Tretinoin and retinoids- toxicity and safety
When Junko told us about her trip to an eye doctor resulting in a stern warning to stop using a tretinoin cream (commonly prescribed by dermatologists for the treatment of acne, age spots and wrinkles) on the grounds that it is a toxin, it gave us all a scary jolt. I have been doing as much research as possible and this post is a little long as I’ve tried to be thorough. So for those who want to cut to the car chase, tretinoin is indeed a toxin, a possible side effect is blurred vision and Junko should absolutely give up all non-dietary forms of vitamin A until her symptoms clear up.
Now for the detail. (Please note that I am continuing to add and update this post as I come across additional research).
Vitamin A and its natural and synthetic analogs are referred to as retinoids. There are several forms of retinoids: retinal (aldehyde); retinoic acid, which is also known as tretinoin (acid); and retinol (alcohol). Vitamin A is acquired through the diet and is ingested through animal sources as retinyl esters and through plant sources as carotenoids, and converted to retinol. Retinoids control normal cell growth, cell differentiation, and cell death during embryonic development and in certain tissues later in life. These effects on the cells are controlled by receptors on the nucleus of each cell (nuclear receptors).
The toxicity of retinoids and, in particular, tretinoin is well known – and has been understood by scientists for well over a decade. Research (which I go into below) has extensively been conducted on cancer patients (mostly oral doses of tretinoin) and pregnant animals, looking at topical dosage effects. It is important to note that the absorption of tretinoin is systemic. The condition caused by vitamin A toxicity is called hypervitaminosis A (source). It is caused by overconsumption of preformed vitamin A, not carotenoids. Tretinoin (Retin-A) "because of the potential for systemic absorption of topical tretinoin" is not recommended during pregnancy (source).
Retinoids are relatively new types of anti-cancer drugs. Tretinoin is given orally in capsule form to patients – typically when other forms of treatment have failed. This option of last resort is because of, as the US Institutes of Health points out, the side effects of toxicity.
It is not at all a stretch of the imagination to associate an eye condition with tretinoin reactions. First, as the Linus Pauling Institute explains, the eyes are geared towards taking in, storing and processing vitamin A. Inadequate retinol available to the retina results in impaired dark adaptation, known as "night blindness." Neurologic symptoms include headache, drowsiness, blurred vision (source).
A study on three topical retinoids, reported that “despite their differing capacities to stimulate skin repair and cell growth, all of the agents were cytotoxic for fibroblasts and epithelial cells over the same range of concentrations (0.6 – 3 10-5 M). A fairly recent 6-year trial on over 1,000 veterans set out to discover if tretinoin could be used to treat skin cancer. It was stopped six months before the scheduled end because of a high number of deaths in the tretinoin group. The concentration used was 0.1%. "We report the halting of the VATTC Trial intervention 6 months before its scheduled end date because mortality in the tretinoin-treated group was higher than in the vehicle control group, and our evaluation of this potentially causal association between tretinoin therapy and increased mortality," the study authors wrote.
Meanwhile, pregnant women shouldn’t go anywhere near tretinoin or other retinoids. Used topically, it is “a potent teratogen following exposure in early pregnancy” (source) (a teratogen is an agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus). A 1997 study on rabbits, using 10 times the amount humans would typically use of the tretinoin cream, Renova. The rate of abortion was increased significantly compared with the control group. Dosage-dependent increases in incidence and severity of skin reactions occurred in groups administered the vehicle and the two dosages of tretinoin. Similar results occurred in another study with a dose of 10 mg/kg daily.
Management of vitamin A toxicity includes ensuring that all vitamin A products are discontinued, including multivitamins and topical creams. Consumption of large amounts of dietary carotenoids will not contribute to vitamin A toxicity since efficiency of absorption decreases with dosage, and conversion to the vitamin is not rapid enough to contribute to toxic levels (source).
The following Tretinoin side effects are common (occurring in greater than 30%) for patients taking Tretinoin:
Typical retinoid toxicity include symptoms that are similar to those found in patients taking high doses of vitamin A: Headache, fever, dry skin, dry mucous membranes (mouth and nose), bone pain, nausea and vomiting, rash, mouth sores, itching, sweating, eyesight changes. Plus: Flu-like symptoms, bleeding problems, infections, swelling of feet or ankles, pain (bone and joint pain, chest discomfort), abdominal pain.
The following are less common Tretinoin side effects (occurring in 10-29%) for patients receiving Tretinoin: Weight increase, heart rate irregularities (arrhythmias - see heart problems), flushing, poor appetite, weight loss, earache or feeling of fullness in the ears, diarrhea, dizziness, constipation, numbness and tingling in hands and feet, anxiety, heartburn, low blood pressure, insomnia, depression, high blood pressure, confusion (source).
Loading...
So... any suggestions for alternatives? I love the way my skin has cleared up (wrinkle-and acne-wise) after being on it a year! I never really achieved this with glycolic or alpha hydrox.
Posted on June 24, 2010 at 9:48 am
Wonderful research Marta. Most interesting was the part about the eyes taking in, storing and processing vitamin A. Wondering if those little fat pockets under my eyes is where the A is being stored. I want to mention again that the purpose behind sharing was my story was to bring this possible side-effect to light. I couldn't find anything on the internet when I was self-diagnosing. Initial symptoms were not severe but built up over time. My hope is that one day if someone is searching for symptoms similar to this, they'll pull up my story and be better off for having found it. Thanks again Marta for the follow-up research.
Posted on June 24, 2010 at 10:29 am
Hi Jessica, I think any of the serums that we recommend will help a lot with wrinkles. Personally, I am finding the combination of the E'shee serum and KaplanMD's serum transformative. For keeping acne at bay, the Baby Quasar or an LED light treatment therapy really works.
Posted on June 24, 2010 at 12:11 pm
When I was reading up on the retinas storing vitamin A, I was reminded that my granddad always used to tell me to eat my carrots because they'd help me see in the dark - turns out he knew what he was talking about.
Posted on June 24, 2010 at 12:52 pm
So if I am trying to fall pregnant should I cut all products with any form of A even if they are not prescription?
Posted on June 24, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Hmmm the blurry vision side effect caught my attention because I've had problems with that for a year or two now and my eye doctors can't find the problem. I thought it was from a thyroid problem, but medication didn't help. I was next going to check for diabetes, and I know it's also a side effect from the pill. But I hadn't thought about retinoids. I rotate between Differin and Renova, but I don't use them every day - maybe a few times a week.
The last paragraph especially caught my attention because I've had unexplained: weight gain, fullness in the ears, tinging fingers, etc. and a bunch of other ailments that didn't go away when I started my thyroid medication.
A few days ago I started a topical hair loss treatment that also contains retinol. If retinoids are a problem for me, I wonder how long it would take for me to go off them to see a reduction in symptoms? Hmmm... I also also heard that ironically topical retinoids (not just Accutane or too much oral vitamin a) can cause hair loss (despite the fact that retinol is in a lot of hair loss products.)
Posted on June 25, 2010 at 1:24 am
Hi Kerence, the research I found was specific about tretinoin and pregnancy because it is systemic. You are OK with vitamin A supplements and food sources. As to other forms of retinoids, I am not sure. If it were me, I'd avoid preformed vit A if I was trying to get pregnant or was pregnant. But I'll keep foraging for info.
Posted on June 25, 2010 at 4:06 am
Marta - I'm wondering if, during your research on retinoids, you came across any definitive charts showing safe intakes of Vit A and/or its cosmetic cousins? Like a lot of things, Vit A and retinoids can be toxic depending on the dose and the body chemistry of the user. There are hordes of skin treatment products that contain forms of retinol in varying percentages. As you stated, a lack of retinol can cause night blindness so it would seem there must be some 'safe' level that would be good for the skin but not high enough to cause problems. Do you think beauty companies are being irresponsible by putting forms of retinol into products without disclosing the percentage?
Posted on June 25, 2010 at 11:17 am
From what I understand, tretinoin is not used as a 'last resort' anti-cancer treatment. The primary use of tretinoin is for treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia, in which there is a chromosomal translocation involving the retinoic acid receptor-alpha gene, causing it to fuse with another gene and preventing the maturation of cells. Tretinoin (retinoic acid) therapy is used to help induce the maturation of these cells. So it's not that it's particulary toxic and thus a 'last resort' treatment so much as that it has very limited and specific use as a cancer treatment. Even if it is used as a 'last resort', it's because there are other drugs that are more effective and/or have fewer side effects, which is not to say that the other treatments aren't toxic. Additionally, 'last resort' implies that other treatments like chemotherapy weren't effective. Chemotherapy is so toxic that to compare it to tretinoin is like asking which is worse, drinking gasoline or drinking weed killer?
Even if tretinoin is so toxic that's it's a 'last resort' drug, you're e
Posted on June 25, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I am using Osmosis Correct and it contains TRANS RETINAL. How safe is that in your opinion?
I used a very strong topical retinA preperation that I bought on-line. I have not used it for about 1 1/2 years. At the time I started using it my vision started to change and my eyes became really dry. At the time I suspected a relationship between my eye symptoms and the preparation, but I continued using it regardless.
I am therefore wondering if I should stop using trans-retinal as well as I have not been able to reverse my symptoms.
Posted on June 26, 2010 at 5:45 am
Osmosis Correct has 0.5% retinaldehyde. I wrote about Osmosis Boost and Retinaldehyde and it can be converted by the body to either retinoic acid or retinol (which, in turn, can be converted to retinyl palmitate). Because of this metabolization, treating the skin with retinaldehyde could be effective, while reducing the side effects associated with heavy guns. A French study concluded that a 0.5% concentration is an effective antiager.
But you want to know if it is safe. A German study from 1999 says that it was tolerated better (caused less irritation) than other retinoic acid. Another study in that year specifically says that cosmetic retinols are not systemic – tretinoin is systemic and that is why there is some cause for concern.
I should think your 0.5% concentration of retinaldehyde is fine, as long as you are not experiencing any irritation.
Posted on June 26, 2010 at 9:40 am
Hi Jaysie, I'll try to summarize what I've seen on doses. First retinoids that are NOT tretinoin. The typical cosmetic use of 0.5% seems to be fine for people who don't have sensitive skin. However, topical tretinoin is another matter. It is often used - and has been studied - for acne etc at 0.1% doses. But a 6-year randomized clinical trial conducted by the Veterans Administration involving 1,131 elderly veterans was conducted. In it 566 were randomized to test tretinoin cream (0.1%), and 565 to placebo. The purpose of trial was to establish the effectiveness of Retin-A as a chemoprevention intervention for nonmelanoma skin cancer. However, the results were chilling: "Cumulative Deaths among 1131 Study Participants shows that the retinoid treated group consistently had an excess number of deaths compared to the placebo group". Links to articles on this study are here:
http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/521/9/
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/587057
Posted on June 26, 2010 at 10:39 am
By the way, it seems if you do use tretinoin for antiaging, you have to keep it up according to this: Dr. Elise Olsen and associates (Olsen et al., 1997) discovered that reducing the frequency of tretinoin 0.05% cream from once daily to 3 times per week maintains, and in some cases, possibly further enhances reduction of photodamage. They also observed that cessation of tretinoin therapy for 6 months, however, resulted in some reversal of the beneficial effects seen after 48 weeks of treatment.
Posted on June 26, 2010 at 10:41 am
I have been using Retin A 0.1% daily for almost 20 years with no side effects. I suffer from acne and also appreciate that tretinoin is the most powerful anti-aging ingredient on the market. I have difficulty believing that a product, which was developed so many years ago for acne and which has been used by millions safely since then is "toxic."
Surely, the number of people who have benefited from tretinoin greatly outnumber the individuals who for whatever reason have experienced adverse results. Don't all products, including over-the-counter ones, have side effects?
One cancer study involving tretinoin and elderly veterans carries little weight with me. The medical histories and risk factors of these individuals are unknown. Moreover, the manner in which the study was conducted, including dosage administration and analysis of results, may be problematic in some respects. There are many variables involved.
Outside of this one study, how many deaths in the United States have been solely and directly attributable to the use of tretinoin? If tretinoin was that toxic, I would expect a number of people outside of the study to be similarly affected.
Retin-A was pivotal to the creation and development of the whole cosmepharmaceutical industry. I love this product and shall never be without it.
Posted on June 26, 2010 at 10:40 pm
I am an esthetician and regularly promote the use of topical retinoids, in addition to using them myself to manage my genetic acne tendency an as part of my age-management strategy.
The studies you list that reference tretinoin are referring to orally-adminstered tretinoin, aka Accutane, which I absolutly agree has all these potential side effects of Vitamin A toxicity. I experienced many of them including night blindness, joint pain, and fatigue, during my orally-administered, dermatologist-supervised Accutane treatment as a teenager. What your article fails to point put that orally-administered tretinoin treatment doses are always intended to induce controlled, temporary hypervitaminosis.
Topical retinoids, on the other hand, are dosed to increase skin's diverse functions (epithelial desquamation, fibroblast stimulation, production of extracellular matrix). Vis a vis topical retinoids, you would be experiencing extreme, burn-victim-like shedding, peeling, and oozing skin long before experiencing systemic Vitamin A toxicity as a result of any topical retinoid treatment..
Posted on June 27, 2010 at 12:17 pm
I have used retin-a for 2yrs .Does this mean i will get cancer?It has softened some deep wrinkles,and some small lines have gone away.
So are you saying i should not use retin-a?i use0.1%.I wait for your answer about retin[a and cancer.Thanks
Posted on July 3, 2010 at 1:54 am
Hi Marcella, I am certainly not qualified to advise anyone. I am simply trying to collate and summarize as much of the research as possible so that readers can make their own informed decision. Clearly a pregnant woman should not use retinoids because of potential fetal damage. My personal position is that I don't use retinoids - as much as anything else my skin is too sensitive. Furthermore, I don't really want to use something that is a known toxin - especially as these days there are so many alternatives. For years, dermatologists prescribed retinol because it worked and there was plenty of research behind it. In recent years however, there have been loads of breakthroughs with collagen stimulating peptides, growth factors and antioxidant botanicals. And - as far as we know - they are safe. We dig out and write about these alternatives all the time, so please roam around and be sure to check out our Five Bests where we pull together products that we've tested, know to work and do as little evil to us or the planet as possible.
Posted on July 3, 2010 at 5:57 am
What each of us chooses to use, or not to use is a matter of personal choice, but I'm thinking about Truth In Aging's ABOUT page which outlines TIA's purpose. For me, TIA's purpose is what sets it apart from all the other mainstream beauty blog sites which do not focus on ingredients, safety and environmental issues. Truth In Aging promotes products as Marta says, do as little evil to us or the planet as possible. With this in mind, I would never expect Marta to take a pro stance on the use of prescription retinoids solely for wrinkle reduction purposes. The day I see her post something like that, will be the day I think she's delirious from an overdose of ORAC's!
Posted on July 3, 2010 at 3:20 pm
The article you sight regarding trials with veterans at http://www.ahrp.org/cms/content/view/521/9/ goes on to say that:
In 2005, the authors published preliminary results in abstract form in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, stating that there was NOT a statistically significant difference in overall mortality between tretinoin and placebo groups: "We conclude tretinoin did not cause the mortality difference between groups, and in retrospect the termination of the intervention was unnecessary."
Posted on July 4, 2010 at 8:04 am
Yes it does, justagirl. And then it also goes on to provide the conclusions of four years later.
"The intervention was terminated 6 months early because of an excessive number of deaths in the tretinoin-treated group. Post hoc analysis of this difference revealed minor imbalances in age, comorbidity, and smoking status, all of which were important predictors of death. After adjusting for these imbalances, the difference in mortality between the randomized groups remained statistically significant.
Conclusions We observed an association of topical tretinoin therapy with death, but we do not infer a causal association that current evidence suggests is unlikely. http://archderm.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/145/1/18.
Which you can interpret to be that there was no relationship or, as Dr Dellavalle, Dermatology Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center wrote (in the same link): "While debate will continue regarding whether the association between topical tretinoin and death found in the VATTC resulted from chance or a real biological effect, until additional data from other studies emerge, practitioners should view the results of the VATTC with discretion."
Posted on July 4, 2010 at 10:30 am
Your honesty and research is applauded. I made copies and took them to my dermatologist who did not know how to respond! Well he did boo hoo this and told me it was perfectly safe and that so few people have any systems, thus this has not been an issue that we read about. Duh. I bought a tube 5 months ago and never use around my eyes and will finish it because I am "cheap" . But after it is gone I will need another fix for my skin, will keep reading for suggestions. Junko sorry to hear of your problems and glad you found out the source. Thanks as always for sharing. This is what I love about this site. We are all in this together huh ladies?
Posted on July 7, 2010 at 7:23 pm
>Marta wrote: I don’t really want to use something that is a known toxin – especially as these days there are so many alternatives.<
But, Marta, ANYthing in excess can become a toxin. This is what I was trying to point out in a comment to the original post from junko-- it DOES matter how much of the stuff one is talking about and how it is administered and what the health of the individual is to start with. Anybody with a compromised liver/kidney function would be foolish to use any of these products for anti-aging, of course, because even a small risk is nevertheless a risk. BUT some of us are trying to help you see that using 0.025% Retin-A for adult acne-- this is far less than even the 0.1% that some are citing (which I am suspecting is a typo for 0.01%, since prescription strength runs at 0.025%?)--is a different context altogether because it is topical, and it is a miniscule amount compared to the oral chemotherapy form. Plus, acne is actually a condition that demands treatment not just for comfort and looks but to prevent worse infections and scarring. To my knowledge there aren't "so many alternatives" in the treatment of acne, particularly for the large numbers of us who are allergic to benzoyl peroxide, which is really magic on those for whom it works.
But even this is a moot point. The point is: you are calling the substance itself a toxin, when in fact ANY substance in large amounts is potentially toxic. ALL substances are therefore "known toxins" if you take them in huge amounts. As I pointed out earlier, even WATER is a known toxin-- one can die from too much water in the system. Have you stopped drinking water because it is a known toxin?
The dermatologist was taken aback because these studies were done on a different drug, basically-- the same chemical but a much larger dose and taken internally. It is not a drug he would be expected to know about or stay abreast of, since the drug he administers is something entirely different.
I'm guessing that even topical tretinoin can cause toxic reactions IF one's liver and/or kidneys are already vulnerable-- this would be true of any new substance, so, it seems logical to me that if one wants/needs to use tretinoin topically, a simple blood test is enough to help you determine how you might react to it. But, as with all drugs, you always run a risk when trying a new preparation-- every body is different; every body reacts uniquely.
But the label of "toxin" should be used with great care if it's going to be applied with such a large arc, to indict all forms of the substance, all strengths. I do appreciate this website for your heroic attempts to provide information to the public, and I believe you are absolutely sincere, but please don't confuse the topical preparations (in very small concentrations) with the oral administrations of huge amounts and then pronounce ALL forms of tretinoin to be "a known toxin." It is a complex issue that deserves a complex analysis and a correspondingly complex report.
Posted on July 14, 2010 at 8:23 pm
I, like the others, have been using tretinoin .025% for several months. Since then I have experienced profound hair loss. No other symptoms to speak of. If I stop using it, do you have any sources that say how long it would take to determine this as the cause and see my hair loss cease? Only lab doc checked was tsh which was normal. Thanks for your research. Very informative!
Posted on August 9, 2010 at 5:14 pm
I've read this article and the comments at least 4 times since it was first posted and I still struggle to clearly understand the potential chemical consequences among "retinols" both good and bad.
Marta, would it be safe to say that, FOR TOPICAL USE, prescription strength Vitamin A, known as tretinoin, is the version we need to be on-the-alert about because of *possible* toxic side effects? And that all other versions of retinols we see on cosmetic ingredient lists variously called retinyl palmitate, or retinyl ester, or retinaldehyde, or retinol, or retin-whatever, are relatively safe versions, barring any sensitivity or allergic-type reactions unique to an individual user?
I'm trying to simplify when the Red Flag needs to go up. Maybe this is not possible if the percentage amounts are pertinent but not shown for all those over the counter products??
Posted on August 10, 2010 at 7:38 am
Kathy,
I'm not sure about your hair loss, but what I can say regarding the recovery of my eyes is that 4 weeks of Tretinoin use = 12 weeks non-use for my eyes to recover to 90% of where they were before I used the Tretinoin. This is pretty amazing, as I was expecting 100% recovery in 4 weeks. I suppose though, the older we get the harder it is for our bodies to recover. I think Julie Kay posted words similar not too long ago.
Posted on August 10, 2010 at 3:14 pm
Hi Jaysie, broadly, I think your summary is correct. However, there are concerns (voiced by the EWG) that retinyl palmitate is unsafe in sunscreens as it degrades under UV. http://truthinaging.com/sun-protection/retinyl-palmitate-sunscreen-and-skin-safety
However, not all experts agree: http://truthinaging.com/sun-protection/dermatologists-claim-that-sunscreens-with-retinyl-palmitate-do-not-cause-cancer
Posted on August 11, 2010 at 6:26 am
Thanks for the reminder, Marta...I'll add "avoid sunscreens with retinol-type ingredients" to my one brain cell that's marked Retinoids.
Posted on August 11, 2010 at 3:17 pm
I'm one who has used Retin A .01% for 25 years. Over time I up-dosed to .025% cream, then to gel, and then to .05%. Early this year I moved to the .1%. I don't recall when, two-three years prior?, I noticed the blurry eyes, but they got unbearable with the .1%. And the hair loss, this started 10 years ago and I never knew what it was connected to. When I traded to the .1% not only did my eyesight become worse, my eyes became dry, inside my nose dried out, mouth cracks formed, hair loss around my face increased, eyebrows shed, eyelashes AND I became very depressed over a period of time. After 6 months of intermittent use of the .1% I finally realized it was the retin A causing it. I got a liver vit A test and found my levels over the top toxic. It's been 6 months off the retin A . My eyesight cleared up in about 2-3 months, depression lifted in 3 months and hair shedding is still there but lowering. After researching there is no question this is what's been behind the hair loss. They use retin A .0125% in hair loss preparations, and I've read THIS strength causes too much shedding and irriation in some users who are trying to grow hair.
Posted on November 27, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Eileen ~ THANK YOU so very, very, very much for sharing your story! When I was scouring the internet for information to help myself...it seemed that I was the only one and that my problems couldn't be due to the tretinoin. Thank you for posting your account on TIA and on the web. Hopefully anyone looking in the future, will find stories to help them here!
Posted on November 27, 2010 at 5:46 pm
hi... is it safe to use "tretinoin cream U.S.P, Retino-A 0.025% on my face? please mention the side effects if any.. Thank you..
Posted on December 17, 2010 at 10:08 pm
Hi Naz, all tretinoin/retin-A creams can cause irritation and dryness, as well as increased sensitivity to sunlight. As far as toxicity goes, the research that I mention in this post suggests that it is dose dependent and evidence of toxicity was seen at 1%, much higher than the 0.025% amount you mention. Having said that, there hasn't been research that looks at the effects of low doses over time.
Posted on December 18, 2010 at 10:11 am
hi marta, first of all i would like to thank you for your reply. I am 30. i've started using tretinoin/retino-A 0.025% for the first time.And i've planned to use it thrice a week. is it ok? and i also want to know whether it will affect my vision? and will it cause skin cancer? can i apply my moisturiser over the retino-A cream? Can i apply Retino-A under my eyes? please do clarify my doubts. thank you.
Posted on December 19, 2010 at 5:46 am
Hi Naz, I was studiously trying to avoid giving you a definitive answer. I am not qualified to advise you to use something or not. I can only give you the information to hand so that you can make as informed a decision as possible. So, firstly, people who have commented here - such as Eileen, experienced vision and other issues when they increased the concentration of retin-A up to .1%. At a 0.025% you may not experience any side effects.
Its a personal choice. With the information available, I would not use a Retin-A cream at any concentration. As much as anything else, there are alternatives that don't have these safety issues.
Which brings me to ask you what are you trying to achieve? You mention that you are 30, so I imagine that you are not trying to remove wrinkles. You ask if you can use Retin-A around the eyes. Why would you want to? This is a powerful exfoliant that I wouldn't want to use on delicate eye area skin even if there was no evidence of compromised vision. There are plenty of excellent eye creams that don't contain retinols.
Many people use Retin-A to deal with acne. But, again, there are some alternatives such as blue LED light that really do seem to work.
I'd be happy to try to help you find some alternative solutions depending on what your goal is.
Posted on December 19, 2010 at 7:25 am
Hi marta. My skin is not that worse. The problem is, i get a lot of white heads on my nose and i have brown spots on my face but they are'nt very prominent.i want to get rid off the white heads and the brownspots permanently. And i want a glowing skin. This is what i need. Thank you.
Posted on December 20, 2010 at 7:28 am
Naz, I know just what you need. Your Best Face Prep. It will help with white heads, pigmentation and give you a nice glow. Here's more about it:
http://truthinaging.com/face/your-best-face-prep-reviewed-and-recommended-by-katya
http://truthinaging.com/face/mark-puts-your-best-face-prep-restore-and-concentrate-to-the-test
The nice people at YBF said they'll give you one to try out!! So please email me at Marta@truthinaging.com and I'll send one to you right away.
Posted on December 20, 2010 at 8:49 am
hi marta. first of all i would like to thank you and the people at the YBF. i have sent a mail to your ID.
thanking you,
naz.
Posted on December 21, 2010 at 9:30 pm
I think this deserves a bit of an update and correction. Tretinoin, Retin-A etc do not contain the normal vitamin form of Vitamin-A, but rather a more uncommon form, retinoic-acid.
Retinoic-acid and it's close cousin, Accutane, are teratogenic (they kill quickly dividing cells, like chemotherapy drugs), and are toxic. Although certain cells in our body do convert the vitamin form of vitamin-A into retinoic-acid, we don't have the ability to convert retinoic-acid back into the vitamin forms (retinol, retinal).
While vitamin-A overdose is possible, and vitamin-A is easier to OD on than many other vitamins, they do NOT have the same teratogen property as retinoic-acid, and are not toxic at proper doses. The vitamin forms of vitamin-A do not cause impaired vision (they're good for your eyes), and don't cause any of the other nasty side effects associated with retinoic-acid (in fact, pregnant women need a certain amount of vitamin-A in their diet for healthy fetal development).
Unfortunately, the label on Retin-A and some other products just says "retinol" even though that is not the truth. However, products which contain retinyl palmitate or retinyl acetate you can be sure it is the vitamin form and thus safe. Retinyl palmitate/acetate are esters, or in other words loosely combined with fats. This is the natural form of vitamin A found in foods, and is easily absorbed and converted by your body into the vitamin. If a product lists multiple forms of retinol beyond the stated safe forms, you might have reason to question. (usually retinoic acid products are also very expensive, which may help give it away)
I hope this helps to resolve any confusion that might arise from the naming.
Posted on November 2, 2011 at 3:33 am
I just began looking up topical retinol side effects because getting it near my eyes has caused them to tear effusively for up to an hour after use and 3 times now I have put it on my neck and have had redness. swelling over my thyroid and a sore throat. I didn't link the retinol to the thyroid problem until today. At first I thought I had bug bites, then I thought it was a lotion meant to inhibit hair growth I got with my No No ! Hair system. I even thought I had gotten the No No! too close to my thyroid. But this last time I know I didn't do the other things, but I did use an anti-aging moisturizer that has retinol in it on my neck. I do have very sensitive skin and so far can't use many kinds of products without getting rashes or burns. Can the retinol be absorbed directly into the thyroid topically?
Posted on December 11, 2011 at 2:59 pm
This is a topic I'm all too familiar with! Having battled acne all my life - I am VERY familiar with Retin-A. I have read so much research about the affects of vitamin A (or most vitamins/minerals/topicals) I could be a dermatologist. While it is hard to overdose from Vitamin A naturally -- because its not over abundant in foods... and its even hard to overdose on it orally - because when you buy Vitamin-A in the store, you are buying it in the SMALLEST amount and NOT in the form of pure vitamin A-- you are buying it in the form of Beta Carotene... commonly found in carrots. The acne drug Accutane is essentially large dosages of Vitamin A - and to be on this drug, not only do you have to have a pregnancy test (because of the birth defects) you have to have monthly blood tests to make sure that your liver is functioning correctly. In my desperate conquest for clear skin, I did go on Accutante and the side effects were close to unbearable... what happens essentially is that it causes your glands to shrink... your oil glands... which is why you get the dryness, the joint pains, the itchiness, nose bleeds, cracked lips, headaches...your eyes become red and irritated and it effects your vision, now your glands cannot produce oil and other fluid and keep your skin moisturized, on top of causing the body to slow its skin cell production, making your skin paper thin... and it even causes your liver to shrink. The retin-a will of course naturally cause your skin and lips on your face to dry and peel, and become red-- but if any side effects are worse and are happening in places other than dryness/irritation where you are applying it... or it is well beyond being remedied by daily moisturizer-- STOP its use. Vitamin A is fat soluble and excess is stored in the liver. Its not like B vitamins which are just excreted in your urine... so when your body has too much of it your liver stops to function properly creating a domino of effects. Another reason why people are not supposed to drink on accutane... So your body keeps collecting the vitamin A - its overload in the liver creates a Toxicity that contributes to the hairloss... which is caused by your body's averse reaction of the vitamin A shock and overdose, which also harms the way your body handles the hormones in your liver... accutane DESTROYED not only the volume of my hair but its texture. It destroyed my skin due to the scarring that occurred because the vitamin A changed the texture and thickness of my skin. People have also tried "overdosing" on vitamin A taking megadoses to recreate the effects of Accutane... which I have seen happen... all very bad ideas. Other people tend to get VERY generous with retina-s thinking more is better, but its not. So yes-- if you are having any adverse affects other than a little redness, peeling, and dryness on the site of application - then discontinue any intake of vitamin A and all use of topical retinoids. NEVER USE if pregnant or attempting to get pregnant. It is a SERIOUS SERIOUS compound-- and can have serious serious permanent effects not only on your skin, but your hair, joints and eye sight.
While my body suffered the worst senarios of oral vitamin - a... (accutane) I did not suffer any side effects from using it topically.. And sad to say, other than making my skin greasy or red - retin-a didn't have any positive effects on my acne. Now -- however -- there is a similar retinoid called Tazorac (tazortene) which I SWEAR by. I live and die by it... And in fact, as long as you are not having any adverse effects to topical retinoids I recommend talking to a doctor about it. Use the LEAST amount as possible and always moisturize. For me not only does this drug help with acne - it helps erase dark spots and the appearance of scars, not matter what type. AND I have found in my own experience that it even stops scars from forming. It is almost like a mini chemical peel... and I am not a doctor -- I do have thick skin that tans easily and does not burn.. so the results are different for everyone-- but this drug is a "scar and dark spot" eraser for me. It works SO well to flatten out my skin, even my skin tone and diminish the appearance of scars and dark spots. I believe that it is more commonly used to treat psoriasis than acne. I've read about the science behind it and not only does it cause cause accelerated exfoliation... it causes/promotes your skin cells, and new cells to grow back normally. Again- its marketed for acne the same way as Retin-A -- and NOT for scar removal... but it is a miracle drug for me... and the only thing keeping my skin from constantly and severely scarring from persistent acne. Other than dry skin, redness and peeling I have never had any problems with it-- and I was a person extremely susceptible to the internal effects of vitamin A. It works great to keep your skin clear of blackheads as well. Trying both Retin-a and Retin-A micro-- they have never given me the healthy glow and repair that Tazorac does for my skin-- and I've been using it for - I think about 8 years. In my opinion..it is one of the BEST kept secrets in dermatology... it is night and day on how fast it works to accelerate exfoliation and cell regrowth...compared to retina.
Also - for those of you women who want a similar peeling effect to help remove dark spots, new/forming scars and blackheads -- I recommend doing an aspirin mask every few days. Asprin contains Salicylic Acid- which is a main ingredient in acne medication to promote the peeling that keeps your pores unclogged... All you do is add a bit of water to uncoated aspirin, create a paste and apply it to your face. Let it dry for 15 minutes then carefully take it off. You will see how it immediately starts to peel and exfoliate dead skin and red spots. Wash and moisturize and you face right after. You can even use it as a spot treatment to help exfoliate scars, red spots or to dry out acne. Except for a little drying and peeling- its side effect free and aspirin is anti inflammatory.
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 4:48 pm
Ann Jaline-- as far as the "bug bites" --- staph infections or a sort of bacteria type infection can come as a result from disruption to a hair follical... I had watched doctor OZ recently on TV when he had said it and it caught my attention recently because every once in awhile I would get red itchy breakouts from waxing... maybe a possibility
Posted on December 12, 2011 at 4:55 pm
Marc, THANK YOU for your clarification. After reading the article on not combining retinoids and AHAs, then linking to this article, I was terribly disheartened. I just got La Vie Celeste's glycolic mask and La Vie Celeste Restorative Rose Hydrosol Eye Cream, which contains retinyl palmitate and I thought I'd have to dump them and start all over again.
Kristen, thanks for sharing your story. I saw your interview with Rose-Marie Swift and videos of make-up tutorials. You have enviable skin that I attributed to great genes. Knowing your story gives the rest of us hope.
Posted on April 6, 2012 at 12:24 pm