Vitamin A – A Brief Introduction

Vitamin A refers to a group of molecules more commonly known as “retinoids”. There are different forms of retinoids, some of which are more potent than others. You may be familiar with the names retinol, retinal, retinyl palmitate, retinyl acetate, and retinoic acid - all are different forms of Vitamin A.

Vitamin A has been shown to be the single most effective ingredient in skincare that is able to reverse sun damage. The Role of Vitamin A includes:

1. Improving skin surface making it smoother and more receptive to other skincare ingredients.

2. Thickening the skin by increasing the amount of collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid in the skin.

3. Help to increase cell turnover and improve the skin’s exfoliation process.

4. Helps to break up pigment cells in the skin and improve hyperpigment.

5. Increases blood supply to the skin and therefore can help speed up wound healing and give skin that “healthy glow”.

6. Decreases sebum production in sebaceous glands and therefore can help with acne.