*This blog post was sponsored by Olay Canada but all opinions, thoughts and experiences are my own*
Okay, if you have been following along with me on Instagram then you know that I was lucky enough to have been using the new Olay Retinol24 products (specifically the face serum) for a little over a month now. I have sensitive skin that can be prone to redness and irritation when I use products and that is what happened when I tried retinol products years ago during my mid twenties hormonal skinmagedon...if you know, then you know! So to be completely honest, the idea of using a retinol product daily immediately gave me flashbacks of how dry, peeling and red my face was way back when.
Let's start with the basics and chat about what Retinol even is! Retinol is a form of Vitamin A, that encourages your skin cells to turn over faster than they would normally, making way for new skin. This faster cell turnover allows for us to see benefits like smoother and brighter skin, improved fine lines and wrinkles and diminished dark spots and acne scars. After I stopped breastfeeding Aria in the Fall I've noticed that my skin hasn't been on my side and like clockwork with each monthly cycle, I battle hormonal breakouts. My skin pigments so easily and blemishes tend to linger for what feels like a lifetime. One of the reasons I'm a fan of the Olay Retinol24 formula is that I feel like I'm getting the jump on time and helping to get the blemishes diminished sooner. I also love how these products were formulated so you have options... that's right, options! Since this formula is meant to be used daily you have three products that could you seamlessly integrate into your current nighttime routine. I have a pretty tight line up when it comes to my nighttime routine and I knew I would fail if I tried to add in three new products at once so I picked the face serum because I love me a good serum. It's silky and smooth and absorb so well into my skin that it doesn't even feel like I have anything on. The sign of a good serum! After seeing the fine lines around my eyes diminish with the face serum I am now going to be adding in the Retinol24 eye cream too... check out the 6 week transformation photo below!
Enough about me, lets get into the good stuff! I had asked you on my stories what sort of questions you had about Retinol and although I couldn't answer every single one, I picked the most commonly asked questions.
Q & A
Q: How often do you use it to see the benefits?
A: After about a month you should be able to notice an improvement – but you do need to use the new product consistently. And what I loved about Olay’s new Retinol24 products was it can be used every day! A lot of retinol products are too irritating, so you can use it a few times a week because it would give you unwanted side effects like redness and peeling. So if you’re not able to use it regularly, you won’t be able to see positive results for a long time.
Q: How effective is the eye cream?
A: Very! The Retinol24 Night Eye Cream is the same formula as the Night Serum and the Night Cream and only differs in texture. It is designed to stay in place so there is less
chance that it will run into your eyes.
Q: I read that retinol is supposed to be yellow in colour, why is this one white?
A: Retinol itself is actually yellow, but the products don’t have to be. The Olay Retinol24
formula is pure white to the eye but if you were to put it under a microscope, you would see teeny weeny bubbles of yellow. The formula protects the retinol deep inside and keeps it intact and active even if it’s exposed to air.
Olay taught me a great tip: regardless of the colour of your retinol product when you buy it, if it starts to turn yellow over time that’s a problem. That means the retinol is breaking down and it will not be as effective on your skin. This could happen because when so some retinol products could be yellow. However, when retinol is exposed to air This could happen when retinol is exposed to air or sunlight.
Q: Can I use it while pregnant/breastfeeding?
A: It’s best to consult with your doctor if you’d like to use it.
Q: Do I need to use retinol AM and PM?
A: Retinol is best used during your nighttime skincare routine because it is photo-sensitive
(meaning it will breakdown when exposed to sunlight).
Another tip: It’s important to Remember to use SPF during the day to protect your skin. from
the sun.
Q: Can it make me look 10 years younger?
A: I can't promise you that you will look 10 years younger but I will tell you from personal experience that adding a daily retinol product to my nighttime skincare routine has made my skin feel smoother and brighter. I have even noticed that some of my previous acne blemishes have started to fade.
Retinol can:
- Improve fine lines and wrinkles
- Improve skin texture
- Brighten skin tone
- Diminish dark spots, acne scars
- Improve collagen production
- Improve hyaluronic acid production
Q: Can I use it within my normal skincare routine or do I need to use it alone?
A: The Retinol24 Night Eye Cream, Night Serum and Night Cream were formulated to seamlessly integrate into your current nighttime skincare routine. Pick whichever one you’d like! If you like a richer feeling moisturizer, I would try the Night Cream. If you like a lighter texture I would recommended the Night Serum.
Q: Is there any ingredients that doesn't play well with Retinol?
A: It depends on your skin, your comfort level and the type of retinol product you’re using.
But with Olay Retinol24, you should be able to add it to whatever your skin care routine is.
Q: How long before I should expect results to show?
A: Results of smoother and brighter skin can be seen by day 28 of using Retinol24 products. The images below were taken 6 weeks apart (just out of the shower) and you can see that my skin is smoother, brighter and the fine lines around the corners of my eyes are minimized. I know it will take a bit longer to lighten my acne scars because my skin pigments so easily but I'm loving the results so far and I just had to share!
To learn more about Olay Retinol24 go to Olay.ca !
xo Thanh