Retinol and retinoids in skin products may age you faster and here is why. Retinoid, the active form of retinol, is speeding up the cell turnover, which is meant to reveal young and fresh skin. A typical marketing pitch we are told.

The truth is, tinkering with the course of nature always backfires and comes with side effects. What many people don’t know is that every cell has a genetically determined total of divisions before dying off or becoming senescent (old). 

If you manipulate cell division and exhaust that process prematurely, you send your cells into early retirement. This is a scientific fact every biologist knows about and called the Hayflick Theory. Your skin is made of cells and when your cells are old, your skin looks old.

By hasting up the natural cell renewal you also shorten the endcaps of our chromosomes (telomeres) faster, which is another cell ager. Telomere shortening and its impact on longevity was discovered by Elizabeth Blackburn, who won the Nobel Prize for her findings.

And last but not least, retinol & Co can compromise the barrier if overused and makes the skin more vulnerable to the environment (=faster aging).

I get it though, retinol works and makes the look incredible at first. I have experienced that first hand myself. What I want to warn about is to use these products long-term without knowing what actually happens in your skin. Overusing retinols and prescription retinoids happen all the time in the pursuit to get smooth and wrinkle free skin.

Stay safe and educated so you can make the best choices.

P.S.: Many plant oils offer natural retinol alternatives with low concentrations of retinol with slower action but no side effects. My favorite is wild rosehip seed oil (rosa eglanteria).