Why suffering through a retinoid reaction just isn't worth it.

If you've tried your fair share of skin care products over the years you've probably tried out some sort of vitamin A during that time. Most people are familiar with vitamin A as retinol, even though retinol is only one of the many different forms of vitamin A.

If you've tried a high dose vitamin A from your doctor, you likely would've been given a 1% Tretonoin cream which is retinoic acid.
If you've gone the medical grade route and have used vitamin A products from clinics you've likely tried 1% retinol creams, and if you've gone to stores like Shoppers or Sephora it's likely been a lower dose such as .25-.5% retinol product.

No matter where you've got your vitamin A product in the past, you've likely been given the same instructions...start using it at night a couple times a week and slowly increase the frequency of use while pushing through any irritation it may cause such as peeling, flaking, dryness, burning and inflammation. Why? Because if you can tolerate this uncomfortable reaction for several weeks...perfect skin is waiting at the end!! Or so they say.

Once again I'm here to burst that bubble!!! What can I say? It's sort of like a hobby of mine.

So here's the problem with that concept....
Skin cell walls are not easily penetrated. Only certain chemicals with distinct shapes can enter through different receptors on the wall. Retinoid receptors are responsible for allowing vitamin A to enter into a cell. Since there are many forms of vitamin A, not all the receptors are meant for retinol.
Some receptors will only allow retinoic acid, or retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate...you get the idea.

Another problem here is that as we age we naturally lose vitamin A from our skin and things like smoking or UV exposure quicken this process. As our skin becomes depleted in vitamin A, it also becomes depleted in retinoid receptors.

Suddenly the skin is flooded with an incredibly high dose of retinol and it simply can't use it all. The skin cells absorb what it can but seeing as how retinol only makes up 3% of the vitamin A in the skin, the majority of it sits around the cells and causes massive irritation. The skin reacts by purging and results in the peeling, burning and dryness....a retinoid reaction!

The most unnecessary, pointless, painful and embarrassing thing to go through that I've ever come across in this industry. Yet everyone believes this is the way to perfect skin, but usually because they're only regurgitating information that was given to them by the sales rep of companies who make products like these. Not because they know how the skin actually functions and how it is affected by different chemical substances.

The end result if someone can actually tolerate an on going retinoid reaction for that long until the skin acclimatizes is usually sensitive skin that is thinner than before, and likely more dehydrated too.
The constant inflammation and peeling caused from a retinoid reaction opens the skin up to more environmental damage such as dehydration, pollution, bacteria and can leave the skin hyper sensitive and prone to redness.
More often than not however, the ongoing reaction is not tolerated long enough for the skin to acclimatize and the use of the product is discontinued with the final impression being that vitamin A is awful and doesn't work.

There are so many vitamin A products on the market and sadly few of them are sophisticated enough    to work with the skin instead of against it. This is why vitamin A has acquired such a bad name over the years and is now thought of as a very harsh product to use.

The truth is vitamin A is vital for the skin and has many positive benefits such as anti-aging, normalizing the function of the skin and even repairing DNA damage caused from UV exposure.
So why is something as important as vitamin A not being formulated in a smarter way?
Well it is, but like I said it can be hard to find amongst the sea of 1% rip your face off strength retinol creams.

Environ makes all their vitamin A products in a step-up system and use a complex of several different forms of vitamin A to utilize all the different receptors on the skin cells. This means more of the vitamin A is actually used by the skin, is tolerated much better and makes the skin stronger.
By starting on a low dose and moving on to the higher doses, the skin can acclimatize to levels normally by making more retinoid receptors over time and therefor use the vitamin A properly and in a way that does not cause severe reactions.

Who would've thought that formulating a product according to how the skin functions would be a good idea?!

This is the main reason I swear by Environ products. They're smart, high quality, high concentrated products that are made from a company that actually has respect for the skin.


To book a consultation with me...
Call LAB11 Advanced Medical Aesthetics ‭(403) 283-0764‬

A Beautiful Neck For A Lifetime

The skin on the neck is some of the thinnest on the entire body which means it’s more susceptible to premature aging.

Here are some tips on how to maintain a beautiful youthful neck for years to come...

 

#1: Prevent.

The first step is always prevention. To correct any damage that’s been done to the skin or maintain what you already have, you need to prevent further damage from happening in the first place. In this case that means wearing a high quality SPF daily! Nothing will ruin your skin faster than UV rays as they break down collagen and elastin fibers which is what keeps your skin plump, firm and youthful.

An SPF of about 30 is recommended for day to day use. When it comes to sunscreens you actually have the choice of two different types.

  

Chemical sunscreens contain...you guessed it! Chemicals that absorb into the skin and neutralize UV rays. To do this however the chemicals must go through a process that leads to them breaking down in the skin. This raises some controversy over the safety of these types of sunscreens. Some of the most common chemicals you’ll see listed in the medical ingredients section of sunscreens are oxybenzone, avobenzone, octinoxate and octocrylene.

 

Physical sunscreens contain minerals like Titanium Dioxide and/or Zinc Oxide and these work by simply sitting on the surface of the skin and reflecting UV light. No chemicals, no interaction with the skin.

  

Our preferred sunscreen is from Environ, it is a physical sunscreen with an SPF of 25. The size of a large pea covers the entire face so it lasts forever, it’s non- greasy and will not cause breakouts!

 

#2: Equal Treatment.  

Treating your neck how you treat the rest of your face may sound simple but most of us don’t use our cleanser all the way down our neck, and we might even think using up our toners or moisturizers on the area is a waste.

 

Since your neck has thinner skin than your face it will age faster, so actually your neck needs just as much, if not more TLC than your face does! When you cleanse, tone or moisturize your face make sure to include your full neck! If you don’t, your face may look younger than you actually are but your neck is bound to give away your age in a heart beat!

 

#3: Exfoliate.

When we’re in our 20’s our skin renews itself about every 28 days meaning new skin cells are created in the lowest layers of our skin and the old, dried up dead surface cells flake off. In our 30’s this process slows down to every 40-50 days, in our 50’s and 60’s it can be as slow as every 2 months or more!

This gradual slowing of skin cell renewal is one of the many major changes, and challenges as our skin continues to age.

  

Without proper exfoliation our skin is left look dull, grey-ish, textured and unhealthy. There’s two different ways to exfoliate.

Mechanical exfoliation involves scraping of the skin to force off dead surface cells. The problem with this is it can be extremely irritating to the skin when done regularly, as a result it will increase inflammation in the skin. In the long run it can also cause the skin to thin out and be more susceptible to damage and premature aging.

 

Chemical exfoliation involves acids or enzymes like Lactic or Glycolic acid which come from milk and sugar cane. Enzymes such as Bromelain from pineapple is a more gentle option and great for super sensitive and reactive skin types.

 

The acids or enzymes dissolve dead surface cells and stimulate the skin underneath to reproduce faster. It’s a wonderful way to produce a gorgeous dewy glow! All while being far more gentle in comparison to harsh daily scrubs which, the skin on the neck wouldn’t be able to tolerate for very long anyways due to this area being very thin skinned.