We’ve been talking here recently about what makes an active worth using in a skin care product, and thus, what you should look for as well as what you should avoid. You can check out our previous blog about it here.

Bakuchiol is a great example of a skin care ingredient that is adopted too quickly.

Bakuchiol has two potential selling points.

Point One: Bakuchiol is natural. This is part of a long campaign to convince us that things found in nature are somehow superior in their benefit to us than things that are not. There are plenty of natural things that are quite harmful to us, and the fact that they are natural does not mitigate this. So let’s use bakuchiol’s own logic against it. It’s natural right, so is vitamin A!

Point Two: Bakuchiol is a replacement for retinoids without side effects. Bakuchiol is said to have the activity of Vitamin A without the chemical structure to be that, however there are still few studies to back this up. What are retinoids known for? They have vitamin A activity. They are essential to our bodies and we can’t make them. They are also powerful.It could be said that the skin care industry is pushing another new novelty ingredient with retinoid-like activity but lacking a clear mechanism of action attached to it.

Skin Actives will take a more meaningful look at using bakuchiol when the scientific community has established a recognizable mechanism of action, and an absence of long term side effects. In the meantime, we’ll continue to use retinyl acetate: a more gentle version of vitamin A that works well for sensitive skin and has many decades of use, topically and internally, to recommend it. Retinoids can thin the skin over time and many people are sensitive to them, but Retinyl Acetate is tolerated much better because of its relative gentleness. We use retinyl acetate to reduce the potential for redness, irritation and thinning of the skin.

Our Advanced Ageless Vitamin A Cream is great for preventing wrinkles in younger skin types 20-30's and works well for people with acne prone skin. For those with mature skin types, it works to reverse and eliminate fine lines and wrinkles. Of course we recommend it for those with sensitive skin that typically can't use retinols. And vitamin A cream can even help with dark circles, spot treatment and prevention.

If you are looking to next-level your skin care routine, consider combining the power of Advanced Ageless Vitamin A Cream with Advanced Ageless Collagen Serum. Our collagen serums each contain epidermal growth factor which is included to help combat thinning skin. This parallels the action that we see in our vitamin A products. The cream base of the Vitamin A Cream helps lock in moisture as a finishing layer.

Advanced Ageless Vitamin A Cream is best used in the evening as part of your before bed ritual since it increases sun sensitivity. And remember, we always recommend using a sunscreen during the day.

Probably our most frequently asked question is:

“Why don't we use retinol? Why should I switch from Retin-A?”

Here’s the breakdown:

Your body can switch between forms of vitamin A as needed. Retinyl acetate is more stable than retinol and gentler than the retinoic acid used in prescription products. Your body will convert between retinyl esters (like retinyl acetate), retinols, retinals, and retinoic acid as needed. Therefore, using the more stable and gentler ester form is the best option for topical application.

Skin Actives has been using the rejuvenating power of retinyl acetate for a long time. It's an active that we trust, and that we believe in. Head over to our webstore right now and check out our wide range of Vitamin A products! Try one today for 10% off, right now.

And, as always, you'll find that standard shipping in the United States is ABSOLUTELY FREE every day of the week, every week of the year.