Winter is here, and more than likely, you’ve noticed your skin respond to the cold change. In this post, our expert skin therapists share four skincare tips to help you prevent dry skin during the winter months. Dry July, be gone!
Both Crystal retinal and intelligent retinol have amazing anti-aging properties, but why do we favour Crystal?
Both retinal and retinol help to increase proliferation (cell turnover), increase collagen and elastin synthesis, decrease melanin production, reduce sebum production, stimulate Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and finally thicken the epidermis for plumper skin. So why not favour both?
Well firstly, let’s get to know the Vitamin A stages of conversion. Retinoic acid is the form of vitamin A used by the cell, however we can’t put retinoic acid directly onto the skin. However we can put retinol and retinaldehyde onto the skin, which the skin then converts to retinoic acid through the stages of conversion.
Intelligent Retinol from Medik8 is a classic form of vitamin A. Retinol must go through 2 conversions to get to retinoic acid, the vitamin A form used within the cell. This means it takes longer to ‘work’ in the skin, and the skin has to do a lot more work to get it to retinoic acid, sometimes causing irritation. Medik8 Intelligent Retinol TR also contains vitamin E and Jojoba oil, giving the skin extra antioxidants and nourishment.
Intelligent Retinol is ideal for:
Key benefits:
As the name suggests, Medik8 Crystal Retinal is the retinaldehyde form of vitamin A encapsulated in a cyclodextrin crystal exterior. This has been proven to be 2.8 times more biologically active then retinol and is the only form of vitamin A to have antibacterial properties – meaning it can help to kill the bacteria causing breakouts (p. acne). It also only has to go through 1 conversion to get to retinoic acid, meaning quicker cellular regeneration and less irritation.
Crystal Retinal is also great for people with sensitive skin because of its time release technology, in which the retinal is released into the skin slowly overnight. It also contains multi-weight hyaluronic acid, Vitamin E and glycerin.
Crystal retinal is ideal for:
Key benefits:
Both retinal and retinol can cause mild irritation when they’re first introduced to the skin, but these effects are temporary, and they usually occur when vitamin A has been introduced too quickly or in too high a quantity.
Technically speaking, retinol is usually gentler than retinal, but new developments in encapsulation techniques have allowed formulators to create retinal products that are just as kind to the skin as retinol.
Introducing vitamin A into your routine gradually is the best way to avoid irritation. Start with a low percentage. Use it twice a week for the first 2 weeks, every other night for a further 2 weeks and then every night. Once your skin has built-up a tolerance to the ingredient, you can then move on to higher strength products.
If you are unsure what vitamin A is for you, book a phone or in-person skin consult with our Skin Therapists, which can be booked online.