Retinol can be that magical ingredient that can amp up your anti-ageing routine. It’s one of the most effective anti-ageing formula that’s easily available and comes in many affordable topical ointments. No need to splurge thousands on costly salon treatments or painful botox injections, just a topical ointment can give you clear, smooth, and youthful skin. The trick is to include a simple ingredient – retinol which can increase cell turnover and boost collagen production. Retinol maintains the elasticity of your skin, so no more saggy skin. Retinol creams and serums can reduce fine lines and wrinkles, also helps them from showing up on your skin in the first place. Retinol also evens out skin tone, reduces pore size, and brings a lot of clarity to the skin. Retinol is “the” best ingredient to include in your skincare if you are in your late 20s or early 30s, or the moment you see fine lines. Retinols accelerate skin’s cell turnover rate and reduces collagen breakdown. A good retinol can treat fine lines, wrinkles, and brighten up the complexion.
How Retinol Creams Works as an Anti-Ageing Factor:
Retinol is generally used to reduce the signs of ageing. It reduces fine lines, uneven skin tone, minimizes pores and other signs of ageing. Retinols help by regenerating healthy skin cells to make new cells. Retinols can regenerate new cells by speeding up cell renewal process by making surface cells die quickly so that they can be replaced with healthier-looking new cells. Retinol helps to prevent breakdown of collagen too. Retinol creams are usually available over the counter and do not require a doctor’s prescription, but it is always advisable to consult a doctor before starting on any medication to rule out any side effects. The way retinol works as an anti-ageing ingredient is that – our skin cells contain retinoid receptors that helps to normalise specific functions. Due to age, increased stress, and other environmental factors, these functions become sluggish. By applying a retinol cream onto the skin turns retinol into retinoic acid. The retinoic acid in turn helps to correct the functions of retinoid receptors and promotes cell regeneration and also increases cell’s turnover. When the functions come back on track, the texture of your skin will improve, fine lines and wrinkles will be reduced, and hyperpigmentation and age spots will clear up.
Tips To Use Retinol Creams:
- It’s best to use retinol creams at night to give them enough time to work through the night.
- Apply only a thin layer of the topical retinol cream on the skin.
- Do not use retinol and vitamin C products at the same time, in the routine. Since retinol and vitamin C both are potent ingredients, using both of them can irritate your skin, can even cause breakouts.
- Do not use any harsh exfoliating agents or scrubs while using retinol creams.
- Use only mild, soap-free cleansers when you are using retinol. You do not want to treat the new skin with harsh soaps.
- Wear sunscreen always, do not skip it at all.
What’s the Difference Between Retinoid and Retinol:
Retinoid and retinol sound the same, but they aren’t same. Retinoid is used in general to describe vitamin A derivative creams. Retinol is one of vitamin A derivative and comes under the umbrella of retinoids. Retinol is the most popular and effective retinoid treatments available that you can pick over the counter.
14 Best Over the Counter Retinol Creams:
1. Yugard Cream: A targeted action preparation for Acne, Pimples, Blackheads, Ageing, Fine Lines on face, Wrinkles and darkening. Priced at around 1450 INR, this anti-ageing cream has vitamin A, vitamin E, and retinol in its ingredients list. Apply this cream at night, 15 minutes after cleaning skin. Spread a thin layer on the skin. You will see effective results in 3 to 4 months with regular use.
2. St. Botanica Retinol 2.5% + Vitamin E, C and Hyaluronic Acid: This is not a cream, it’s a serum, but a good anti-ageing serum with the goodness of retinol, vitamin E, C, and hyaluronic acid. This serum will help reduce fine lines, in fact it will plump up your skin and decrease pore size. It is suitable for all skin types. This serum promotes healthy skin cell renewal and repairs damaged skin. It repairs skin and stimulates collagen for younger-looking skin. This serum helps to improve skin’s texture and elasticity.
3. The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane: Retinol 1% in Squalane a lightweight serum with a high concentration of retinol in a squalane base. This treatment visibly reduces the signs of ageing. It diminishes the look of wrinkles and fine lines, brightens dark spots and hyperpigmentation, and smooths and refines the skin’s texture. This treatment evens out skin tone and reduces hyperpigmentation.
4. The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane: This water-free solution contains a 2% concentration of an advanced retinoid active complex called Granactive Retinoid that has been shown to offer better results against multiple signs of aging than retinol without any of the irritation and drawbacks common with retinol. Granactive Retinoid, an active technology from Grant Industries, is a solubilized system of Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, a highly-advanced form of retinoid which is, in fact, a non-prescription ester of all-trans direct retinoic acid that offers a multi-fold better effect against signs of aging than retinol, retinyl palmitate and nearly all other forms of non-prescription retinoid.
5. Agein 50 gm Cream: This anti-ageing cream has aloe vera, Coenzyme Q10, Collagen, matrixyl with Retinol 0.1% and vitamin E, which helps to reduce visible signs of ageing.
6. Retiglow Night Serum: Retiglow Night Serum contains Retinol as the active ingredient. The serum helps in cell renewal. Vitamin A: Derivative of retinol, works to unclog pores and boosts collagen to reduce fine lines. Speed up cell turnover to reduce discoloration. Smoothens skin surface. Moisturizes and visibly reduces signs of aging around the eyes. Reduces puffiness and wrinkles around eyes. After cleansing your face, apply evenly on the skin at night before sleeping.
7. Strea A15 Cream vegicaps: These vegi capsules have retinol in them that you can squeeze and directly apply on the face.
8. Airol 0.05% Cream: Though this is not a retinol cream, it’s a good retinoid cream that targets and works on visible signs of ageing.
9. Roc Retinol Correxion Eye Cream: Roc Retinol correction eye cream contain water, glycerine, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG- 100 Stearate, PEG- 8, Stearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Isopropyl Myristate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Propylparaben, Copper Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Phenoxyethanol, Zinc Gluconate as active ingredient. This cream reduces wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles around the eyes. It also takes care of crow’s feet.
10. Roc Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream: This is an anti-wrinkle treatment that works through the night to reduce the appearance of expression lines and deep wrinkles within 12 weeks. The retinol in this cream penetrates deep within the skin’s surface to help fill in even deep wrinkles.
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