23rd February 2005
Retinoic Acid and Retinol -
Retinoic acid is used for skin remodeling in drug products such as Retin-A and Renova. Retinol is vitamin A and is used in many skin products. There is much confusion over the two compounds that is deliberately fostered by the cosmetic companies.
Confusion over Retin-A and Retinol:
These are two very similar and natural compounds. Retinol is naturally converted into Retin-A in the skin. But they have opposite effects on skin oil. Biochemically two very similar compounds having opposite effects is very common. It is like one compound (retinol) is a key that opens a biological lock and increases skin oil production while the other compound (retinoic acid) jams the lock and reduces skin oil production.
Retinoic acid:
Chemical name: Retinoic acid
Common name: Vitamin A acid
Prescription drugs: Retin-A, Renova
Effect on skin oil: Reduces skin oil
Reduces acne
Effect on wrinkles: Strong wrinkle reduction
Retinol:
Chemical name: Retinyl alcohol
Common name: Vitamin A alcohol
Prescription drugs: Not a drug
Effect on skin oil: Increases skin oil
May cause acne
Effect on wrinkles: Mild effect on reduction
of small wrinkles
Using Retinol:
Creams with Retinol (usually as a retinol derivative such as retinyl palmitate) are sold for wrinkle reduction but have only very modest effects. Retinol has been in skin creams for over 60 years and everyone got wrinkles.
See my post here as well: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=255463&page=2
As stated in that post " A SMALL amount (0.1%) of retinol in a product may not cause problems, but beware if you are acne prone."
Try it if you want. I LOVE Neutrogena products. Just warning you in case it has retinol in it. I'm not even sure if it does. And if it does I don't know how much would be in it. But if you DO breakout, that's most likely why.
Retinoic acid is used for skin remodeling in drug products such as Retin-A and Renova. Retinol is vitamin A and is used in many skin products. There is much confusion over the two compounds that is deliberately fostered by the cosmetic companies.
Confusion over Retin-A and Retinol:
These are two very similar and natural compounds. Retinol is naturally converted into Retin-A in the skin. But they have opposite effects on skin oil. Biochemically two very similar compounds having opposite effects is very common. It is like one compound (retinol) is a key that opens a biological lock and increases skin oil production while the other compound (retinoic acid) jams the lock and reduces skin oil production.
Retinoic acid:
Chemical name: Retinoic acid
Common name: Vitamin A acid
Prescription drugs: Retin-A, Renova
Effect on skin oil: Reduces skin oil
Reduces acne
Effect on wrinkles: Strong wrinkle reduction
Retinol:
Chemical name: Retinyl alcohol
Common name: Vitamin A alcohol
Prescription drugs: Not a drug
Effect on skin oil: Increases skin oil
May cause acne
Effect on wrinkles: Mild effect on reduction
of small wrinkles
Using Retinol:
Creams with Retinol (usually as a retinol derivative such as retinyl palmitate) are sold for wrinkle reduction but have only very modest effects. Retinol has been in skin creams for over 60 years and everyone got wrinkles.
See my post here as well: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=255463&page=2
As stated in that post " A SMALL amount (0.1%) of retinol in a product may not cause problems, but beware if you are acne prone."
Try it if you want. I LOVE Neutrogena products. Just warning you in case it has retinol in it. I'm not even sure if it does. And if it does I don't know how much would be in it. But if you DO breakout, that's most likely why.