Vitamin A’nti-aging
Who would’ve thought the fountain of youth would be right under our nose the entire time? Well I may be exaggerating a little but it really does feel like something out of a fairytale when I see the results. Vitamin A is a wonderful specimen of medicine that has been found to have some incredible results when used against signs of ageing and now you might be thinking “Well don’t we already have retinol?” and well, yes you’d be right to think that retinol is already a great boon to the anti-ageing scene so why do we need another thing? Funnily enough, It’s because retinol is actually just another name for a branch of vitamin A.
This special little vitamin was first used because it had some remarkable uses against acne but it has since then become one of the gold standards for anti-aging treatments which wouldn't be a surprise for those educated in vitamin A deficiency theory like Dr. Des Fernandes.
He has been championing the theory that vitamin A deficiency is intrinsically tied with aged skin for decades, citing that due to worse protection against uv rays and diets that dont include as much vitamin A, our stores of the vital vitamin is just getting completely drained leading to many having much worse ageing to their skin.
So because of this, vitamin A is now everywhere when it comes to helping the skin return to a more youthful visage, but enough beating around the proverbial bush, what does it actually do?
What benefits does vitamin A have?
Gods above, what DOESN’T it help with? Well as said before it was first discovered to help with acne before seeing that it has some incredible results against ageing which, if that doesn't tell you its range already, then boy are you in for a shock. Because this blog is already getting overlong I’ll relegate the benefits to a list.
Here is a list of benefits of Vitamin A:
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Younger, healthier skin - less fine lines and wrinkles
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Increased production of collagen
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Decreases spots and acne - better balance in your skins oils
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Tightens skin - Retinoids help to keep your pores and skin walls thicker, meaning your skin will look much less slack and much more plumper
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Also reduces the appearance of dark patches or pigmented lesions on the skincircles,
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Reduces pore size and improve the tightness
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An increased skin cell turnover leading to more natural exfoliation and less clogged up pores
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Being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin a helps protect against uv rays and environmental damage
So as you can very clearly see, Vitamin A is an all-rounder, helping protect and attack against ageing, acne, and oil balance. It really is a great miracle and deserving of the reverence it garners from other skincare blogs.
How do I use a vitamin A product?
This is a pretty easy question to answer. Use it on an evening after applying your cleanser and drying your skin, use only a pea-size amount (you can use more if its an over the counter brand but definitely don't for prescription strength formulas unless you'd fancy losing half your weight in peeling) then all you do is spread over your face taking care to avoid sensitive areas such as your eyes, corners of your mouth, around the nostril and your neck.
What to expect from retinol products
It will be very easy to tell if it's working as you’ll experience symptoms such as redness and dryness as well as lots of flaking and just general irritation. This isn’t bad but can be quite alarming, don’t worry it's completely normal and just your skin acclimating to the retinol product. If you feel it's excessive and you’re experiencing symptoms such as burnt or sore feeling skin (like so bad that it's painful to the touch) and your normal moisturiser stings then you may want to tone back how much you’re using daily or if you’re using a high percentage retinol then go get a lower grade.
Depending on your age it may take awhile but you should usually see results within a month. These results can vary in intensity but you should expect softer, glowing skin, fewer visible lines, more elasticity and better skin tone.
Overall this product is one of the biggest in the market and for a very good reason, with its strong anti-aging effects, cleansing powers and all manner of other wizardry it is very clearly a recommended product for those who need a bit of witchcraft in their lives. So if you're struggling with leathery, lined skin then look no further than vitamin A (the A stands for ageing).