Bonjour Mes Amis!

It has been a great month of celebration for A French Touch Salon and Jan Marini, and as we’re wrapping up August (wouldn’t you know it) we had even more questions for Jan. When you have such a knowledgeable source readily available to you, how can you resist?

Patricia particularly wanted to ask about Retinol products, because many people have told her that they worry about using Retinol twice daily. In the course of her conversation with Patricia, Jan pointed us to an amazing article by Allure that discusses this issue, among any others, called “The 11 Biggest Retinoid Myths”

Myth #1: All Retinol, Retinoid, etc. products are the same.

False. Retinoic acid is the prescription level Vitamin A based derivative, and Retinol is the strongest version of Retinoic acid available in skin-care products. Retinol, in fact, is the perfect balance for skin-care–gentle, yet biochemically the same as retinoic acid. “Pro-retinols” are far more gentle…but will also dilute results.

Myth #2: Retinol/Retinoid products exfoliate your skin.

False. One side effect of retinol can be irritation, which can cause skin to peel. This does not, however, mean that retinol is an exfoliant. It works on a cellular level to improve the appearance of skin–it doesn’t remove the dead skin cells on the surface.

Myth #3: You can’t wear Retinoid/Retinol products during the day. 

False. This is amongst the biggest concerns regarding retinol (or retionids, which are all derivatives of Vitamin A). People believe that usage of the product during the day will increase risk of sunburn. This fear is completely unfounded, luckily.

In fact, when we spoke to Jan, she emphasized that retinoids actually aid the skin’s ability to heal. Perhaps even more surprising, retinol and retinoids actually prevent major photo damage, by preventing the build up of collegenase, the enzyme that attacks collagen when you are sunburned. This is because retinol repairs skin on a molecular level and lends it greater stability over all.

Myth #4: You should always apply Retinol products to dry skin.

False. It doesn’t appear to make much of a difference–moist skin will not dilute the effects of the retinol.

Myth #5: It will only take about 4-6 weeks to see results.

Not quite–Retinol, while it is incredibly effective, is a slow-acting product. It usually takes about 12 weeks to see results (but the results are so fantastic that it’s definitely worth the wait).

Myth #6: Gentler retinoid products are just as effective.

A diluted concentration of retinol in a product may be a great way to introduce skin to retinol–but it will not be as effective as a stronger concentration.

Myth #6: You should stop applying when your skin gets irritated

False. Skin can experience sensitivity, redness, and peeling in the “adjustment period”. This is normal–your skin needs time to acclimatize to the retinol, and become used to the cellular regeneration.

While this acclimatization is occurring, you simply have to push through the mild symptoms and allow your skin cells to adapt. If, however, it is exceedingly uncomfortable or endures longer than expected, it’s recommended to either use the product once a week or switch to a weaker formula of retinol.

Myth #7: You can’t take your Retinol product on vacation

False. Change in climate should not lessen the effectiveness of the retinol, nor should there be any irritation (provided your skin has gone through the acclimatization process). You should, however, use a moisturizer over the product–particularly if you’ll be traveling to the mountains!

Myth # 8: The skin around your eye is too sensitive for Retinol products

False. In fact, applying all the way up to the eye may be key in seeing the best results.  If you get any in your eye, it may sting, but will not cause any real harm (please be careful, though, we’d hate if you got stinging eyes for no reason).

Myth #9: The benefits of Retinol plateau after about 6 months

False. The skin smoothing effects of Retinol in particular have been shown to continue for a year or more with continued usage. Plus, the easy way to address a plateau is by purchasing a product with a higher concentration. You may have to acclimatize your skin again, but you should see increased benefit as well.

Overall, there is no reason to avoid wearing retinol, and many reasons to incorporate it into your skin-care regimen, particularly if you would like to see improvement in texture, fine lines and wrinkles, and photo-damage. Retinol fights the appearance of aging through improving collagen production of the skin, while protecting current collagen stores. The incorporation of retinol is great whether you are trying to prevent the appearance of aging or improve any current signs of aging.

If you have yet to incorporate this active ingredient in your personal skin-care regimen, you know that we at A French Touch Salon have a range of products for you! If you have any questions or concerns your skin’s specific needs, you can always arrange for a skin-care consultation or give us a call!

With that said, here are the products we recommend for incorporating retinol:

The first of these is Age Intervention Retinol Plus, which has been voted the best at home Retinol cream by New Beauty. This cream also incorporates peptides and antioxidants for a powerful anti-aging cocktail. The study results on this product are absolutely incredible.

Study Results

 

For an intensified retinol application, you can also try Age Intervention Retinol Plus Mask, which will allow you to capitalize on the (already incredibly impressive) results of Age Intervention Retinol Plus.

Age Intervention Enlighten Plus incorporates Retinol, as well as salicylic acid and natural ingredients such as licorice, pomegranate and cucumber extract for an extreme improvement in hyperpigmentation, discoloration or uneven skin tone.

Age Intervention Duality also boasts Retinol amongst its active ingredients. This product will be particularly helpful for those with oily skin or who need any kind of blemish control.

Age Intervention Dark Circle defense utilizes retinol to pep up your peepers, both through tackling dark circles and any textural issues, such as fine lines and wrinkles.

So there you have it! Some Retinol myths busted, benefits illuminated, and products described. We always love helping you to understand your active ingredients, and retinol is amongst the best in terms of controlling the appearance of aging, encouraging the production of collagen, and even tackling acne.

We had a great time these past two months in celebrating and conversing with Jan Marini. It has been a fantastic 20^th Anniversary, and we hope you all agree!

A big thank you to Jan Marini and to the Jan Marini representatives who helped us along the way, we couldn’t have done it without you.

Bisous!

Adrienne