Touted by dermatologists as the gold standard for anti-aging topical skin care, retinol is beloved for its ability to reduce fine lines, improve skin texture, and create brighter-looking skin. But for all its advantages, retinol can also come with some potentially serious downsidies: redness, skin irritation, sensitivity, and peeling. So is there any alternative out there? Or perhaps a product that can help mitigate these downsides? Letโs dig into the science behind retinol to understand more.
01
What is retinol?
Retinol is a form of vitamin A that falls under a class of topical ingredients called retinoids. So what do retinoids do? Retinoids come in a variety of different forms including retinol, retinal, retinaldehyde, retinoic acid, tretinoin, retinyl palmitate, and retinyl acetate.Naturally occurring retinoids are critical to many of our bodyโs essential processes including the healthy development of the nervous system, cardiovascular system, and proper vision. Most of us get plenty of retinol in our diets through meat and eggs or by eating veggies rich in yellow, orange, and dark green plant pigments called carotenoids, which the body then converts into retinol in the liver.As the bodyโs largest organ, skin also benefits from a diet with enough vitamin A. Studies have shown that retinoic acid helps manage sebum production and indirectly regulates the skin microbiome. [1] This effect on oil production is one of the primary reasons why topical retinol was first introduced as a treatment for acne.
02
What do topical retinoids do?
First studied in the 1960s and 70s as an acne treatment, topical retinoids are still prescribed today as comedolytics โ ingredients that unclog pores and prevent the buildup of oil and dead skin cells. [2] While studying retinoids for acne-prone skin, scientists noticed that participants experienced not only a reduction in blemishes but also smoother skin texture and an overall decrease in wrinkles.So how do they work? When applied topically, retinoids cause skin cells to renew faster and produce more collagen, which can result in an increase in epidermal thickness. [3] This collagen-boosting effect is thanks to the selective presence of retinoic acid receptors and retinoid X receptors in the epidermal layer of skin. [4] When retinoids bind to these receptors, they kickstart a transduction pathway that increases collagen precursors.Additionally, retinoids promote cells in deeper skin layers to divide more frequently, allowing new cells to replace older cells at the surface. This accelerated skin cell turnover can reduce the appearance of wrinkles, smooth out uneven skin texture, and give skin tone a noticeably brighter appearance.
03
Retinization and the harsh side effects of retinol
Retinol induces changes to the expression of certain proteins within the skin, reduces cohesion between dead skin cells on the surface of skin, and accelerates peeling of the skin. This commonly manifests as retinoid dermatitis, or the "retinol uglies", which is characterized by local irritation, itching, stinging, burning, and scaling, and increased sun sensitivity leading to higher rates of sunburns. With the help of the proper moisturizer and emollients, most people can counteract irritancy and restore the integrity of the skin barrier, making the negative side effects of retinol short-lived. [5] However, those with sensitive or reactive skin may experience long-term effects with continued use, and should consult a physician and consider reducing their dose or frequency if retinoid dermatitis persists for more than a couple of weeks in order to prevent barrier damage.
04
Retinolโs impact on barrier function
Part of the reason why retinol is so popular among the aesthetic medical community is that it improves epidermal thickness โ an effect thatโs well-documented in scientific literature. [6] However, while thickening the epidermis overall, the structural changes induced by retinol, including changes in protein expression, reduced cohesion between dead skin cells, and accelarated peeling, can alter the functional integrity of the epidermal barrier resulting in increased transepidermal water loss. [5]This means that retinol may temporarily compromise the skinโs barrier function, putting your skin at risk of losing moisture, become ultra-sensitive, and leaving the body vulnerable to increased threats from external exposures. That's why it is often recommended to start slow, in order to give your skin a chance to adapt. Ignoring retinoid dermatitis and persisting with a certain dosage or frequency in the introductory phase may initiate a cycle for skin to be reactive, dry, and flaky for even longer than just the initial adjustment period that dermatologists say is normal. So how do you know if retinol is doing more harm than good? Prolonged sensitivity, redness, and dryness could serve as a key indicator for when to decrease the dose or frequency, or when to stop using retinol on your skin.
05
Retinol causes heightened sun sensitivity
Have you ever wondered why retinol is common in night creams, but rarely shows up in day creams or other daytime products? The reason is simple: retinol has been shown to make your skin more susceptible to sunburn, plus it degrades when exposed to UV rays. This means that if you apply retinol during the day, youโre not only getting fewer benefits from your treatment but also risking damage to DNA and structural skin fibers [7], impairing the skinโs structural integrity and increasing your risk of skin cancer and other diseases. This is also true if you're not washing off the retinol from the night before.
06
The โretinol ugliesโ in numbers: retinol vs OS-01 FACE
Retinolโs long list of side effects leaves many of us wondering whether its pros are really worth its cons. To get to the bottom of that question, we took it to the lab. Our scientists here at OneSkin conducted an expression analysis on ex vivo human skin samples that were exposed to retinol versus OS-01 FACE in order to observe how they each impact biomarkers associated with skin aging, cellular proliferation, and collagen production. The results were fascinating.
Figure 1. Expression of biomarkers associated with aging (CDKN2A), collagen production (COL1A1), and cell proliferation (MKi67) 5 days after treatment with nothing (No Treatment), OS-01 FACE, or 1% retinol on the dermis of ex vivo human skin samples (Zonari, et al., npj Aging, 2023; supplementary information).
Although retinol significantly increased a key biomarker associated with collagen production, COL1A1, 5 days after treatment it also created a tenfold increase in a biomarker linked to aging, CDKN2A. Alternatively, treatment with OS-01 FACE was able to significantly increase the collagen production biomarker, COL1A1, at similar levels to retinol, without affecting the same biomarker associated with aging, CDKN2A, that retinol increased. OS-01 FACE also significantly increased a key biomarker associated with cell proliferation, MKi67, while retinol did not, indicating that OS-01 FACE could be more effective at promoting cell proliferation in the skin. [8] Note, that these effects were observed 5 days after treatment, therefore they represent the acute phase, rather than long-term effects.
Impact on skin morphology & structure
To take a closer look at retinolโs impact on skin, our scientists put retinol under the microscopeโ literally. Using a microscopic visual analysis tool called histology, our R&D team examined ex vivo human skin samples that had been treated with OS-01 FACE versus retinol to observe the impact of both treatments on each layer of the skin.
Figure 2. Histology images of ex vivo human skin samples from a 35 year old donor exposed to OS-01 FACE vs. 1% retinol for 5 days (Zonari, et al., npj Aging, 2023; supplementary information).
Our observations were consistent with those found in the expression analysis. Skin that was treated with retinol experienced a peeling effect in the stratum corneum (top layer), which has potential to lead to a thinner and weaker skin barrier. Additionally, the structural integrity of the skin that was exposed to retinol appeared to be compromised with less cellular structure and organization. Conversely, treatment with OS-01 FACE promoted a more cohesive stratum corneum, with a more defined general structure and enhanced cellular organization, indicating that the skinโs barrier was likely strengthened and cellular function was likely improved when treated with OS-01 FACE. [8] This data is consistent with the peeling effect commonly experienced within the first week of starting retinol treatment.
Impact of OS-01 FACE on epidermal thickness
Finally, to validate OS-01 FACE as a potential retinol alternative, our scientists tested whether OS-01 FACE could match one of retinolโs primary benefitsโincreased epidermal thickness. To do this, our scientists measured the epidermal thickness of ex vivo human skin samples from a 35-year-old donor, a 55-year-old donor, and a 79-year-old donor before and 5 days after treatment with OS-01 FACE. The results were positive, as skin treated with OS-01 FACE displayed a significant increase in epidermal thickness of 23.15% on average. [8]
Figure 3. Epidermal thickness analysis of ex vivo human skin samples topically exposed to nothing (No Treatment) or OS-01 FACE. Treatment with OS-01 FACE induced a significant increase in epidermal thickness of 23.15%, taken from the average of three measurements from each skin sample (35, 55, and 79 yr) 5 days after treatment. *p<0.05 (Zonari, et al., npj Aging, 2023; supplementary information)
This data confirms that OS-01 FACE can help promote epidermal thickness, one of the main drivers of retinolโs anti-aging benefits.Overall, our research shows that while retinol is commonly considered the gold standard anti-aging ingredient, it can also produce significant downsides in the first few days after treatment, like the potential to compromise barrier function and increase aging biomarkers. Alternatively, OS-01 FACE offers comparable benefits, including an increase in a key collagen production biomarker and epidermal thickness, without the observed drawbacks of retinol.It should be noted that these reuslts were analyzed five days after treatment with retinol and OS-01 FACE, therefore they represent the acute effects of each treatment. Longer term studies on humans should be conducted to understand the effects over time. To check out the clinical data on OS-01 FACE, click hereto learn more about oneskin s 12 week clinical study to validate the effects of os 01 face!
07
How to use OS-01 FACE with Retinol
Whether you love retinol, you would like to try it out for the first time, or you're sensitive and need an alternative, OS-01 FACE can help. Based on the conclusions from our data, OS-1 FACE can likely help counteract some of the downsides of retinol by building up your skin barrier and improving its resilience. You can incorporate OS-01 FACE with retinol in one of two ways:
- Alternate OS-01 FACE and retinol: Alternating allows your skin to reap the benefits of both skin care products without either of them interfering with the absorption of the other. Since retinol should only be applied at night, you can alternate the two by using OS-01 FACE in the mornings and any night that you don't use retinol.
- Combine OS-01 FACE and retinol: When combining retinol with OS-01 FACE in the same skin care routine, itโs up to you which skin care product to apply first. Just keep in mind that whichever product is applied first will achieve maximum penetration.
Key Takeaways:
- Retinol is considered the gold standard in anti-aging, but it can be difficult to tolerate, as it commonly causes sensitizing side effects, especially for those with sensitive skin
- Studies show that retinol could potentially damage skinโs stratum coreum, which facilitates barrier function, if used excessively or in too high of concentration.
- OS-01 FACE could help counterbalance the side effects of retinol, presenting many of the same benefits with none of the drawbacks.
- If you use a retinoid, it's crucial to pair it with the daily use of sunscreen. Also, make sure to consult your dermatologist if you experience extreme redness, peeling, dry skin, and sensitivity.
References
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6678709/
- https://www.aocd.org/page/Retinoidstopical
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26578346/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15773538/
- https://academic.oup.com/bjd/article/189/Supplement_1/i17/7333865
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3229936/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41514-023-00109-1
