What Are Natural Retinoids Exactly?

October 17, 2024 By Edward Cox

Are you familiar with retinoids and retinol? They’ve certainly been the talk of the internet in the past year or two. Recently, skincare enthusiasts have started talking about choosing more “natural” products, especially for their retinol products.

In this blog, we’re going to take a look at the differences between synthetic and natural retinol alternatives, the best retinol alternatives, and how we developed our botanical alternative to retinol: the dermacosmetics product lineup.

What Are Retinoids and Retinol?

As we’ve discussed in a previous blog, retinoids and retinol are both forms of vitamin A that are used in skincare products to treat a variety of conditions, including acne, wrinkles, and age spots. They work by increasing the turnover of skin cells. While both products do the same thing, there is a big difference between retinoids and retinol:

Retinoids are a group of vitamin A derivatives that are converted into retinoic acid, which is the active form of vitamin A. Retinoids are available by prescription and over the counter.
Retinol is a type of retinoid that is available over the counter. It is less potent than prescription retinoids, but it is still effective for treating a variety of skin conditions.

What Are “Natural Retinol Alternatives?”

Many skincare aficionados are rightfully interested in what goes into the products they use on their skin. Traditional, human-made retinoids and retinol can be incredibly harsh on the skin – not to mention the fact that producing and testing skincare chemicals can be harmful to animals and the environment. But, is there a botanical alternative to retinol and retinoids?

Natural retinol alternatives are plant-based ingredients that have similar benefits to retinol. They are often gentler on the skin than retinol, and they may be a good option for people with sensitive skin. Some of the best retinol alternatives include bakuchiol, rosehip oil, vitamin C, and niacinamide (and you’ll see some of these in our products!).

Bakuchiol has been the most intriguing one on everyone’s radar. According to many sources, bakuchiol works to significantly improve the skin. For example, this study found “that, after 12 weeks treatment, significant improvement in lines and wrinkles, pigmentation, elasticity, firmness and overall reduction in photo-damage [age spots] was observed, without usual retinol therapy-associated undesirable effects.”

The Science Behind Natural Retinoids

Understanding why retinol alternatives like bakuchiol and hydroxypinacolone retinoate (HPR) are gentler on the skin than conventional retinols and retinoids requires understanding just how these ingredients work.

All retinoids are derivatives of Vitamin A that are used to stimulate collagen growth and cause the outer layer of skin to turnover faster, thus renewing skin texture and structure. (Aka, preventing and smoothing out fine lines, wrinkles, and sagging.)

Typically, conventional retinoids (such as Tretinoin or over the counter retinols) work by binding to Retinoic Acid Receptors in the skin after undergoing a chemical change within the skin to produce the needed retinoic acid.

This chemical change can produce a number of harsh side effects on the skin (depending on the retinoid’s potency) such as burning, stinging, scaling, and redness.

Natural retinoids (like Bakuchiol and HPR), meanwhile, do not need to undergo this change. They are able to bind directly to these Retinoic Acid Receptors to stimulate collagen production and cell turnover. Since these ingredients avoid this chemical change within the skin, they are not as harsh— yet still effective— making them an excellent choice for sensitive skin types.

Rejuvaskin’s Botanical Alternative To Retinol

Here at Rejuvaskin, we chose to toss those man-made chemicals to the curb. Instead, we use bakuchiol, sea fennel, and HPR in our gentle, natural retinoid products. We blended all three of these ingredients into our Tri-RetinX blend that goes into our Face Serum and Eye Cream.

If you are looking for a gentle and effective way to improve the appearance of your skin, we encourage you to try our Dermacosmetics Bundle. This bundle contains three specifically-designed products that can help to reduce wrinkles, fine lines, hyperpigmentation, and other signs of aging. When used as a part of your own unique skincare routine, you’re sure to see improvements in your skin – without all of the irritation that comes with other retinoid and retinol products.