Vitamin A is one of the collagen precursors that all skin types should add to their skin care routine. Vitamin A is one of my favourite ingredients because of its phenomenal skin benefits, and how it can treat all skin concerns and conditions like acne to more sensitive skins like rosacea.
Being an oil and fat-soluble antioxidant makes Vitamin A the only vitamin that can penetrate the cell membrane to the nucleus where it can repair DNA genetic damage. This is why Vitamin A is a powerful protector of the internal cell. No other vitamin can enter the cell membrane to the nucleus.
Vitamin A is allowed access to our skin's DNA to repair and correct this damage caused by sun exposure and by free radicals that can kill our cells. This is why Vitamin A is a powerful ingredient to treat all specific skin concerns and conditions.
Benefits of Vitamin A
Resurface - Vitamin A returns the outermost layer of the epidermis to normal functioning by accelerating natural desquamation, which then improves acne, pigmentation and dry/flaky skin.
Regulates - Vitamin A regulates all the 5 epidermal layers (skin layers). Vitamin A penetrates to the Basal Layer to perform DNA correction, regulate sebum levels, melanogenesis (production of melanin) and epidermal turnover. Vitamin A then works on a skin layer called Stratum Spinosum, found above the Basal Layer, and thickens it with new healthy cells and the skin gains a balanced function.
Stimulates - Vitamin A can penetrate our skin going through the epidermal layers (first five layers) to the dermal layers (last two layers - the Basal and Stratum Spinosum) until it reaches the Papillary Dermis (the deepest layer, where our blood vessels and hair follicles are) and stimulates collagen and elastin.
It also stimulates the fibro-blast cells that are responsible for collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid. This makes our skin firmer, stronger, smoother and denser.
Misconceptions about Vitamin A
One common misconception of using Vitamin A is that people may believe they are too sensitive or allergic to this particular ingredient.
You actually can not be allergic to Vitamin A due to its oil and fat-soluble antioxidant.
You could have a retinoid response if you wrongly use Vitamin A and your skin is not accustomed to it. This retinoid response is your skin’s way of letting you know this is too much and too soon and asking you to just drop back and slowly increase over time.
Another misconception of Vitamin A is that it makes you sun sensitive. The UV rays break down Vitamin A in our skin, this is why you only apply Vitamin A at night.
One of my other favourite benefits of Vitamin A is it works systematically to our skins so the longer you use Vitamin A the deeper it will stimulate and work its wonder!!
Here are my absolute favourite Vitamin A Serums. I always use Vitamin A at night.
