What Form of Retinoids Should I Choose?

This retinoid is recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe acne. This type of retinoid is also called vitamin A acid. It is broken down into three forms:

• Tretinoin, usually concentrated at 0.025% to 0.05%, alone or combined with erythromycin (an antibiotic)

• Isotretinoin, alone or in combination with erythromycin

• Adapalene, alone or combined with benzoyl peroxide (antiseptic)

When applied to the skin, these compounds will help remove blackheads and soothe inflammation. They also stimulate skin cell renewal and act directly on blackheads and microcysts. They fight bacteria accumulated around pimples, such as P. Acnes.

Available only by prescription, retinoic acid is not suitable for use in a beauty treatment. In this form, retinoids can be too harsh on the skin.

Three retinoids are available on the cosmetic market and do not require a prescription. They can limit the onset of acne and/or mild acne but also fight against the appearance of signs of aging (wrinkles, fine lines, sagging skin). They are the following compounds:

• Retinol, for mature, non-sensitive skin and/or acne-prone skin.

Retinol is the most popular retinoid in skin care and is considered one of the most effective compounds to compensate for the degradation of the skin's support fibers. It stimulates the production of collagen and elastin for smoother, more elastic skin. In addition, retinol is known for its antioxidant properties that prevent premature aging of skin cells. It also has an effect on the production of melanin in the skin, allowing to reduce the appearance of brown spots that can appear with age.

Generally recommended for mature skin, it is also an ally of choice for oily and/or acne-prone skin. Its keratolytic effect eliminates the dead cells present on the surface of the epidermis. The pores are unclogged and the skin texture is refined, thus preventing the appearance of blackheads and/or comedones.

Note: Even if retinol is recommended for mature skin, to prevent wrinkles, it is still possible for younger skin to use this active ingredient topically, but it is advisable to start with a low percentage (0.1%). Thanks to its antioxidant properties, retinol will help young skin fight against oxidative stress generated by free radicals to prevent the appearance of wrinkles. Remember that the SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety) recommends a maximum percentage of 0.3% retinol in a non-rinse cosmetic formula and 0.05% in a body lotion.

• Retinal is also recommended for mature, non-sensitive and/or acne-prone skin.

Chemically, retinal is an intermediate metabolite between retinol and retinoic acid. In other words, when applied to the skin, retinol is oxidized into retinal and then metabolized into retinoic acid, its active form capable of effectively fighting against skin photoaging but prohibited in cosmetics because it is too irritating.

Thus, retinal is more directly converted into retinoic acid in the skin than retinol, which must first undergo oxidation. Retinal is relevant in skin care because to be active, its concentration can be lower than retinol. In fact, retinal can have a smoothing and regenerating action at concentrations ranging from 0.015% to 0.1%.

• Retinoid esters, for the first wrinkles and/or mild acne as well as sensitive skin.

These compounds are generally used because of their greater chemical stability compared to retinol or retinal but also because they are the gentlest retinoids for the skin. The most common are retinyl acetate (INCI: Retinyl acetate), retinyl propionate (INCI: Retinyl propionate), retinyl palmitate (INCI: Retinyl palmitate) and retinyl linoleate (INCI: Retinyl linoleate). They are easily identified with the suffixes "ate". Nevertheless, retinol esters are less effective on wrinkles and acne than retinol or retinal because they have to undergo more transformation in the skin before becoming retinoic acid. Esters are still relevant if you have sensitive skin but still want to start incorporating retinoids into your beauty routine.