Vitamin A is very useful for facial skin, especially aging, dry, acne-prone skin. With proper use of retinol, you can not only heal your skin, make it healthy, but also shed youth.
The benefits of vitamin A for facial skin
This vitamin has incredible properties that have a beneficial effect on epidermal cells.
Vitamin A for wrinkles
Retinol is deservedly considered one of the most effective remedies in the fight against wrinkles. It is able to destroy oxygen radicals, which are the causes of wrinkles. Epidermal cells receive the necessary nutrition and are renewed. As a result, mature, aging skin becomes elastic. It is noticeably tightened and a beautiful complexion is acquired.
Vitamin A for acne
Experts recommend using vitamin A for acne and pimples. It helps normalize cellular metabolism and fights the excessive outflow of sebum from the sebaceous glands. Retinol restores their proper functioning. Gradually, acne and pimples disappear. The epidermis is cleansed.
Vitamin A for the skin around the eyes
This is an incredibly beneficial substance for the skin around the eyes. Retinol has the following beneficial effects on this area:
- Elimination of wrinkles. The epidermis in this area is thin, wrinkles appear quite quickly. Retinol fights both fine and deep wrinkles.
- Nutrition. Retinol nourishes cells and promotes their renewal.
- Fighting dark circles under the eyes. Many people complain of bags under their eyes due to lack of sleep and stress. The skin in this area requires special care. To eliminate bruises and bags under the eyes, you need to regularly use vitamin A. It effectively eliminates puffiness and a bluish tint, returning a healthy color to the epidermis.
- Increased elasticity. Retinol helps prevent sagging, it makes the skin around the eyes elastic, preventing the aging process from appearing.
Vitamin A for lips
This substance is very useful not only for the face, but also for the lips. They need constant nutrition and care. Vitamin A can provide them by acting as follows:
- Eliminate and prevent dryness. Lips are soft and healthy. Dryness can be eliminated in just a few days.
- Healing wounds and scratches on the lips. Retinol nourishes damaged tissues and leads to faster healing of cracks.
- Returning healthy color to lips. If the lips become pale, a bluish tint appears, the person lacks vitamin A. With regular use of this substance, a healthy tint returns to the lips. They become more expressive and healthier.
Release forms
Few people know in what form this vitamin is produced.
Vitamin A in capsules for facial skin
The vitamin is produced in three different forms:
- Oil solution. It is not particularly suitable for facial skin; it is inconvenient to use retinol in this form.
- Capsules. To use as a facial treatment, the capsules must be pierced to extract the liquid. However, the capsules can also be taken orally.
- Ampoules. Introduced to strengthen the entire body and facial skin. Can be used both for intramuscular and external use. To do this, the ampoule is opened to extract liquid, which is then applied to the face.
Usually there are 10, 20 capsules or ampoules in one package. They come in a transparent, yellowish tint. Quite small in size.
Where can I buy
Retinol is extremely affordable for buyers. It can be easily found at the pharmacy. Some supermarkets also stock vitamins. Finding this vitamin will not be a problem.
If you go to a pharmacy, a specialist will advise this substance in the optimal form. Some people prefer capsules, while others will need ampoules to treat their skin.
Using vitamin A for facial skin
Using the substance is quite simple. It is used as medicinal solutions, lotions, and masks. Below are several options for how you can use vitamin A for your facial skin.
Using liquid vitamin A for the face in its pure form
If you open an ampoule or capsule and soak a cotton pad in the resulting liquid, you can bring great benefits to the skin: wipe your face with a cotton pad with retinol. It must be free of cosmetics.
Particularly carefully, problem areas of the face should be treated with retinol. Keep vitamin A for twenty minutes, then wash off. It is better to do this procedure before going to bed for a week. The beneficial result will not take long to arrive.
Mask made from a mixture of egg whites
Vitamin A and egg white go well together. Retinol is extracted from a capsule or ampoule; the egg white must be raw. They are mixed in equal quantities and applied to the face and neck. It is enough to keep the mask on for twenty minutes and then wash.
If the skin is withering, flabby, you can add honey to these components. It will enhance the effect and bring even more benefits. This mask should be used every other day.
Mask made from a mixture of kefir
To make your skin less oily and get rid of acne, it is recommended to mix retinol with kefir in equal quantities. The mask is applied to the face for 10-15 minutes. Then it is washed off. It is better to do the procedure before bedtime 2-3 times a week. Oily shine and acne will gradually disappear.
Aloe mixture mask
For mature skin, a mask made from aloe and vitamin A is suitable. To do this, the plant leaf is washed, crushed, and the juice is squeezed out. It is mixed in equal quantities with retinol extracted from an ampoule or capsule. Keep the mixture on your face for at least 25 minutes. The procedure is carried out twice a week. This will help get rid of wrinkles and sagging. The skin will become elastic and youthful.
Useful video
Watch a video about the experience of using vitamin A cream for facial skin:
Vitamin A is an essential substance in the fight against aging processes. With regular use of retinol, you can make your skin not only clean and healthy, but also elastic. Wrinkles will disappear, and the person will look significantly younger.
Vitamin A (retinol) has a pronounced strengthening and rejuvenating effect on the skin. The molecules of the substance are able to quickly penetrate into the deep layers of the skin and destroy free radicals, which cause premature skin aging and the appearance of wrinkles. Therefore, in cosmetology, vitamin A is often used for the skin of the face and the area around the eyelids - in areas where the effects of negative factors are most noticeable.
The positive effects of retinol on the skin
The use of vitamin A is recommended for the care of aging skin. It is advisable to start using the substance from the age of 35, when the body experiences a deterioration in metabolism, cellular aging processes begin, and skin tissues no longer receive enough nutrition. Retinol in liquid form is added as an active ingredient to face masks. These masks help:
- moisturize the skin;
- improve complexion;
- eliminate skin inflammation;
- rejuvenate the skin;
- stimulate the synthesis of collagen, a protein that maintains skin elasticity.
Retinol has a variety of positive effects on human skin:
- restores the structure of skin tissue;
- activates the production of hyaluronic acid, a compound that makes the skin soft and elastic;
- accelerates the regeneration of damaged tissues;
- maintains the strength and elasticity of epidermal fibers;
- protects the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals;
- inhibits skin aging and wrinkle formation;
- improves facial contour;
- useful for some dermatological inflammatory diseases;
- protects the skin from the dangerous effects of ultraviolet radiation.
Retinol-rich foods
Beta-carotene, contained in certain foods, undergoes oxidative reactions when it enters the body, as a result of which it is converted into vitamin A. All plant foods that are yellow, orange and red are rich in carotenoids. Of these products it should be noted:
Animal products rich in vitamins include:
The vitamin has a big advantage: it is practically not destroyed by heat treatment. Products rich in beta-carotene can be safely boiled or fried: they will not lose their beneficial properties.
Release forms
Vitamins suitable for external use are sold in different forms: capsules, ampoule solution, drops, oil. Liquid retinol can be used in different ways: poured into cosmetic preparations, added to homemade masks. Many women prefer to make vitamin masks for the face and area around the eyes at home.
Whatever form the vitamin is sold in, the instructions for use provide information on how an adult should take the drug internally and how to use it externally. Most often in the pharmacy you can find drugs containing retinol acetate.
The drug in capsule form is not very convenient to use: the capsules do not open well, the internal composition contains little active ingredient, but many unnecessary additives. The vitamin in the form of an ampoule solution is suitable for preparing homemade masks. And it is most convenient to use the substance in the form of an oil solution (retinol acetate or retinol palmitate).
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble compound, so there is no water-based solution.
Rules of application
When using retinol externally, you should adhere to the rules below.
- The substance is added in an amount of 1 - 2 drops to the finished care product. If the mask heats up during preparation, then you should drip the vitamin into it when it cools down.
- If retinol is used in its pure form, then for greater effectiveness it should be mixed with any vegetable oil, preferably olive oil. The vitamin-oil mixture should not be heated.
- To effectively get rid of wrinkles, you should practice a course of taking the vitamin. 40–60 procedures are carried out, then a three-month pause is made. With this method of skin care, you must adhere to proper nutrition and drink enough water.
- Before applying the drug to your face, you should check for an allergic reaction. A little vitamin oil is dripped onto the skin of the wrist. Then you need to wait for the skin's reaction to retinol. If the drug does not cause redness or burning of the skin, then it is not an allergen for a particular person.
- If you suspect an allergy, it is better to use products and cosmetics containing essential oils with retinol instead of concentrated vitamin oil. Such essential oils are often found in cosmetics for old and sagging skin, as well as in certain food products: sea buckthorn, pumpkin, rose hips, wheat sprouts. These products can be used to make masks that practically do not cause allergies.
In order for retinol molecules to more actively penetrate the layers of the epidermis, the skin should be prepared for applying the mask. First, a hot bath is made for the face (you can use infusions of medicinal plants), then the skin is cleansed with a scrub.
The vitamin mask is kept on the face for about 15 minutes, then washed off thoroughly. After the procedure, it is recommended to rinse your face with herbal infusion.
Apply the vitamin preparation to the area around the eyes with extreme caution so as not to accidentally touch the mucous membrane of the eyelids or the surface of the eyeball.
Best Recipes
Below are the best vitamin A face mask recipes.
- With aloe juice against skin inflammation. You need to take 1 teaspoon of fatty cream, 10 drops of vitamin oil solution, 5 drops of aloe juice. The components are thoroughly mixed and thickly spread on a washed face. The mask is kept on for 20 minutes, then what is not absorbed into the skin is removed with a napkin.
- Cottage cheese. You need to take 1 tablespoon of full-fat cottage cheese, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 10 drops of vitamin solution. The components are mixed, the resulting mass must be smeared onto a cleansed face. The mask is left on for 30 minutes, then washed off with warm water. After the procedure, it is advisable to treat the skin with night cream.
- Nutritious. This is the name of the mask with dairy products and vitamin A. The composition includes 1 teaspoon of full-fat sour cream, 1 teaspoon of full-fat cottage cheese, and a retinol solution from one ampoule. Dairy products are mixed until smooth, then a vitamin solution is added to them. The mixture is spread evenly on the face and left for 15 minutes. You need to wash off the mask with warm water. After the procedure, the skin is treated with cream.
- Rejuvenating. This mask is based on honey and vitamin A. You need to take 1 teaspoon of natural honey, 1 teaspoon of burdock oil, 1 teaspoon of almond oil, half a teaspoon of vitamin oil solution. The components are mixed, the resulting liquid mass is applied to the skin with massaging movements. The mask is kept on for 30 minutes. What is not absorbed is removed with a napkin.
- Chamomile acne lotion. You need to take 1 tablespoon of chamomile flowers, 1 ampoule of vitamin A. Flower raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water and left to cool. The finished infusion is filtered, and the liquid from the ampoule is poured into it. The result is a lotion that should be used to treat washed problem skin 2 times a day.
- Oatmeal. You need to take half a teaspoon of ground oatmeal, 1 tablespoon of aloe juice, 5 drops of vitamin oil solution. Ground oatmeal is combined with aloe juice, the components are thoroughly mixed. A retinol solution is added to the mixture. When applying the mask, do not touch the area around the eyelids. Leave the mask on for 20 minutes, then wash off with warm water. After the procedure, the skin is treated with cream.
Contraindications
There are the following contraindications for external use of vitamin A:
- allergy to the active substance;
- dermatological diseases;
- open injuries with discharge of pus.
Pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers should be extremely careful in caring for their facial skin with retinol, since the active substance can penetrate through the mother’s body into the embryo and through breast milk into the baby’s body, and if in excess, cause pathologies in the child’s development.
An overdose is accompanied by nausea, headaches, loss of appetite, and swelling of the liver.
Vitamin A or retinol is especially useful for dry, aging and problematic skin. Due to its strong anti-inflammatory, moisturizing and rejuvenating properties, this component is often used in cosmetology, including in the composition of creams, serums and masks. The latter, by the way, are easy to prepare yourself, using the most affordable products.
Content:
- Action and benefits of vitamin A for the face
- Vitamin A for the face, contraindications for use
- Recommendations for external use of vitamin A
- Homemade recipes for all facial skin types with vitamin A
Action and benefits of vitamin A for the face
Vitamin A (also called retinol) is a group of substances with a similar structure (retinol, retinal, carotenoids, carotene, xanthophyll, retinoic acid, retinol palmitate, retinol acetate) that perform a number of important biological functions in our body. Retinol has two forms: it is ready-made vitamin A and provitamin A (carotene), which enters our body and is converted into vitamin A.
In relation to the skin, vitamin A for the face performs a number of functions that ensure overall skin health and radiance:
- accelerates blood circulation in the skin;
- eliminates inflammatory processes, including acne;
- as a strong antioxidant, it has a neutralizing effect on free radicals, preventing early skin aging;
- stimulates cellular renewal processes, providing a general rejuvenating effect;
- evens out the relief of the face, eliminates age spots and improves complexion;
- increases the skin's resistance to negative environmental influences (sun, low temperatures, etc.);
- helps restore and strengthen the epithelial cells that make up the skin.
- moisturizes, increases elasticity and strengthens the skin structure.
If a sufficient amount of this substance enters the body, the skin of the face looks healthy, toned and fresh; if it is deficient, a variety of cosmetic problems begin to arise, the main ones being wrinkles, acne, and dry skin. To get rid of them, just drink a vitamin complex with retinol in the composition. Such complexes should be selected by a doctor after a preliminary consultation.
Vitamin A is the main active ingredient in many anti-aging skin care products. Usually such funds are not cheap. For home facial skin care, vitamin A can be effectively used as part of natural masks (not used in its pure form), but it is recommended for women over 35 to do this on a regular basis. Before this age period, there is no need for frequent use of this substance; 1 procedure per month is enough to improve skin tone. The effect of such a vitamin mask is complex and noticeable immediately. Despite everything, vitamin A is still a pharmaceutical drug and should be used with great caution! Experts recommend making masks with retinol during cold periods of the year.
If there are contraindications to the use of vitamin A, products rich in this substance (viburnum, parsley, spinach, egg yolks, dairy products, pumpkin, carrots, fish oil, algae) can be used as ingredients for homemade masks.
You can purchase vitamin A for the face (retinol acetate) at any pharmacy, and in several forms:
- oil solution for oral administration;
- in capsules with oil content;
- in ampoules.
Pharmaceutical retinol preparations are highly concentrated, so their use has contraindications.
Video: Magnificent vitamin A for the face in Malysheva’s program “Live Healthy!”
Vitamin A for the face, contraindications for use
- Skin damage, open wounds with purulent contents.
- Skin diseases.
- Allergic reactions.
Women should use retinol with caution (after consultation with a doctor) during pregnancy and lactation, since its excess can cause disturbances in the development of the fetus. An overdose of vitamin A manifests itself in the form of nausea, loss of appetite, headache, and enlarged liver.
Recommendations for external use of vitamin A
- Before using retinol, you should test for the presence of allergic reactions, for which the substance in its pure form should be applied to the skin of the wrist. If there is no itching or redness of the skin, then vitamin procedures can be carried out without fear.
- If the mask recipe contains honey, oils and other active ingredients that require heating to increase their properties, then when vitamin A is included, this is not necessary to avoid reducing its properties.
- Before applying a mask with vitamin A to your face, you need to steam it (steam bath) and cleanse your skin with a scrub.
- The compositions are applied to the entire face, except for the area around the eyes, following the massage lines.
- Keep the mask on for 15-30 minutes, then rinse with herbal decoction or water at room temperature and lubricate your face with regular cream.
- Do the procedure an hour before bedtime. The wellness course includes 10-12 procedures, performed 1-2 times a week. After this, you need to take a break for three months.
- Retinol combines very well with vitamins D, E and B.
- Retinol is not recommended for long-term use; an overdose of the substance can cause dryness, thinning of the skin and flaking.
Homemade recipes for all facial skin types with vitamin A
Anti-inflammatory mask with aloe juice.
Compound.
Nourishing night cream for your skin type – 1 tsp.
Vitamin A oil solution – 10 drops.
Aloe juice – 5 drops.
Application.
Mix the ingredients thoroughly in a glass bowl and apply an even thick layer to a previously steamed and cleansed face. After 20 minutes, remove the remaining mask with a cotton pad.
Vitamin oil mask.
Compound.
Olive oil (unrefined) – 1 tbsp. l.
Retinol acetate in ampoules – 1 pc.
Application.
Enrich the oil with vitamin, mix thoroughly and distribute onto a clean face. There is no need to wash off the mask; after half an hour, remove the remaining product with a cosmetic napkin.
Curd and olive mask.
Compound.
Cottage cheese with a high percentage of fat content - 1 tbsp. l.
Olive oil – 1 tbsp. l.
Retinol – 10 drops.
Application.
Combine the components into a homogeneous mass and apply to a clean face. After 30 minutes, rinse the mask with water at room temperature and apply your regular night cream.
Mask with aloe and oatmeal.
Compound.
Aloe juice – 1 tbsp. l.
Chopped oatmeal – ½ tsp.
Vitamin A in oil – 5 drops.
Application.
Mix oatmeal with aloe juice and leave for 2 minutes. Add retinol acetate to the prepared mass and apply to the face, avoiding the area around the eyes. After 20 minutes, wash with warm water and lubricate the skin with a cream appropriate for your skin type.
Nourishing milk mask.
Compound.
Fat sour cream – 1 tsp.
High fat cottage cheese – 1 tsp.
Retinol in ampoules – 1 pc.
Application.
Grind the milk components thoroughly until smooth, then add vitamin A. Spread the mixture onto your face and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse off the mask with warm water, then apply a nourishing product appropriate for your skin type.
Rejuvenating honey-oil mask.
Compound.
Sweet almond oil – 1 tsp.
Burdock oil – 1 tsp.
Liquid honey – 1 tsp.
Vitamin A solution in oil – ½ tsp.
Application.
Add retinol to the oil mixture and massage into the skin. Leave for half an hour, remove any remaining product from the skin by blotting with a paper towel.
Vitamin tonic for acne.
Compound.
Chamomile flowers – 1 tbsp. l.
Cool boiling water – 200 ml.
Vitamin A in ampoules – 1 pc.
Application.
Prepare a chamomile infusion by pouring boiling water over the raw material and leaving it until it cools. Include the vitamin in the finished filtered infusion and pour it into an empty and clean tonic or lotion bottle. Wipe the skin with the product twice a day after washing.
To maintain healthy skin and the body as a whole, vitamin A must be supplied to the body in sufficient quantities through food. Pure vitamin A is found in products of animal origin (meat, cod liver and eggs), in the form of provitamin A or carotene it is found in products of plant origin (sea buckthorn, carrots, apricots, tomatoes and other vegetables and fruits of red, orange and yellow color) . Include foods rich in this substance in your diet every day, but do not forget about moderation, because an excess of the vitamin is just as harmful as its deficiency.