6 reasons to add vitamin A to your skincare routine
If you haven't yet discovered the wonders of vitamin A, you're missing out - here's why.
Vitamin A is all the rage in the beauty industry – and for good reason. The fat-soluble nutrient plays a vital role in the metabolism of skin cells and collagen production, two areas crucial for healthier, younger looking skin.
Retinoids is a collective term for vitamin A and all of its derivatives. Now, there are three versions of vitamin A: Retinol(ROL) and retinal(RAL) are both available over the counter, while Retinoic acid (RA) is prescription only.
Benefits of vitamin A in Skin Care
- It helps to clear up acne
Firstly, retinoic acid is a strong keratolytic (peeling agent) that increases the rate of your skin cell turnover by removing dead cell build-up. This means faster shedding of dead skin cells, which in turn means less debris to clog pores.
Secondly, retinoic acid is an excellent drying agent for oily skin and pimples. Less oil means less clogged pores and less “food” for the bacteria.
- Kick wrinkles to the curb
Collagen is our natural anti-wrinkle molecule – a structural protein that provides strength, flexibility, and resilience to the skin.
Unfortunately, the production of this lovely protein decreases over time and is the main reason why skin becomes less elastic and thinner with age. This, in turn, makes skin more prone to sagging and wrinkling.
Vitamin A stimulates skin to produce and organise new collagen bundles. This helps to increase epidermal thickness, tightening of the skin, and reduces that pesky sagging and wrinkling!
- Treatment of hyperpigmentation
Vitamin A inhibits the melanin-producing enzyme tyrosinase, interferes with pigment transfer and speeds up cell turnover rate through potent exfoliation.
The standard treatment for pigmentation involves a combination of exfoliation of existing stained skin and blocking of melanin production to slow down new pigmentation – making vitamin A sound like a no-brainer. And if paired with vitamin C, it should be even more effective.
- Reduces the skin’s sebum production – no more 4 o’clock shine!
Maybe you don’t have acne, but still struggle with T-zone shine? Well, you can still benefit from vitamin A’s ability to reduce side effects that come along with oily skin. Quick fact: If your skin is oily by 11 a.m., especially if you are not wearing makeup, you officially have oily skin.
Vitamin A is able to penetrate the skin and act on the sebaceous (oil) glands in the skin by reducing their activity – the perfect skin blotter!
- Reduce pore size
Pores are created around the time we hit puberty, when sebum (oil) really starts flowing through our follicles. The size of your pores are determined by the amount of oil (also called sebum) that your skin produces. A lot of oil flowing through your follicles will stretch them, resulting in what we call “large pores”.
This is hereditary, and not caused by anything you’re doing wrong! In addition, your pores also expand due to ageing, as your skin loses its elasticity it stretches and sags, making pores appear larger.
Quick fact: Pores cannot open or close (or contract – for example, like the twitching movement of your muscles.
You can shrink pore size by making new skin, and the new skin makes new, smaller pores. You can help make new skin by exfoliating, getting rid of the top layer of dead skin, stimulating the production of new skin cells.
Being an extremely potent peeling agent, vitamin A is the perfect candidate for this job – to help your skin with rapid new cell turn over while flushing out debris from your pores.
When should I expect to see results?
Vitamin A typically provides results within an 8 -12-week period, so don’t expect overnight results. Find out more at SKOON.
For more on beauty, visit Get It Magazine.
