why we don’t use retinol:
Curious to know why we do not use retinol in our skincare formulations?
Synth Labs Intl. has been built around the idea that dermal health comes first and the need to repair the skin barrier rather than disturb it.
Which brings us to the Godfather of beauty ingredients: Retinol.
Retinol is a super popular ingredient that has been proven to work for anti ageing, acne and pigmentation however with this ingredient come several concerns, mainly overuse due to being marketed in the beauty industry in an irresponsible way.
Most importantly you need to understand your skin's ability to deal with retinol, how it compromises your skin barrier and what you can do to mitigate retinol’s irritating side effects if you decide to include it in your beauty regimen.
What is retinol?
Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A, a key nutrient known to boost cell turnover.
Retinol in skincare comes in various forms such as prescription formulas like Trentinoin, that contain retinoic acid, the magic molecule that experts worldwide recommend to fight visible signs of ageing; over-the-counter alternatives such as retinyl palmitate, retinyl propionate, retinyl acetate, and retinaldehyde contain precursor molecules that when combined with the enzymes in your skin, are converted into retinoic acid at a cellular level but do not have the same scientific research and are generally considered not as effective.
Why is retinol in nearly every product?
Due to the rise of the cult of skincare thanks to the likes of Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and now TikTok, it seems that skincare companies have lost sense of what is healthy for the skin and instead are pushing higher and higher actives in formulas for quick “instagram-ready” results which we feel is turning into a massive experimentation on younger, not informed people who want instantaneous results, unaware of the damage they are causing.
Is retinol right for me?
That is a question for your dermatologist, generally retinol is prescribed to people who have sun damaged, photo-aged skin, severe acne or are of an age where an intense anti-ageing treatment is appropriate.
Why we don’t include retinol in our skincare:
We create formulations that focus on dermal health and a healthy skin barrier that work for everybody regardless of age or skin type, we believe the first steps to healthy skin are to strengthen your barrier and reduce inflammation which can be done with antioxidant, enzyme and amino acid rich serums, moisturisers and oil based treatments.
Once your skin is balanced and restored then should you wish to take the next step, we recommend to get creative with retinol strictly under a dermatologists guidance and to continue applying soothing, anti-oxidant rich products that work with your skin, to reduce peeling, redness or inflammation and as always, during the day, apply SPF for sun protection to prevent sunburn.