Dietary Sources
Beef, calf, and chicken liver. Eggs. Fish liver oils. Dairy products, including whole milk, whole milk yogurt, whole milk cottage cheese, butter, and other cheeses.
Bakuchiol, derived from the traditional Indian and Chinese medicinal plant babchi, is the only plant-based alternative to retinol that's clinically proven to have similar effects as synthetic retinol like: Improved skin texture.
Frankincense, revered in ancient times in places like Egypt and India, is the natural replacement for retinol. Frankincense rapidly increases cellular turnover, which means it quickly causes the skin to produce healthier cells to replace aging cells. This effect speedily minimizes the signs of wrinkles and scars.
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.
Also known as retinoic acid, tretinoin is about 20 times more potent than retinol. It's stronger because retinoic acid is a form of vitamin A that acts directly on the skin to boost cell renewal, turnover, and DNA damage repair.
Derived from the Ayurvedic Babchi plant, Bakuchiol has the same collagen-stimulating benefits of retinol and the ability to visibly plump and firm skin.
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.
You can also get vitamin A by including good sources of beta-carotene in your diet, as the body can convert this into retinol. The main food sources of beta-carotene are: yellow, red and green (leafy) vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes and red peppers. yellow fruit, such as mango, papaya and apricots.
Plant-based retinol comes from plants rich in proVitamin A contained in carotenoids. Carotenoids are natural botanical forms of retinol derived from various plant-based substances such as seeds and pulps of carotenoid-rich botanicals.
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.”
If you stop retinol and do not begin a prescription retinoid, the benefit of preventing acne will go away. The skin cycle of cells being “born” at the base of the skin and moving to the top, dying and desquamating into the surrounding environment takes about 4-6 weeks.
Chief among these gentler substitutes is bakuchiol, which is derived from the babchi seed. “It's a 'functional analog' to retinol, meaning it has similar chemical, physical, biochemical, or pharmacological properties,” Plescia says, noting a study in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
So, should I use vitamin C or retinol for wrinkles? Well, when it comes right down to it, the choice is really in what you're looking to do for your skin. While vitamin C is incredible for the skin because of its ability to help brighten and improve hyperpigmentation, the best active ingredient for wrinkles is retinol.
Retinol Strength Vs Collagen Strength
There is no doubt about it that retinol is significantly stronger than collagen. This is because retinol penetrates down deep into your skin, tricking your body into thinking it's younger than it is.
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.
Similar to retinol, rosehip oil also increases collagen production and skin elasticity, improving fine wrinkles and increasing the skin's moisture level, and elasticity.
Since retinol is a derivative of vitamin A, other natural oils that also have high concentrations of the vitamin—like rosehip oil and carrot seed oil—are sure to offer similar benefits.
Dr. Mariwalla says coating your skin with Vaseline after applying retinoids or AHA acids would increase penetration of these ingredients, potentially leading to irritation. Instead, live the "slug life" on nights when your routine is focused on moisturization. Dr.
Retinoids not only reverse the signs of natural aging, but they can also repair sun damage on the skin. Retinoids have been shown to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, smooth the skin and even the tone. Retinol, retinyl palmitate and retinoic acid are all types of retinoids.
Eggs, and specifically egg yolks, are one of the richest sources of retinol, the biologically active form of vitamin A. In our bodies, retinol and its derivatives, retinal and retinoic acid, are important for eye function and act as ligands for the transcription factors RAR and RXR.