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Beauty

The Next Generation Retinol Products To Know Now

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Beauty

The Next Generation Retinol Products To Know Now

More results, less irritation.

by Keng Yang Shuen  /   September 22, 2021

Effective without being irritating. Credit: Showbit

If you have even the slightest interest in skincare, you’d probably have come across the term retinol – or more accurately, retinoids – which is the umbrella term encompassing this class of ingredients that are all derived from Vitamin A.

READ MORE: 5 Skincare Experts Share Their Personal Beauty Routines

However, there are also more powerful versions that are usually only available through prescription such as tretinoin (aka pure retinoic acid). The latter is regularly hailed by dermatologists as the gold standard ingredient for ageing gracefully, having had thousands of studies done on its effectiveness since the ’80s, says board-certified dermatologist Ranella Hirsch in an interview with The Washington Post.

Credit:La Prairie

La Prairie’s new Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil incorporates retinol derived from caviar.

Among retinoids’ numerous benefits: they significantly boost cell turnover rate (which slows down everything else as one ages), resulting in increased collagen production, decongestion of pores (it’s commonly used in acne products), smoothing out of fine lines, reduction in the appearance of sun damage and improvement of hyperpigmentation. You could say many other ingredients boast of similar effects – but few can match the exhaustively studied, proven track record of retinoids.

READ MORE: The Docs/Scientists/Legit “Beauty Geeks” To Follow On Instagram

The main drawback is that retinoids can be irritating especially if you’re not used to them; peeling, dryness and sun sensitivity are commonly reported side effects (tip: apply a soothing moisturiser first, wait a few minutes for it to dry down before applying the retinoid). Some skincare enthusiasts even call it the retinoid uglies, also known as the “retinisation” period when you’re initially acclimatising to the ingredient.

In recent years, newer generations of retinoids have been introduced to the market, such as retinaldehyde or The Ordinary’s popular granactive retinoid, which are all formulated to be less irritating so that you still receive the benefits of this class of ingredients.

Here, we’ve rounded up a range of products that are known to incorporate gentler formulations. Just remember to always apply a good sunscreen, all the more when using retinoids; it’s potent stuff.


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https://www.femalemag.com.sg/gallery/beauty/gentle-retinol-product-2021/
The Next Generation Retinol Products To Know Now
La Prairie Skin Caviar Nighttime Oil, $820
image

The star ingredient in the Swiss maison’s latest product is retinol that’s derived from caviar and exclusively for La Prairie. It is obtained through a specially-designed extraction process, which captures skin-plumping lipids found in the caviar, as well as the retinol.

For all its benefits, retinol is a tricky ingredient – it’s known to be sensitive to light (exposure reduces its efficacy), which is why the brand has thoughtfully designed a dual-chambered bottle (the external cobalt blue layer houses an inner vessel) in order to protect the ingredient from light.

The product also contains La Prairie’s proprietary Celluar Complex, incorporated for the very first time within an oil; the oil medium also means the retinol is very likely to be less irritating to the skin. Use it as the last step in any routine to seal in moisture and let the retinol do the work.

La Prairie
Kiehl's Retinol Skin-Renewing Daily Micro-Dose Serum, $130
image

The American powerhouse has just released its first retinol serum and it’s piqued our interest. They seem to have taken the approach of going slow and steady – and when it comes to retinol, that’s definitely an approach that makes sense.

While Kiehl’s has not stated the exact amount of retinol in this serum, they state that it can be used daily, given the carefully calibrated “micro dose” (hence the name) that is designed to minimise irritation.

Considering the potent nature of retinol, we agree that using a low dose of it consistently rather than going in hard and fast (and giving up after experiencing irritation) nets you better results in the long run.

Additionally, this Kiehl’s serum also includes ceramides and peptides – basically skin-nourishing ingredients that help to fortify your natural skin barrier, which allows you to tolerate retinol better.

Kiehl's
Paula's Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturiser, $88
image

You can always count on Paula’s Choice for reliable formulations that are fragrance-free; it’s better for folks with sensitive skin.

While they have many products with retinol, this is one of our favourites as it boasts 0.1 per cent retinol – while the percentage may sound low for newcomers, it will still make an impact (consider how prescription tretinoin starts at 0.025 per cent and you get an idea of how potent this family of ingredients can be).

Not only that, the fact that the brand has incorporated the retinol into a moisturiser means one less step to deal with. It’s also packed with other skin-loving nutrients such as ceramides (five forms of it, to be precise), as well as vitamin C, which means you’re getting additional benefits from this well-rounded product.

Paula's Choice
Dr Dennis Gross Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum, £70.00 (S$129), www.spacenk.com
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If you’re a fan of the brand’s well-loved retinol eye serum, well it just got a makeover – and upgrade.

Dr Dennis Gross was one of the earliest brands to introduce a retinol product specifically formulated for the eye area (note: the skin around the eyes are much thinner compared to the rest of the face, which is why gentler products are recommended).

While the serum still features its hero combination of retinol and ferulic acid (the latter is a notable anti-inflammatory antioxidant), it now includes a botanical blend of rambutan as well as the trendy bakuchiol, a plant-derived ingredient that reportedly has similar retinol-like effects without the irritation.

Space NK
Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream, US$160 (S$216), sg.allies.shop
image

Homegrown beauty giant Allies of Skin favours a cutting-edge approach to skincare; small wonder this product features retinaldehyde as a key ingredient. For the uninitiated, consider retinaldehyde to be the more effective cousin to retinol – think of it as an in-between option between retinols (less potent, less irritation) and prescription-only forms like tretinoin (extremely potent, but also the most irritating).

Not only that, the retinaldehyde comes encapsulated, which means it’ll slowly release over time throughout the course of the night (it’s generally advisable to apply retinoids primarily at night), further minimising irritation. As with most Allies of Skin formulations, this moisturiser comes brimming with other skin goodies, such as four peptides (four of them), five brighteners and 10 antioxidants.

Like we said, it’s an ambitious multi-tasker – but that also means you get more bang for your buck.

Allies of Skin
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane US$9.80 (S$13.20), www.deciem.com
image

One of the hero products when The Ordinary first launched was its Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion.

Now you may be wondering what is “granactive retinoid” – it is the trade name of a new entrant to the retinoid family called hydroxypinacolone retinoate. We won’t bore you with the science talk but mostly what you need to know is that its manufacturer says that it’s similarly active as pure retinoic acid (the most potent form of retinoids) but without the irritating baggage it normally comes with. More external studies need to be done but on paper, it seems to be very promising.

Over time, The Ordinary has added more products to the Granactive Retinoid line-up, with this five per cent version being the most concentrated – so if you’re someone who’s more experienced with using retinols, this could be your next step-up up the ladder.

Deciem
  • TAGS:
  • allies of skin
  • Dr Dennis Gross
  • kiehls
  • la prairie
  • paulas choice
  • retinaldehyde
  • retinoids
  • retinol skincare
  • Retinols
  • vitamin a
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MCI (P) 047/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. All rights reserved.