What retinol and vitamin C are doing in your skincareUpdated a year ago
Vitamin C and retinol are normally used in skincare to address signs of aging, although that’s only a small aspect of their benefits.
Their affinity for the skin means that they’re able to boost and improve processes that impact all sorts of skin concerns, from breakouts and blemishes to dark spots to the overall texture. And yes, both are also useful for wrinkles!
But they work a little differently, so here's a quick summary of what you should know about each one:
Retinol (aka vitamin A)
Retinoids are actively transformative. They regulate and improve cell proliferation, which results in healthier skin cell reproduction and increased collagen production.
As a result, they’ve been proven to visibly reduce wrinkles, skin texture, and even dark marks. Its most powerful final form, retinoic acid, is commonly prescribed as an acne medication.
If you’ve been following Protocol for a while, you know that we sometimes use retinol as a catch-all term, when in practice, it’s not our favorite retinoid - we much prefer retinal with an “a”.
Once retinol is on your skin, enzymes in your body convert into retinaldehyde (aka retinal) which they then convert into retinoic acid. So using retinal cuts out the middleman, and leads to a product that’s 20% more efficient but isn’t as irritating as using pure retinoic acid (which, by the way, is usually only available by prescription).
Check out our guide to types of retinol for a comprehensive overview of the different retinoids in skincare.
Vitamin C
It’s our running joke that vitamin C is a diva at night but a superhero in the daytime. As a skincare ingredient, vitamin C collects in the skin and raises its antioxidant protection.
During the day, it stops external, damage-causing molecules in their tracks (think pollution, cigarette smoke, and free radicals from UV rays). It even gives sunscreens a bit of a stabilizing boost!
Plus, research shows that it can also actively improve the appearance of the skin, helping to reduce wrinkles and visibly fading dark spots.
So why do we also call it a diva? Vitamin C is only stable and effective in its pure, natural form as ascorbic acid (sometimes listed in ingredient lists as l-ascorbic acid). In that form, it needs a very specific pH level, and any exposure to sunlight or air will start degrading it.
Okay, to be fair, that final issue also applies to retinol. That’s why we package both ingredients in truly oxygen-free packaging we developed with the help of aerospace technology.