It’s likely you’ve at-least dabbled in the world of retinoids before: while this active skincare ingredient was once only something dermatologists would prescribe, recent years have seen a veritable retinoid boom, with brands stacking the shelves high with serums and creams, competing to create the best retinol available – all without the hassle of obtaining a prescription.
Many of us have lapped these active products up, drawn in by the multifaceted benefits retinoids promise – and indeed, in many cases, the results are remarkable. Whether you’re looking to plump out creeping fine lines or put a firm full-stop to hormonal breakouts, a retinol can often deliver. So it makes sense that these powerhouse formulas are creeping past the neck and into a host of retinol products for the body.
Now of course, a product that can offer the plumping, brightening and firming benefits of a retinoid, designed for use on your décolletage, limbs and even hands, sounds appealing. But slathering on a retinol body lotion with abandon isn’t our recommendation: in fact, there are a few things to consider when using skincare actives below the neck, as medical aesthetic practitioner Dr. Sophie Shotter explains.
“Retinoids do have potential benefits for skin on the body as well as on the face,” she confirms. “However we also need to be careful, as there is a much bigger surface area of skin on the body and so it is possible to ‘overdose’ on the retinol and systemically absorb more vitamin A. There are a handful of body creams with retinoids in, but many have steered clear for this reason."
Indeed, there is currently discourse surrounding retinol ‘overdosing’ in the industry. More isn’t always more: reacting to the seemingly unstoppable rise of retinol skincare, the European Commission is currently reviewing the regulations surrounding non-prescription retinoid-based products, restricting the percentage of pure retinol permitted to 0.03 per cent in facial products and 0.05 per cent in body products. This review is based on a report from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, which states: “exposure to vitamin A via food may already be very close to the UL (recommended upper limit) and any additional source of exposure, including cosmetic products, may exceed this UL.”
As Dr. Shotter explains, “if absorbed into the bloodstream, retinoids increase vitamin A levels, which can be associated with toxicity.” However, it’s important to consider the parameters surrounding retinol toxicity: it’s likely you’d have to be using an extreme amount in order to cause yourself any harm. That said, it’s important to play by the rules: if you want to use a retinol on your body, make sure it’s one specifically formulated for that end use, as “these will usually have a lower percentage of the active,’ says Dr. Shotter. “The other option is that you use it just on areas of concern - for example, to improve the appearance of looser skin, stretch marks or body acne.”
If you want to reap the brightening, firming rewards of retinol, but aren't so keen on taking the active from head to toe, consider the new school of advanced body products, developed by some of the best London dermatologists and designed to supercharge your bodycare regime. Dr. Emma Wedgeworth's online dermatology service Klira has just released the Body Special: a powerhouse body cream with azelaic acid, niacinamide, collagen peptides and pigment-reducing kojic acid to take on dark spots and crepey skin. It's an especially promising one for hands and chests.
For something that marries science-backed ingredients with a little spa-like sensoriality, turn to Joonbyrd by Dr. Alexis Granite. As fun as they are functional, these gourmand-scented formulas really allow you to have your cake and eat it: turn to the Daydreamer Body Serum, with its peptides and antioxidants to firm up sagging skin, and the Sunday Sofa body cream for an ultra-rich hydrator loaded with balancing prebiotic inulin and regenerating rambutan leaf, which Dr. Granite calls a natural retinol alternative.
