Why should Retinol be used away from light? What should Retinol not be used with?

As an active ingredient, Retinol has the effects of whitening, fading fine lines and tightening the skin. It is an ingredient found in all major luxury whitening products. We all know that retinol should be used at night away from light. Do you know why?

Why should A-alcohol be used away from light?

A alcohol will exfoliate the skin, making it more vulnerable to UV damage; so keep it out of the sun.

The reasons why skin care products need to be used away from light vary, but they are mainly due to two reasons: the ingredients in skin care products will cause photosensitivity reactions; and the active ingredients in skin care products are easily oxidized and decomposed when exposed to light.

Photosensitivity

Photosensitivity reaction means that some ingredients will absorb energy of corresponding wavelengths when exposed to sunlight. In the process of releasing energy, they will damage human tissues and cause symptoms such as itching, erythema, and edema on the skin. In severe cases, it may also cause blisters.

In short, the damage caused by photosensitivity reactions to the skin is much more serious than direct exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays in the sun. Fortunately, among the many skin care ingredients, not many have photosensitivity reactions. Let’s talk about Vitamin A, which is more familiar to everyone.

Retinol, also known as retinol, is not photosensitivity, but it has poor stability. When exposed to heat, water, ultraviolet rays, and even air...peroxidation reactions will cause it to lose its biological activity.

When applied to the skin, retinol is converted into retinaldehyde, and then into retinoic acid, which is photosensitive.

Therefore, it is recommended that ingredients containing vitamin A be used at night to avoid causing unnecessary skin problems.

What should not be used with A-alcohol?

Retinol cannot be used together with various acid products. The reason is very simple. Whitening and anti-aging are what everyone wants, but the two cannot be easily achieved at the same time. Once retinol comes into contact with acid, it cannot be converted well, and the anti-wrinkle effect will be compromised. Try not to use retinol and acids together. Retinol and acids such as fruit acid and salicylic acid are all highly irritating ingredients, and most people still recommend not using them together. Normally, you may not feel any problem after using them once or twice, but it is hard to say over time.

Vitamin C and retinol are both excellent skin care ingredients, but they work best at different pH values. The best pH value for vitamin C is ≤3.5, while the best pH value for retinol is between 5.5-6.5. For safety and effectiveness considerations, it is best not to use these two ingredients at the same time.

After being absorbed by the skin, retinol is converted into retinoic acid in the skin, which can accelerate skin metabolism, produce collagen, reduce sebum, and lighten epidermal pigmentation. Its main effect on the skin is to reduce wrinkles on the surface of the skin, increase skin thickness, and fight against photoaging. Retinol and niacinamide are a good combination.