Long-term skincare goals? Retin-A
She's 70? Her skin though! I couldn’t stop looking at her. I had her medical history in front of me and it said her age was 70. She was in a post-surgery hospital bed, recovering from a necessary operation, but this seemed secondary as I couldn’t stop staring at her face. I pulled a chair up to her bed and said, “I need to know what you’re doing to your skin because it’s amazing ”.
This woman had aged into the best version of herself without the ‘holy shit, what did she do to her face?’ look.
She’d never had a facelift, never had a laser treatment, and never had injectables. Her skin tone was even, plump, not thinned out as normal skin gets over time. Her pores were not overly noticeable, her eyelids were beautiful, and the lateral expression lines (some call these ‘crows feet’) by her eyes were non-existent.
She had me get her bag and she pulled out her secret. Not surprisingly, it was the ‘gold standard’ of skincare: Retin-A. She’d been using it every other night for close to 30 years. “This is what I use (0.05% strength), along with my moisturizer, a sun hat, and sunscreen. I have my Dermatologist prescribe it for me.” The key ingredient in Retin-A (the brand name for the generic drug Tretinoin) has been proven to heal skin and build collagen.
She wasn’t the first mature person I’ve seen with remarkable skin who credited the use of Retin-A. I’ve stopped people on the street and approached them in restaurants while visiting England, Japan, France, Eastern Europe, Canada, etc., and I’ve seen them in-clinic. I tripped over my suitcase running after a beautiful, mature woman in the Amsterdam airport. Even though they report having varying routines and other strategies, without exception they all use Tretinoin.
This isn’t an ‘overnight miracle cream’... you know by now that such a thing doesn’t exist. Not long-term. This is a prescription medication for good reason, and there are specific instructions (that I won’t go into here) for how to use it, for who should or shouldn’t use it, and for what to avoid while using it. Like any prescription, you need to consult with a qualified medical provider before starting using Retin-A. There are over the counter, less potent Retinols and these can be kinder to your skin while working up to Retin-A. Oil of Olay has a great product as does The Route.
I’ve been using Retin-A for close to ten years. I apply a pea-sized amount all over my face, throat, and décolletage every other night before bed. I have a love/hate relationship with it and stop using it over the summer months when I’m in the sun. Great skin doesn’t come from fillers, Botox, and lasers. These can enhance great skin, but just like brushing your teeth, great skincare is something we need to do daily for long-term results.
Give me a 25 or 30-year-old ‘influencer’ with beautiful skin and I roll my eyes. Give me a 70-year-old with amazing skin and now you have my undivided attention; in fact, I’m pulling up a chair. Now I’m impressed.
Click here for more information on Retinoids.
