As the largest organ in our body, maintaining healthy skin is one of the key components to living a healthy lifestyle.
Our skin can say a lot about our overall health, so it is important we look after it. This involves what we put INTO our body (eating healthy, drinking plenty of water, etc), as well as what we put ONTO our body (i.e. skincare).
To ensure healthy glowing, smooth skin, we recommend Vitamin A as a key skincare ingredient for a rejuvenated complexion.
What is Vitamin A?
Without getting too technical, Vitamin A is known as a fat-soluble vitamin and is a powerful antioxidant in our bodies. The key role Vitamin A plays is the maintenance of our vision and our neurological function, as well as healthy skin - which we will discuss in more detail.
Vitamin A is also known as a ‘retinoid’, which is a general term for all the different types of vitamin A. Other terms include retinoic acid, retinol, retinaldehyde, retinyl palmitate, tretinoin, adapalene, tazarotene.
You may have heard of some of these, so know that they are all just the different strengths and forms of vitamin A. Some are natural, others synthetic and some prescription-grade.
When referring to our skin, Granactive Retinoid is the form of Vitamin A we are usually talking about.
This is a gentle form of Vitamin A that is used in skincare, as it is very close to what our body produces naturally. This means that only a small amount needs to be processed before it can be taken to the cells to do it’s best work.
Stronger forms of vitamin A, such as tretinoin, adapalene, and tazarotene can take longer to be processed in the skin, which can leave the skin feeling dry, tight and irritated.
Vitamin A Skin Benefits
Vitamin A normalises our skin function, which essentially tricks it into thinking it is younger.
The benefits include:
- UV protection - although NOT a sunscreen, Vitamin A works to reduce the inflammation caused by UV damage and also takes on some of the ageing caused by UV radiation.
- Anti-wrinkle - the breakdown, as well as the slow production of collagen over time, is what causes wrinkles in the skin. Vitamin A helps to increase the number of cells used to produce collagen, stimulates the existing collagen and works on the enzymes that break down the collagen.
- Acne - is caused by irregular shedding of cells, which contributes to pore congestion and acne creation. By stimulating and regulating the cellular turnover, Vitamin A can help eliminate acne issues. Also, Vitamin A helps normalise skin function and encourages cells to align in the epidermis, which prevents new pimples from forming.
- Cell renewal - when we are younger, skin cells take around 28 days to replenish, but as we get older, the process gets longer as cell turnover becomes slow and shedding the dead cells becomes less effective. The slowing down of this process can cause dull, rough looking skin. Vitamin A works to stimulate the turnover of cells and acts to exfoliate the dead cells, making skin look brighter and smoother.
- Pigmentation - due to ageing, hormones and UV exposure, our skin tone can change over time. Vitamin A works to reduce the appearance of pigmentation in the skin by exfoliating the cells, but also encourages the distribution of melanosomes in the skin that stops pigment cells from staying together.
Introducing Vitamin A to Your Routine
Now you know all the amazing benefits of Vitamin A and how it works, it is time to start using it on your skin. You’ll want to find quality Vitamin A that is appropriate for your skin type and concerns. Be aware that not all Vitamin A creams and serums are made the same or equal.
Make sure you find one with high-quality ingredients delivered in the correct level of concentration so it penetrates your skin. We recommend our signature REM Serum.
Once you have found the right one, allow your body to adapt. The best way to do this is to begin with applying it every other day, and working your way up to a daily application.
