Retinol is only naturally found in foods derived from animals. Foods like milk, cheese, butter, fish, cod liver oil, liver, and meat are all good sources of retinol. This is in contrast with the carotenoids (provitamin A) that are found in leafy green vegetables, orange and yellow vegetables, tomatoes, and fruits.
Enter Bakuchiol — A Natural “Retinol” for Your Skin
Bakuchiol is a powerful compound found in the babchi plant (Psoralea corylifolia), a medicinal plant and herb that has long been used in Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine.
In the skincare industry retinol is made from synthetic sources as naturally occurring versions aren't stable enough to use in cosmetics. This means that retinol skincare products should be vegan-friendly. When other animal-derived ingredients are listed, they of course stop becoming vegan-friendly.
1. Beef liver, cooked. 3.5 ounces (oz), or 100 grams (g), contains 7,730 mcg of retinol, or 859% of the DV ( 4 ).
Vitamin A in its complete form, retinol, is only found in animal products; however, the precursors to vitamin A are found in a plethora of fruits and vegetables including carrots, mango, spinach and sweet potatoes.
The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid* 2% Emulsion ($9.80) is a retinoid active, part of the family of age-defiers that helps reduce wrinkles. While retinoids (a.k.a. a vitamin A derivatives) often get a bad rep for being irritating, The Ordinary's formula is designed to make the serum gentle while still being effective.
Natural retinoids are present in all living organisms, either as preformed vitamin A or as carotenoids, and are required for a vast number of biological processes, e.g. vision, cellular growth and differentiation and reproduction.
Retinol might not be a fit for those with overly sensitive or hypersensitive skin, those who have food intolerances or high allergic reactions, and young skin, she says. “Caution is necessary when using any vitamin A derivatives and should only be used after advice from your derm or skin care specialist,” Joss says.
There are plenty of 100% vegan retinol products on the market today, and many are made or paired with natural, effective, plant-based ingredients that could further improve your results and reduce negative side effects!
The active agent in retinols and retinoids is retinoic acid — that's what's responsible for increasing cell turnover, Saedi says.
Rosehip and Carrot Seed Oil
Retinol is a vitamin A derivative, so it makes sense that there are natural oils also rich in the vitamin, like rosehip and carrot seed. Rosehip oil is exceptional in regenerating and healing the skin, while increasing collagen production and skin elasticity.
Where can you find natural retinol? As well as carrot seed and rosehips oils, broccoli seed, apricot kernel, peach kernel, avocado and baobab oils are NEOM's favourite sources of natural retinol.
Retinol is the chemical name for vitamin A. It is the alcohol form of vitamin A which gets changed mainly to retinyl esters inside cells. A tiny percentage of topically applied retinol gets converted into the active version, retinoic acid – the acid version of vitamin A that works on the DNA.
Topical retinoids are one of the most studied ingredients for anti-aging. They truly are the holy grail in the sense that multiple and reproducible studies show their benefits with regard to improving acne, sun damage, fine lines, wrinkles, and overall complexion when applied to the skin directly.
The strongest retinoids on the market are tazarotene 0.1% - either the cream of the gel. In most cases tazarotene 0.1% gel is the strongest- especially when it is used before a moisturizer.
RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream
Houshmand recommends RoC's Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, which is one of the highest-strength retinol you can get over the counter, meaning you may see its resurfacing effects sooner than with other products.
One essential derivative of skin care is retinoids. And through the years, it has earned the reputation as “The Holy Grail of Skin Care” because of the amazing wonders that it does to your skin. Want to learn more about this skin care wonder?
While there are a variety of health benefits associated with following a vegan diet, eating a vegan diet won't make you age faster or slower in and of itself.
Who should skip retinol? “Retinols can be a beneficial addition for most skin types, but it isn't a one-size-fits-all approach,” Panzica says. Board certified dermatologist Zenovia Gabriel, MD, notes that “people with sensitive skin conditions like rosacea cannot tolerate really strong topicals like retinols.”