Is Retinol The Only Way To Erase Wrinkles?
Retinol has been at the forefront of beauty news for a while now and more and more people are incorporating it into their skincare arsenal. A pure form of Vitamin A; retinol’s benefits are numerous reduces wrinkles and stops fine lines in their tracks, evens out skin tone, and brightens the skin, and it unclogs and shrinks pores as well as reduces acne. What more would a person want out of a single skincare product. Problem is that not all people can tolerate retinol; people with sensitive skin may have to deal with a certain level of irritation that might put them off retinol altogether. In some cases, retinol can make your skin condition worse than when you started. So what to do if this anti-ager is not for you? We have done our research and pulled out some alternative ingredients that will give you the same anti-aging results.
1 || Glycolic Acid: Gentler Exfoliator
If you’re looking for a gentler ingredient that will increase your skin turnover and exfoliate your complexion to improve its texture look no further than glycolic acid. It is one type of alpha hydroxy acid and a chemical exfoliant that removes dead skin cells by loosening the “glue” that holds the dead cells to the top layer of skin. Once these dead cells are removed, new youthful cells are revealed. As with any exfoliant, it’s best to start small if you have sensitive skin or are prone to irritation. If you know that your skin is up for glycolic acid try it in a peel form.
2 || Bakuchiol: Skin Smoothener
Bakuchiol is a plant extract with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial properties. It is said that Bakuchiol is the natural alternative for retinol as it works through the same receptors that retinol uses to improve smoothness, radiance, clarity, and overall appearance while increasing moisturization. It also helps prevent fine lines and wrinkles, reduces pigmentation, and increases skin elasticity and firmness. Once you add this ingredient to your routine, your skin will immediately look plumper, brighter, and more radiant. And the benefits will start to pay off as you use the product more.
3 || Niacinamide: Natural Moisturizer
We use retinol to make our skin look healthier, but also to treat issues like dryness, dullness, thinness, and wrinkling. And there is not much that Niacinamide doesn’t claim to help with, from boosting hydration to fading hyper-pigmentation. Some of its benefits include protecting your skin from environmental damage, boosting collagen and hyaluronic acid production, reducing signs of aging, diminishing enlarged pores, and significantly lessening skin discoloration.
4 || Vitamin C: Collagen Booster
Retinol and vitamin C are both collagen boosters. It is proven that vitamin C is literally involved in every single step in collagen synthesis… Other benefits include reducing fine lines and brightening dark spots as it defies hyper-pigmentation and photo-aging… If you decided to add vitamin C to your routine, beware of using it with glycolic acid as these two will cancel each other effectiveness.
5 || Peptides: Anti-ager
Peptides have rightfully gained cult status and they’re actually challenging retinol’s game-changing efforts. Peptides are “small strings of amino” that help our bodies build the proteins required for healthy skin such as collagen, elastin, and keratin. Peptides increase the skin’s capacity to retain moisture, in other words making the skin plumper, they also help smooth out the skin’s surface and help give us a glowy complexion. They are also considered powerful anti-aging ingredients targeting several aging symptoms at once. What not to love?
