PHI-Y-I : Social Media Influencers and Retinol
Your mid-twenties are a great time to start using Retinol
Ahhh Retinol, When it comes to defending against fine lines and maintaining a youthful glow, there is no ingredient quite like retinol. Retinol is a derivative of Vitamin A, which is one of the body’s key nutrients for boosting cell turnover. It can brighten skin tone, boost collagen, minimize acne & promote skin renewal. No wonder every skincare brand around wants a piece of this. With our Calgary Botox clinic temporarily closed due to COVID 19, retinol is a great alternative to keep your skin looking glowy fresh. But, how do you know you are getting the best of this wonder ingredient and who should you trust when it comes to recommendations surrounding it?
Rules, Regulations & Retinol
When scrolling our social media, we often come across various “influencers” recommending products, places or treatments. Most often it’s light hearted fun and a nice distraction from daily life. But, like traditional medial it is important we take in this information wisely. Currently, there are no regulations surrounding what influencers can say and this is the dangerous game that consumers are faced with daily. How much do influencers actually know vs. what they have been paid to say? Do they have any clinical training when talking about skincare and or even medical procedures? Often the answer is no. We came across an influencer ad about retinol recently so we felt inclined to inform our patients correctly. No advertising money here, just the plain truth.
Medical Grade Vs. Store Bought Retinol
There are many new lines of drug store retinol products that are being marketed heavily by influencers. While the product does claim to have retinol in the ingredient list, it does NOT list the % or Drug Identification Number. Without a DIN number or Heath Canada approval, it cannot penetrate the skins top epidermal layer. What does this mean? It CANNOT affect change in the skin, only provide hydration to the dead cells that sit on top. These companies and Calgary influencers watch that they do not claim it will penetrate past the skins surface to stimulate cellular turnover. Retinol is considered a drug like ingredient in Canada and in order to have ENOUGH active retinol, they would have to register with Health Canada.
Why Medical Grade Retinol Is Important
For these drug store “retinol” systems you will pay more for lacklustre results. At PHI we have 2 brands of medical-grade retinol, that deliver clinically proven results without irritation. We carry ZO Skin Health Retinol and Skin Medica Retinol, both at various percentages that we can help you decide on. Don’t let marketing scare you into thinking you need “Hydrating”, “gentle” retinol-based ingredient list because “all retinol is irritating”. This is simply not the case. Retinol doesn’t have to be harsh but it MUST penetrate the “skins surface” to get any clinically measurable results. Retinol is used to help diminish fine lines, tactile roughness, skin tone evenness, pigmentation and photo-damage, without epidermal penetration retinol simply can’t do the work that our aging skin needs help with as we age.
In Summary
To our patients, please be wary of who is providing education to you. Always question how much experience and clinical background someone has if they are delivering medically-based messages. At PHI, we are all educated in medical grade skincare, and we would be happy to discuss our various lines with you and how they can help your specific skin type. Even though our clinic is closed for Juvederm, Botox and PRP, we are still open for skincare requests, consults and deliveries. Please email us for the best skincare routine suggestions below