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Retinol is a vitamin produced from vitamin A. Retinol is used as a supplement for people with vitamin A deficiency, and it is also used in skin creams to reproduce the beneficial effects of vitamin A on skin.
Retinol is often used in a cream form by dermatologists to improve the health and appearance of skin. Retinol has plumping effects by affecting collagen production, as well as improving skin tone and smoothing out areas of discoloration. It also helps treat acne.
Because retinol causes faster skin cell turnover, retinol creams can dry out the top layer of your skin quite easily, causing it to flake, turn red, and be itchy. For this reason, most dermatologists recommend using retinol ointments at night, along with night cream moisturizers.
Oily skin occurs when the sebaceous glands in the pores are producing more oil, or sebum, than necessary. Sebum is natural in all skin as it keeps the skin moist and healthy. Over production of sebum can be caused by hormones, genetics or could even be a result of dry skin over-compensating by producing extra oil, in order to retain some measure of moisture.
Oily skin can also be caused by using the wrong products for your skin type. For example, if you are using overly drying soaps and astringents for your skin type, your skin may respond by over producing oil to compensate, as mentioned above. This can create an unfortunate cycle of using harsh soaps to eliminate oils, but instead exacerbating the problem.
On the other hand, overly oily makeup and products can also cause oily skin.
Ingredients that help exfoliate dead skin cells to keep pores unclogged and increase new skin cell production, such as Vitamin A/Retinol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, are good for treating acne as well. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical agent for fighting bacteria and unclogging pores. It is one of the longest-used medications to keep oily pores clean and healthy. Jojoba oil is also good for fighting bacteria trapped in oily skin and maintaining a moisture barrier to prevent over-production of sebum.
retinol may be effective for oily skin, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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