The Regimen

Dear Internet, Retinoids Don’t Thin Your Skin

Dear Internet, Retinoids Don't Thin Your Skin. Vivant Skin Care

There’s a rumor on the internet that retinoids (aka vitamin A) thin skin. This misconception is the result of a fundamental misunderstanding of skin structure and the process of cell renewal. To be clear, retinoids don’t thin skin. They thin the outer layer of dead skin cells, known as the stratum corneum, while thickening underlying structural layers. Let us explain.

Your skin is made up of layer upon layer of cells and tissue and fat that act as a structural support and protection from the elements. There are three main layers—the epidermis (which includes the stratum corneum), the dermis (where sweat glands, sebaceous glands, hair follicles, nerves and blood vessels reside) and the hypodermis (mostly structural fat and tissue)—and a number of sub layers within each.

The epidermis is the outer layer where all the cell renewal action is taking place. Starting at the stratum basale level of the epidermis, cells are nourished, pushed toward the surface, die, and get sloughed off in a process that takes about thirty days. The outermost layer of the epidermis, the stratum corneum, is the last stop for dead skin cells. When the dead cells reach this level, they tend to build up and create a compact layer of dead keratin cells, also known as keratinocytes. Age and UV exposure also contribute to this buildup causing an irregular and thicker stratum corneum. A thicker stratum corneum makes skin look heavy, dull and dry. A thinner stratum corneum makes skin look more youthful and vibrant.

Retinoids accelerate the cell renewal process, encouraging cells to reach the surface and shed off more quickly, thus revealing fresh, new, healthy skin. This accelerated shedding of excess cells results in a thinning of the stratum corneum. This is a good thing. It’s a thinning of an already dead layer of skin, not a thinning of skin structure as the myth contends.

And there’s more good news. Not only do retinoids not thin skin, they actually do the opposite. In the lower strata of the epidermis (below the stratum corneum) and in the dermis level of skin, retinoids encourage cell proliferation, stimulate collagen and elastin production, combat DNA damage caused by UV exposure and improve circulation resulting in a thickening of skin and a healthier, firmer skin structure.

Time to lay this myth to rest and get back to getting gorgeous.