In the aesthetics world, vitamin A is commonly seen in the form of ‘retinol’ or ‘retin A’. At the Clinic, we use it to help numerous concerns including spots, some forms of pigmentation and signs of ageing.
So, what does it do?
Essentially retinol helps to ‘reprogram’ your skin cells by instructing each one to behave like a healthy, young cell. It works by:
Why use it before bed?
Night is the best time of day to apply vitamin A products because this is when our skin is most active in terms of neutralising harmful free radicals and restoring cells. So by applying a vitamin A serum before you go to bed, you’ll help boost your skin’s overnight maintenance work.
Another reason to use it at night is because prescription strength vitamin A (such as Tretinoin) can make the skin sensitive to the sun. Even if you are using vitamin A at night, we would always recommend using an SPF30 during the daytime.
Which vitamin A product should you use?
With retinol, it’s not a case of one size fits all because it’s important to use the right strength for your skin. How often you should use it is also a personal thing - some people may need to use it every night, others on alternative nights.
I can therefore only recommend you seek professional advice in order to be certain you are using the right product for your skin type.
The bottom line
This isn’t a quick fix but in my opinion, vitamin A should be a skincare staple regardless of whether or not you have a skin concern - if you’re still in the privileged position of not having anything to be concerned about with regards to your skin, this is the perfect time to start the prevention process!
If you pass by The Skin to Love Clinic in the centre of St Albans, feel free to pop in to talk to one of our clinical team to discover another skincare tip or two for your beauty routine.
