In With the NEW: Retinol
Welcome to my weekly featured ”IN WITH THE NEW” CLEAN SWAP! This week we are taking a closer look at skincare that contains retinol!
I’m always fielding questions from clients and friends about how they can swap out some of their favorite products for safer, toxin-free options without a loss in quality, taste, or performance (depending on the product). Every week, I cover food, cosmetics, personal care, cleaning and laundry products, and even behavior, so if you enjoy these Clean Swap features, please follow me on Instagram and sign up for my 360° OF WELLNESS Newsletter (⬅️by clicking on this link to the left) so that you never miss a new one.
LET’S TALK RETINOL
If you're over 30, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Retinol, the anti-aging ingredient in countless lotions, potions, creams, and sunscreens. Retinol is a very potent form of synthetic Vitamin A and can be found under many other names, such as retinyl palmitate, retinaldehyde, adpalene, and prescription-strength retinoids, like tretinoin or tazaroten. It has been touted as an anti-aging miracle that can smooth fine lines and wrinkles, brighten dull skin, treat acne, and fade dark spots.
Sounds amazing, right? But at what cost?
SO WHAT’S SO BAD ABOUT RETINOL? 💁♀️
Retinol has been touted as a miraculous fountain-of-youth ingredient, but increasingly more research is emerging about its risks and causing concern about its safety.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG), which rates products and ingredients for their safety (using a scale from 1-10, with one being the safest and 10 the most harmful) gives retinol (as well as its common derivatives, such as Retinoic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, and the broad class of Tretinoins) a safety rating of 9, which indicates that it is at the very top of the toxicity scale.
So let’s take a closer look at this controversial ingredient and its derivatives and its risks:
🚫 IRRITATION. Retinol is highly unstable in formulas, which means it can cause irritation, including redness, itchiness and peeling. However, that’s how it works, irritating the skin and causing cell to grow (divide) and die more rapidly. This increased cellular turnover causes massive inflammation, which can lead to a host of health issues, including cancerous tumor formation, developmental and reproductive toxicity, cellular level changes, and organ system toxicity.
🚫 BIOCHEMICAL or CELLULAR LEVEL CHANGES. Retinyl palmitate has been shown to produce excess reactive oxygen species that can interfere with cellular signaling, cause mutations, lead to cell death, and it may be implicated in cardiovascular disease.
🚫 DEVELOPMENTAL and REPRODUCTIVE TOXICITY. Retinol can be easily absorbed into the skin, and even at low doses, has caused reproductive effects in animal studies. California’s Prop 65 list identifies all-trans retinoic acid as a developmental toxicant.
🚫 PHOTOSENSITIVITY. Retinol breaks down if exposed to sunlight and increases your skin’s sensitivity to harmful UV rays.
🚫 CANCER. Retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate, in combination with sunlight, may increase skin cancer risk and speed the development of skin tumors. In August 2012, the National Toxicology Program of the US National Institutes of Health published a report, which examined the photocarcinogenic effects of retinoic acid and retinyl palmitate. The study applied creams containing retinyl palmitate or retinoic acid to mice who were then exposed to synthetic sunlight. It found that the inclusion of these compounds in the cream increased the number of tumors and decreased the time of tumor appearance compared to animals given just the carrier cream both with and without synthetic sunlight.
🚫 PREGNANCY RISKS. Retinol and all of its derivatives should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Some prescription treatments are associated with spinal and/or facial deformities in a growing fetus.
🚫 SKIN HEALTH. The compounds in retinoids can help boost collagen, but they're not necessary for healthy skin. Research shows that although retinoids thicken the skin overall, they thin the skin barrier (i.e., the built-in protective layer that home to your microbiome, guards against invading pathogens and environmental aggressors, and locks in moisture) and that is why you get peeling, redness, and irritation. A thinned and damaged skin barrier won’t protect you as well. You may experience increased moisture loss, leading to dry and eventually inflamed skin. You may also be more prone to developing allergic reactions to products applied on top of a damaged barrier.
🚫 OTHER INGREDIENTS. Don’t forget that most products containing retinols also contain a myriad of other harmful ingredients, such as parabens, oxybenzone, BHT, and fragrance, among others.
So with all these potential health risks and controversy, why are dermatologists still recommending it, stores still selling it, and the fashion magazines still raving about it? After all, parabens and phthalates have been shunned by modern brands because of their link to breast cancer and hormone disruption as a precautionary measure. So why not retinol, which has been fiercely defended by its proponents.
And what do its proponents have in common? They all stand to profit from the sales of retinol products to the tunes of BILLIONS of dollars!
Easy. Itis EXTREMEMLY profitable, putting hundreds of millions of dollars in the pockets of the pharmaceutical companies every year! So what’s a little health risk when you’re making all that dough?
READY FOR THE CLEAN SWAP?🙋♀️
So if you’re not willing to sacrifice your health to prevent a few wrinkles… or even if you are, there is a fantastic alternative! Check out Beautycounter’s new line of anti-aging skincare called Countertime, which features bakuchiol and Swiss Alpine Rose.
👉 Bakuchiol is a plant-based ingredient that has been hailed as "botanical Botox" and "natural retinol" even by dermatologists. A study in the British Journal of Dermatology compared bakuchiol to retinol and found the two ingredients to be equally effective for improving wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. Furthermore, unlike retinol, bakuchiol did not cause any irritation and was not associated with photosensitivity, tumors, reproductive toxicity or barrier impairment.
👉 Swiss Alpine Rose grows at the highest altitudes of the Swiss Alps. It is best-known for an uncanny ability to protect itself against environmental stressors and dehydration.
Countertime is a four-step regimen that helps skin improve with age by retaining its radiance, firmness, and overall youth. The individual products work together to maximize results and feature:
💦 Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil supports the skin's natural moisture barrier so that it's fresh and clean of makeup and impurities without feeling stripped of moisture
💦 Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence is a bakuchiol-infused formula helps to balance and prep your complexion for the rest of your treatments
💦 Tripeptide Radiance Serum is used both morning and night after the cleanser and essence to optimize hydration levels for visibly plumper skin and reduced fine lines
💦 Antioxidant Soft (day) Cream goes on top of the serum in the morning to retain moisture and protect skin throughout the day
💦 Tetrapeptide Supreme (night) Cream is applied on top of the serum at night so that the bakuchiol complex is working around the clock to refine your complexion, helping you wake up with visibly brighter, smoother, and more moisturized skin.
💦 Ultra Renewal Eye Cream rounds out the routine (apply it on top of the serum but before the day or night cream) if you want to decrease fine lines and dark circles.
I have been personally using Countertime for about six months and I can’t recommend it enough. As an ex-La Mer junkie, I can tell you that the Countertime line is comparable (although safer and substantially less expensive)—it’s just as high-performing, moisturizing, and arguably more gorgeously packaged.
What’s my skin type?
Well, I recently turned fifty and have extremely dry skin as a result of aging and a hypothyroid condition. Since I started using the Countertime regimen, my skin has improved tenfold. It feels smoother and softer, my pores are visibly smaller, and most importantly, I’m no longer constantly flaking and peeling. My skin is truly moisturized 24/7.
But you don’t have to trust my word, see what others like The Zoe Report, Business Insider are saying.
I recommend buying the entire 6-piece collection or the 5-piece regimen together (which cost less than a small jar of La Mer) because the products work best when they are used in unison and because you’ll SAVE 10% on the bundle. However, I recognize that it may not work for every budget. So if you have to split up your purchase, I suggest that you buy the products in the following order to get the most bank for your buck (not sure this is a scientific assessment as much as my preference of products):
Purchase #1: Tripeptide Radiance Serum (this is THE powerhouse) + Antioxidant Soft (day) Cream (perfect under make up)
Purchase #2: Tetrapeptide Supreme (night) Cream (supremely thick and moisturizing)
Purchase #3: Lipid Defense Cleansing Oil Mineral (the most luxurious, moisturizing, and aromatic cleanser I’ve ever used!)
Purchases #4 and 5: Ultra Renewal Eye Cream and Boost Hydrating Essence (order depends on your personal priorities)
BOTTOM LINE? If you can get the same results as those promised by Retinol—firmer, brighter skin with increased elasticity, and reduced appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—but without the drying, peeling, irritation, controversy, and potentially substantial health risks, why wouldn’t you?
What if you don’t like it?
Don’t sweat it. Beautycounter has amazing customer service and a 60-day, no-questions asked, return-shipping-free return policy.
So if you’re like “HELL YES, let’s make the switch!” but need some help picking the products that are right for your skin type, just fill out this quick skincare quiz and I’ll get back to you with personalized recommendations.
And if you subscribe to my weekly NewYousletter (below) and/or contact me to get discounts on Beautycounter, as well as some of my other favorite clean products, and I’ll show you how to get FREE SHIPPING, product credit, and even a FREE GIFT on your first Beautycounter purchase.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CLEAN BRAND?
Send me a message or leave a comment below and share what it is. If I feature it, I’ll give you credit and may even send you a free gift!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Gregory is an Integrative Nutritionist and founder of NEWTRITION NEWYOU. Her focus—whether with private clients, readers of her blog, or her followers on social media— is whole body wellness, incorporating whole-food nutrition, supplementation, exercise, toxin-free living, and mindset coaching. Victoria’s personal mission is to help make the world a healthier place, one person at a time, and she has helped thousands of people find joy and self-love through better eating habits and mindfulness. Learn more about Victoria.