BENEFITS OF VITAMIN A
September 17, 2020
Written by Tonya Sook, APRN
Did you know that vitamin A in the form of retinols, prescription creams/gels, and over-the-counter products are not all created equal? Did you know using vitamin A in the right formulation reduces your risk of developing skin cancer and reverses sun damage? This means fine lines and wrinkles diminish, dark blemishes and age spots lift, pores tighten and oil production decreases, which reduces acne breakouts. Vitamin A is one of the best kept secrets for younger, healthier skin.
So many vitamin A products exist on the market that it can be confusing. Do over-the-counter formulations work as well as prescription grade? The short answer is no, and I will explain why. The answer lies in the ingredients. Your skin is composed of a lipid barrier that a product must penetrate for dramatic effects to occur. Have you ever seen salad dressing that has separated? The oil and water just float alongside each other, never blending together to create a delicious concoction. The same thing happens when preservatives and fillers are added to a product. They cannot penetrate your lipid barrier, so they simply sit on the top of the skin. You may think they are working because the top layer of skin is more moisturized, but deep down, no change is occurring! In fact, the more fillers and preservatives in a product, the less effective it is.
This is why my passion is to offer a pure, exclusive skin care line called Skinscience here at Ozark Dermatology Aesthetics. I worked alongside a biochemist to develop some of these skin care products.
The result is that we have the tools to properly treat all skin types with custom products that work and provide the WOW factor. One of the most common comments from my patients is that friends and family stop in their tracks to ask what they are using on their skin! Skinscience is more effective than any vitamin A prescription that can be purchased at a pharmacy. This is for two reasons:
Typical trade vitamin A derivatives have added preservatives to allow a shelf life of 1-2 years. The durability may be increased, but this comes at the cost of penetration and increased risk of allergic reactions.
Since we compound the cream in-house, we can customize your dose and edit it at any time, based on your skin’s response to the medicine.
So, if your skin is feeling tired, breakout prone, full of wrinkles, precancers or you just desire a routine to maintain that youthful glow, then schedule a complimentary skin care consult with me to find out which vitamin A formulation is right for you!