the future of retinol is here

Retinoids (vitamin A) have long been seen by dermatologists as the gold standard for treating acne and aging skin. The prescription options contain retinoic acid, the retinoid that interacts directly with the receptors in the skin. Although highly effective, these prescriptions can cause irritation, redness and even skin cracking for some patients. On the other hand, retinol, also a vitamin A, is converted into retinoic acid in the skin on an ‘as needed’ basis, so it produces less surface stimulation. This makes retinol a great option for many skin types and conditions.

Retinol is not new to cosmetic and cosmeceutical products. The majority of products available without a prescription are formulated using what is called a retinol complex. This is retinol blended with either retinol esters or other support ingredients that stabilize the retinol and increase its efficacy. These are beneficial, but the percentage of pure retinol is only part of the complex, so although they deliver excellent visible results without irritation and redness, those results usually come more slowly. In contrast, pure retinol products deliver amazing results that can truly rival that of a prescription. These products must use advanced stabilization technologies to protect the inherently unstable retinoid. We at PCA have done just that. Newly available, Intensive Clarity o.5% pure retinol night and Intensive Age Refining 0.5% pure retinol night provide unprecedented results.

These two new formulas are also special because they do not take a one-size-fits-all approach. Intensive Clarity incorporates additional support ingredients that make it excellent for breakout control and hyperpigmentation.  Intensive Age Refining is designed to correct the variety of challenges faced by aging skin including: fine lines, sun damage, laxity and dehydration. These new formulas have already been recognized by beauty editors at O Magazine, Vogue and Redbook! We are excited to share the best in pure retinol. Give us a call, or visit pcaskin.com to find out more about the future of retinol.

sunscreens and vitamin A prevent cancer

Many questions are arising due to the recent release of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) 2010 sunscreen guide in which they advise against using sunscreen containing either retinyl palmitate (vitamin A) or oxybenzone.  In this release, they only recommend 39 of the 500 sunscreens currently on the market.  Although they may have the best intentions, by misinterpreting and misunderstanding research, the EWG has unfortunately raised unjustified and unnecessary fears in consumers regarding sunscreen use.  Further, they have erroneously suggested that retinyl palmitate may trigger skin cancer.

We can all feel confident that both oxybenzone and retinyl palmitate are safe.

• Oxybenzone has been tested extensively and determined to be safe and effective by the scientific and regulatory bodies of the European Union, Canada and the United States.
• Retinyl palmitate and the entire the vitamin A family of ingredients, the retinoids, have long been proven to prevent skin cancers.
  • There are numerous scientific papers (citations available through PCA SKIN) as well as clinical experience to support the safety of the retinoid family of ingredients, including retinyl palmitate.   In fact, retinoids have been used for decades by dermatologists for the patients that are most at risk for skin cancers because for their ability to prevent and to reduce the number of actinic keratosis (pre-skin cancers) and skin cancers.
  • The National Toxicology Program (NTP) study, cited by the EWG, did not look at sunscreens.  This study was only evaluating the relationship between retinyl palmitate and UV exposure.  This is a critical fact because the addition of sunscreen, combined with the retinyl palmitate, would limit any cancer induction by UV rays.   Even if the EWG assertion that vitamin A induces skin cancer was correct, which the majority of research does not support, a sunscreen component added to vitamin A would inhibit the UV rays therefore inhibiting cancer.
  • There are human studies showing that both retinoids and sunscreens prevent pre-skin cancers and skin cancers.  It does not seem logical to therefore suggest that when used together that they would trigger skin cancers.

Educating patients on the critical importance of sunscreen use is not always easy.  Any distractions that create even the slightest worry or fear thwarts all our efforts to keep our patients healthy.  We hope that this misinterpretation of incomplete data does not put the public in any danger. 

For more information about the studies supporting the safety and efficacy of retinyl palmitate and sunscreens, feel free to contact us.