Ingredient: Retinoic Acid
Superpowers: Preventing And Smoothing Wrinkles
On the job: Retinoic acid ramps up collagen growth to fade lines and speeds cellular turnover, ensuring old cells don’t pile up, dimming your glow and clogging your pores. But these perks may come at a price—namely, dryness, redness, and flaking for the first two to four weeks of use.
Starter potion: Retinoic acid is found only in prescription creams, but less potent over-the-counter retinoids (like retinol and retinaldehyde) are gradually converted into retinoic acid in the body. The secret to success—no matter what your skin type—is to start with an OTC sensitive-skin formula, says Jeannette Graf, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. Try Eau Thermale Avene Retrinal+ 0.05 Cream, $61, dermstore.com. When you’re ready for stronger medicine, go for La Roche-Posay Redermic [R], $56, at drugstores.
Extra credit: Target crow’s-feet with an eye-specific retinol formula, but avoid putting it on lids. Try Olay Age Defying Anti-Wrinkle Eye Cream, $15, at drugstores.
Pro tip: To curb irritation, apply a pea-size drop of retinol to your entire face (or a sunflower seed-size dab around eyes). And start slowly, using the retinoid every other night for two weeks, then two nights on, one night off for two weeks, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City. Once your skin adjusts (typically after a month), you can apply nightly.
