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ZO Medical Vancouver

How Retinol Works

Today I want to talk about my love affair with Retinoic Acid, more commonly known as Retinol, and how retinol works. Ever think your skin looks dull or tired? Are you nearing mid-life and think you may be starting to look a bit … old? We’ve all been there; as soon as I hit (dare I say it) 30, I noticed lines I never saw before creeping into the corners of my mouth, eyes and forehead. Pigmentation started showing up on my forehead and top of my lip which gave me the appearance of having a moustache in certain light (gross!)

If you suffer with stubborn hormonal pigmentation like I do (also known as Melasma), fine lines, enlarged pores, dull skin, sun spots and even the occasional breakouts, Retinol is your best friend.

How retinol works is by forcing our skin to accelerate the turn over process, in layman’s terms, it means you shed skin faster which prompts the production of those plump, healthy fresh skin cells. It slows the breakdown of collagen and helps to thicken your dermal layer, stopping wrinkles from forming.

Looking for something to help acne? If you are an acne sufferer, you may not be aware that acne bacteria cannot live in an aerobic environment (anywhere there is oxygen). This bacteria multiplies when the environment is suitable, a.k.a: clogged pores! Retinol helps to shed/exfoliate dead skin at a more rapid rate, so the bacteria cannot become clogged in our pores where they thrive and reproduce. By doing this our products will also be able to penetrate deeper into our skin giving us all the benefits of each ingredient and not just sit on the surface. If you want to take control of your skin health and prevent aging, we have great options to suit your needs like Advanced Radical Night Repair from ZO Skin Health, or the Retinol Complex 0.5 from SkinMedica. We’re always happy to make in-person tailored skin recommendations, so pop into The Lab and chat with us. And a little pro tip before you go? When using retinol, you never want to skip the sunscreen each and every day!

 

XOXO,
Bethany