Retinol does pretty much everything. Firstly, retinol helps accelerate the cell turnover rate. The cell turnover rate is how quickly your cells are coming up with a new one, bringing it up to the surface, and purging it. Young skin is constantly regenerating; retinol has that affect on skin in general.
Retinol is meant for temporary use. When you are using it, it forces your skin to exfoliate. This exfoliation process will give you textural repair, as well as remove scarring and hyperpigmentation and acne. In addition, due to its regenerating capacity, it is also used in anti-aging products.
Can you use retinol if you have sensitive skin?
The negative side effects outweigh the benefits of retinol for someone that has sensitive skin. Keep in mind there are different types of sensitive skin. Sensitive skin types include rosacea and can range to a dryer, more mature/sensitive skin.
Using retinol when you have sensitive skin may cause irritation. For instance, rosacea can look like an abundance of skin, which leads clients to exfoliate more often than they should.
However, the reality is that inflammation is causing the skin to get thick and the pores to get big. As a result, the type of exfoliation provided by retinol will make the problem worse. Instead, we recommend using salicylic acid. Salicylic acid will exfoliate the damaged skin and also take down inflammation. Additionally, salicylic acid helps to strengthen the fibres of the skin which greatly helps rosacea.
Rosacea pimples
Sometimes rosacea acne gets confused for regular acne, however, rosacea pimples will never burst. Salicylic acid is the only way to get rid of those pimples.
In conclusion, using retinol when you have sensitive skin is not the best option. Try using products with salicylic acid.
In a city like Edmonton in Alberta, the seasons change drastically and we get to experience many diverse climate conditions! Whether the seasons are changing or you’re moving to a different part of the world, your skin will react to its surroundings. This is why it is important to acclimate your skin to the climate conditions of your environment. Adding or exchanging certain products in your routine can help avoid breakouts during seasonal skin changes.
Environmental influences
We all have our skin type to work with, however, seasonal skin changes are due to environmental influences. For instance, the summer tends to be hotter with higher humidity levels resulting in much higher water loss. In addition, the longer days often mean we receive more sun exposure. As a result, your skin is more likely to become damaged and dehydrated. You will collect excess buildup from sweat, makeup, and dirt which can clog your pores.
We recommend using products that cleanse away that build up. Also, exfoliation becomes more important in the summer because it helps to remove the surface layers of the skin.
Can skin types change with the season?
Normal combination skin types that border on dry skin can experience full-on dryness in the wintertime. This is due to changes in the environment, for example, cold exposure. The cold can be harsh on the skin as well as cause wind rash. We recommend physically covering you skin with a scarf during the winter months. Just remember to keep the scarf clean!
In addition, in the winter you get double sun exposure coming directly from the sun, and the reflective exposure that bounces off the snow. For this reason if you find yourself on a mountain, or going skiing or doing anything outdoors, make sure you wear sunscreen! Plus you’re more likely to get a chapped sunburn/windburn so make sure to protect your skin.
On the other hand, normal combination skin types that border on oily skin can become full-on oily in the summertime and are more prone to breaking out due to heat exposure or high humidity. They should switch to a lighter, oil-free moisturizer in the summer.
Treating seasonal damage
In the fall, skin starts to dry up a little. Summer damage should be lifted with skin treatments such as photofacials or chemical peels. Ideally, these treatments should take place at the end of summer or the beginning of fall.
The goal of the treatments is to remove the cap of dead summer skin and rejuvenate your skin. This will help the ingredients in your products actually make it to the cells that need the extra hydration and nutrients.
We recently had a client who was concerned about using hyaluronic acid out of fear that it would remove her freckles. This left us puzzled because out of all the acids used to remove hyperpigmentation, hyaluronic acid is not amongst them. So that got us thinking…
“Where could this myth have come from?”
Hyaluronic acid does not have the ability to remove freckles or other forms of pigmentation. It is a molecule that is found within cells that interacts with water, not melanin.
However, hyaluronic acid would a good accessory and support system to pigment removing serums or products. This is due to the fact that every function in the skin needs water. Hyaluronic acid supports water retention in the skin. Picture hyaluronic acid cells like little sponges that can hoard water. They can hold one thousand times their weight in water!
So, if someone was inadvertently using products with ingredients that remove pigmentation, the hyaluronic acid would have powered that product right up, hence creating a myth.
Purposely removing freckles and other forms of pigmentation
On an acid level, our personal preference to remove deep pigmentation, for example, freckles, melasma, and other stains or splotches on the skin, is glycolic acid.
Glycolic acid stimulates exfoliation and treats flaky or dull skin and hyperpigmentation. The smaller a molecule, the more easily it gets into the skin and penetrate deeply. Because glycolic is the smallest of all the acids, it yields the most dramatic results.
On the other hand, if a person is experiencing uneven skin tone, for instance, the forehead or around the mouth is a little darker than the rest of the face, then we recommend lactic acid.
Lactic acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA) derived from sour or fermented milk. It has skin softening abilities and also leaves a fresh glow.
Are there dangers to using hyaluronic acid?
There are none whatsoever because hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring and lives within your skin. In fact, no matter what age or skin type you are, hyaluronic lives gets depleted as you get older.
In addition, because its a water molecule, anything that causes evaporation is going to deplete your hyaluronic acid levels, for example, being out in the sun a lot or not drinking enough water.
