Skin Care
Read This Before You Use a RetinolA lot has changed in the last 20 years, but retinol is still the go-to ingredient for anti-aging skin care. Here's everything you need to know |
Retinol, Retinoid...What's The Diff? The language is tricky: retinols, retinoids, retinoic acid. What's the difference? While the endgame is the same (better skin) and they're all derived from vitamin A, not all retin-something ingredients are created equal. The delivery mechanism and how they react with your skin varies. Here are the basics:
Retinoid: The blanket term for all vitamin A derivatives in skin care.
Retinoic acid: The ingredient you'll find in prescription retinoids.
Retinol: The over-the-counter version. Your skin converts retinol to retinoic acid.
Retinyl palmitate: A combination of retinol and palmitic acid. It's the gentlest ingredient in the retinoid family.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Why Dermatologists Love Retinoids
Retinoid: The blanket term for all vitamin A derivatives in skin care.
Retinoic acid: The ingredient you'll find in prescription retinoids.
Retinol: The over-the-counter version. Your skin converts retinol to retinoic acid.
Retinyl palmitate: A combination of retinol and palmitic acid. It's the gentlest ingredient in the retinoid family.
SEE NEXT PAGE: Why Dermatologists Love Retinoids