BHA acids. AHA and BHA acids are exfoliating, which can dry out skin and cause further irritation if your skincare routine already includes retinol. As for benzoyl peroxide and retinol, they cancel each other out.
Use Exfoliants Sparingly After the Adjustment Period
After two to six weeks of using tretinoin, it's usually okay to start using an exfoliant. However, it's best to use exfoliating products as sparingly as possible while using tretinoin to avoid potentially irritating your skin.
Retinol can be effective in lightening the skin and reducing the appearance of dark spots. It does so by promoting skin shedding, which improves cell turnover rate and hinders the activity of the enzyme tyrosinase, which encourages the production of melanin.
Apply topical retinoids
Retinoids, which are topical vitamin A-based derivatives, may help reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production. If you use retinoids on your face, extend the treatment area to your neck and chest at night. Retinoid products are available by prescription or over the counter.
While Vitamin C serum predominantly protects your skin from damage, retinol serum actively heals the damage on your skin. Vitamin C serum protects the collagens while the Retinol serum helps in cell turn over thereby creating new collagens.
With retinoids, it's often a “worse-before-better” type of situation. Typical side effects include dryness, tightness, peeling, and redness — especially when first starting out. These side effects usually subside after two to four weeks until the skin acclimates. Your skin will thank you later!
Stop using Retinoids 4-5 days before warm waxing process.
Additionally, threading does not involve the use of chemicals like depilatory cream nor does it remove any skin. Aside from being the safest hair-removal method for those on medications that contain Retin-A, eyebrow threading is also one of the least invasive techniques on the market.
We've written about at-home dermaplaning on the blog before, which is one good option once your skin has fully adjusted to tretinoin. Just be sure it's done by a professional. You can also try threading, tweezing, or even laser hair removal.