The ultimate antidote to fix signs of advanced ageing and stressed skin
Meditation facials. Anxiety-reducing cold plunge tubs (with skincare benefits!). These are just two of the activities giving skincare a well-deserved slice of the wellness space. Clinical evidence proves this isn’t just a billion-dollar-industry bluff: Emotional stress on the inside means visible signs of stress on the outside—and it looks like dryness, lines, wrinkles, dullness and facial fatigue. In addition to stress-reducing activities like deep breathing, exercising and journaling to internally interrupt the effect of stress on skin, is there anything you can do on the surface? Clinical evidence is delivering the exciting answer (YES!) and the answer includes retinal.
Did you know there are over 4,000 retinoids?
That makes answering the question, “What is retinal?” anything but easy.
Retinal belongs to a cast of compounds known as vitamin A derivatives, with the following ranking as the most familiar:
Can retinal counteract signs of ageing on stressed skin?
A 2018 scientific study shows that topical retinals like vitamin A can lessen the effects of stress-induced damage to skin and remarkably reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Even in a trial on subjects averaging 87 years of age, retinol visibly diminished the appearance of wrinkles caused by ageing. It’s no wonder retinal is the derm-recommended solution for mature and ageing skin.
Before you say, “sign me up!” let’s look at the 4 best ways to make retinal in skincare part of your internal/external approach to skin health.
01 Boost skin elasticity
Retinal works via 2 main biological effects: An uptick in the skin’s ability to retain moisture, and an increase in the skin’s intrinsic collagen production. Diminishing visible wrinkles with retinal comes with its own suite of sub-benefits as well. If you wear face makeup like foundation, you’ll also enjoy the added bonus of minimising “crepeyness” to create a smoother, more supple base for your favorite cosmetics.
02 Reduce the marks of photoaging
Photoaging refers to skin that exhibits signs of aging prematurely, due to the long-term impacts of the sun. Photoaging can appear in the form of:
Because photoaging occurs in the lower strata of the skin, many dermatologists turn to aging skin facial treatments like laser therapy, chemical peels, or topical solutions like prescription tretinoin or retinal to help the skin rebuild itself.
03 Blend with other known “ageing skin hack” ingredients
Many derms recommend combining vitamin C (an antioxidant) and retinal to create a powerful aging skincare hack—especially for mature skin types 40 and over. The former can work daily and later at night to help you achieve rejuvenated skin. Both work synergistically to combat the effects of a stressed-out complexion.
In the morning:
Retinal should ideally be applied at nighttime because it can make skin sensitive to sun exposure.
At night:
04 Enhance efficacy with SPF
If you still aren’t vigilant about making SPF a permanent fixture in your skincare regimen, recruiting retinal into your bathroom cabinet may be the motivation you need. Retinoids are renowned for making the skin extremely sensitive to sunlight. Not only can UV exposure bring a painful sensation to the skin, but it can also diminish the retinal’s effectiveness, meaning daily wear is essential (plus, it’s a foolproof way to stay proactive against photoaging).
Regardless of your skin concern, when you’re looking for products to aid in even skin tone or skin brightening, SPF is one of the most important steps.
About the Author
Jacki Marzano is SoCal-based storyteller and head copywriter at Murad Skincare. She's shaped the voice of some of the most recognised beauty brands in the business, has a penchant for sharing homemade cookies, and believes SPF is the secret to getting carded well into your 40s.