Which Level of Vitamin A is Best for Your Skin?

Vivant’s patented vitamin A therapies are multi-tiered, meaning the formula strength increases with each level to allow you to advance your regimen as your skin progresses. For those who are just starting with the Vivant line, and even for Vivant veterans, knowing where to jump in and when to move up is not always easy. But you don’t need to be an aesthetician to figure out which level you need. With a little background, your choice becomes as clear as your luminous complexion.

Understanding the Levels

Dr. James Fulton was the co-developer of Retin-A®, the Gold Standard for treating acne and aging skin. Highly effective, sometimes highly irritating, Retin-A® requires a prescription. Dr. Fulton wanted to develop an over-the-counter alternative that would deliver all the benefits—accelerated cell turnover, cell regeneration, collagen synthesis—of Retin-A® without the excessive irritation. Vitamin A Propionate was his breakthrough, a new Gold Standard retinol that became the foundation of Vivant’s Vitamin A therapies. We’ve created a handy chart to help you understand how the amount of Vitamin A Propionate in Vivant’s formulas compares to using Retin-A®.

Other over-the-counter retinols can’t make this side-by-side comparison. Their molecular formulations are too large to reach the deeper levels of the dermis where they can effect change in the skin. Only Vitamin A Propionate works at this level.

If you’ve never used a vitamin A therapy before, Derm-A-Gel is where you begin. This is our starter formula. Use it to boost cellular metabolism, reduce fine lines, promote a more even skin tone, and clear blemishes. You’ll notice some exfoliation (flaking) when you begin using it. Don’t worry. This is just the sign of accelerated cell turnover. It means it’s working. New, smoother, brighter skin will be revealed. You should use this formula for at least six weeks before moving up to the next level to give your skin time to acclimate, but most people will use it longer.

There’s no hard and fast rule about when to move up to the next level. It depends on your skin and your goals. Once you stop seeing the signs of acclimation like microexfoliation, it means you have reached optimum product benefit. You’ve hit the peak and are in maintenance mode. Your skin continues to benefit from the product. But if you want to push your results farther, it’s time to move up.

Level two of Vivant’s vitamin A therapies is Exfol-A. This formula raises the retinol factor and adds glycolic acid. It’s ideal for acne-prone skin, and for preventing the signs of aging in normal to oily skin. This might be your maintenance level.

If you have more severe acne or photo-damage, you will want to go on to level three, Exfol-A Forté, the most intensive of Vivant’s vitamin A therapies. This transformative AHA cocktail adds salicylic and citric acid to the mix along with the higher percentage of Vitamin A Propionate. Total game-changer. Our customer, Elizabeth, said it best, “Blemishes, fine lines, and wrinkles, dark spots, scaring, blackheads, whatever your concerns. This is the fixer.”

Clear Body Therapy is a cream rather than a serum, and it’s designed to bring a dramatic retexturizing effect to resistant skin like the back and chest. It’s also excellent for softening rough skin on the heels and elbows, for minimizing newly-formed stretch marks, and for fading age spots on the backs of the hands. Clear Body Therapy is not recommended for unsupervised use on the face.