New skin saviours - Retinol

A new roster of new and updated ingredients have hit the beauty scene including retinol. Here’s the lowdown on what it is and what it can do for your skin

Retinol

The lowdown
Those on the inside track in beauty always knew that retinol, a cosmetic form of vitamin A, had an anti-ageing effect on the skin. Well, that is, since the 60s, the decade (as I mentioned in my last skin saving series, for handbag.com) that dermatologists discovered that retinoic acid, medical grade vitamin A, made skin look younger. When using it to treat acne, they found it also smoothed and plumped the skin.

The news
This year saw retinol caterpulted into the limelight. This was following the Horizon programme which showed that an anti-ageing skin serum - No7's now legendary Protect & Perfect - did actually work. The key ingredient was of course retinol, the vitamin A derivative that has been used in skincare for a number of years. The other side of the Atlantic, results came through from an American study into vitamin A. And they too gave the nod to its efficacy. A double hit for retinol. So now it's official, vitamin A (in the right format and at the right level) works.

What retinol can do for you
Retinol in a skin cream boosts the production of collagen, which as we get older and sun damage sets in, starts to flag. It's important to remember that it doesn't work overnight. Retinol takes time - up to three months - so if you can face the wait, stick with it. If your skin is young and fresh, you don't need it - this is an anti-ageing product and so is best suited to skin that is starting to look older.

PH Advantage Vitamin A Cream
Best buys
pH-Advantage Effective Vitamin A Night Cream, £75, 020 7235 5000
Shiseido Pure Retinol Instant Treatment Eye Mask, £46.50 for 12 sachets, tel: 020 7313 4774
Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Gold Capsules, £52 for 60