Retinoids: Healthy Skin But Flakes

Continuing the previous topic of acne treatment, I want to tell you a little more about retinoids. These are the same ones that are in carrots and in the liver of a polar bear, which you can eat only once in a lifetime.





This is what happens when you overeat carrots. Source . I think every therapist in his practice had a patient with "jaundice" who just bought a juicer the day before.



Retinoids are very effective in treating acne, which is often called acne. They also effectively smooth wrinkles and even out skin tone. This does not mean that you can eat pumpkins and carrots and get smooth like a baby's bottom, but it does mean that they can be used to make different products. We in the laboratory, of course, could not help but touch on this. Because if something needs to be carried deep into the skin - it is to us.



Of course there are side effects too! The first weeks after starting the application, you will flake off and look very peculiar. Therefore, today we will talk about carrots, carotene, orange patients and analyze the normal side effects of retinol. And I will also tell you why we add retinol to drugs in two different forms and why it is strictly forbidden for pregnant women.

Carrots and liver

Meet β-carotene . The same provitamin A, which gives the orange color to carrots and pumpkins. It is fat-soluble, which is why carrot juice is served with cream, a drop of butter, or steak.



When you see orange-yellow Caucasian patients, the first thought is jaundice due to a blockage of the bile duct with a stone or as a result of hepatitis. Normally, bilirubin, which is a breakdown product of hemoglobin, is excreted through the intestines. If problems arise with its elimination, it begins to accumulate and stain tissues in its yellowish-brown hue.



If the patient is doing well with the liver and gallbladder, send a nurse to search his house for three-liter cans.take a history of different juices. Perhaps he wanted to become a sniper, improve his vision before a medical examination, or simply remembered his childhood. Why were we all childhood forced to eat carrots? Carotene from carrots is not a complete vitamin. To begin with, it must be cut in half to obtain two retinal molecules, which, after reconstitution, are converted into retinol - vitamin A. This is a polar molecule that is insoluble in water, but perfectly soluble in fats. A grated carrot salad with sour cream, garlic and nuts will give you more vitamin A in the end than fat-free coleslaw with cabbage and grated carrots.



Like any fat-soluble vitamin, it accumulates more slowly and is more difficult to eliminate. For example, the same water-soluble vitamin C can be taken once without much harm in a dose significantly higher than normal. The kidneys will quickly drop everything that is superfluous. In the case of fat-soluble vitamins, overdose is more likely to lead to poisoning, as they accumulate in adipose tissue and are more difficult to remove. That is why eating the liver of a polar bear is considered so dangerous. It contains toxic doses of vitamin A that can cause acute poisoning or even death. Therefore, if you suddenly decide to eat a bear, throw away the liver.



Vitamin A, in principle, is stored in the liver in most animals in the form of a complex with proteins albumin and transthyretin. In this form, the molecule becomes too large to be washed out by the kidneys during filtration. Due to these mechanisms, it is removed very slowly: some of its forms are removed only half in 120 days . Therefore, there is a potential danger of chronic overdose.

Vitamin A functions

Retinol molecule The



classic symptom of chronic vitamin A deficiency is “night blindness”, impaired twilight vision. Normally, β-carotene is broken down by enzymes to the aldehyde retinal. The retinal, associated with the opsin protein, forms rhodopsin - visual purple. When a photon hits our retina, it causes the decomposition of this molecule and the activation of the visual receptor. It takes time to synthesize new retinal, so it takes us a few minutes to adapt as we transition from bright light to dark.



Strictly speaking, vitamin A is exactly retinol. But besides him, a whole group of structurally similar substances has similar effects, which are called retinol-like - retinoids.



Retinoids work as regulators of proliferation, differentiation and intercellular interactions between cells. They realize their effects by activating retinoic receptors in the cell nucleus. Due to this, retinoids regulate the transcription of certain genes. The retinoid molecule clings to a receptor in the promoted region of the corresponding gene and stimulates the synthesis of the desired protein. Due to this, the main therapeutic and side effects from the use of this group of drugs are realized.



Retinoids have a whole list of important effects:

1. Ensure the normal functioning of the immune system.
2. Necessary for the full regeneration of epithelial tissues, which include the skin and mucous membranes.
3. Take part in the synthesis of steroid hormones.
4. , . .

Retinoids are often used in the treatment of dermatological diseases. For example, sea buckthorn oil with a bright aroma of fresh berries is a very cool remedy for treating poorly healing ulcers, erosions, burns and other damage to the skin and mucous membranes. It works precisely due to the high concentration of vitamin A and synergistic vitamin E.



In addition to accelerating regeneration and stimulating the synthesis of new collagen by fibroblasts, retinoids can significantly slow down the differentiation of keratinocytes and reduce the production of keratin. This effect is very important in the treatment of a disease such as psoriasis , in which keratinocytes are dividing at an inadequate rate and producing large amounts of keratin. In addition, retinoids are used in the treatment of actinic keratoses, photoaging of the skin, help fight skin hyperpigmentation in the foci of inflammation.



Another key use case is acne treatment , often in combination with antibiotic therapy. Retinoids help relieve inflammation, and most importantly, eliminate follicular hyperkeratosis, which is the main cause of acne. They act as sebum regulators, reducing excessive sebum production. As a result, the opportunistic microflora ceases to actively multiply and cause inflammation in the ducts of the sebaceous glands, and the existing foci of inflammation disappear without leaving behind a pigmented spot .

Retinoid preparations are not vitamins

Retinoids, especially in medicinal dosages, are not vitamins that can be eaten uncontrollably. As I already said, they are very slowly excreted from the body, there is a risk of cumulation and overdose. The task of the specialist in this case is to select the optimal dosage that will be acceptable to the patient.



Yes, like any fairly effective drug, retinoids have many predictable side effects. Moreover, if some time after the start of therapy you did not begin to peel off, there is no slight irritation of the skin and increased sensitivity, then you were sold some non-working drug. Retinoids should produce similar side effects at therapeutic concentrations. This is normal.



There is one more point that patients should always be warned about. Despite the fact that retinoids are well tolerated by most adult patients and provide an excellent cosmetic effect, in the right dosages they have a pronounced teratogenic effect. That is, they can damage the development of the embryo. Therefore, it is very important to use reliable contraception throughout the course and to ensure that there is no pregnancy.



The side effects of these drugs can be classified into two main groups. The former appear almost immediately, after the first or second application, in the form of hives or redness. This may indicate an allergic reaction to the drug. It is removed with classic antihistamines. The second appear not earlier than a week - these are already side effects from the effects of the drug itself. Eliminate on their own or after lowering the dosage. That is why a specialist is needed who can clearly distinguish an allergic reaction from the expected effects of the drug.

What we put interesting in our products

Since our scientific laboratory has extensive experience in transdermal drug delivery, we took on the task of developing an effective version of a topical retinol-containing agent. It is not enough just to pour vitamin A. It must also be delivered to the deep layers of the skin, where it regulates the production of sebum, stimulates the synthesis of new collagen and evens out the skin tone. Well, as you understand, as soon as the magic phrase "transdermal transport" sounds in the description of the product, we immediately begin to look closely at this story.







We managed to develop an effective Retiderm 0.25 cream serumfrom the Anti-Age series. And yes, it is not only for aging skin, but also for young skin with acne problems. Naturally, due to its pronounced effects, application is possible only after consultation with a good specialist. Just in case, I remind you again that in the comments, of course, you can ask clarifying questions, but Habr is NOT a consultation with a good specialist. The doctor needs to see and touch you.



To ensure correct delivery, we have added retinol in two forms. Just free retinol, which penetrates deep into the skin rather slowly and begins to work in the surface layers of the skin, and liposomal, which has high bioavailability and penetrates all skin barriers.







Liposomelooks like this. In fact, it is an almost complete structural analogue of the cell membrane, which forms a double lipid layer. With the use of special technological processes in the center of the liposome, it is possible to "put" the desired substance that we need to deliver. It is extremely difficult to ensure the formation of such spherical vesicles. It is even more difficult to ensure that they remain stable throughout the entire shelf life of the cosmetic. But on the other hand, as a result, we get a means for effective deep delivery of retinoids and other substances deep into the skin.



The second feature of our laboratory is the ability to combine many active substances. In addition to retinol, we included niacinamide. There is also a lot of it, as much as 3%. It also improves skin turgor, regulates sebum production, and generally works great in synergy with retinol. Plus, we also decided to add vitamin C in a stable form: ascorbyl glucoside. It is a strong antioxidant and is the first to react with any oxidants, taking a hit on itself. Therefore, it is very effective in increasing the skin's resistance to ultraviolet light and, in general, helps to normalize metabolic processes.



Of course, we also added high molecular weight hyaluronic acid , which retains moisture on the skin's surface, providing instant hydration.



And of course, we always work with the skin microbiome. Skin is a completely non-sterile environment and is normally colonized by thousands of different microorganisms. So that opportunistic pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus or other unwanted bacteria do not begin to dominate in this zoo, we need to selectively feed more friendly representatives who will not allow everyone else to multiply beyond measure. To do this, we added fukogel to the composition, which works as a prebiotic.

Once again, we want to warn

Retinol-containing drugs are very effective, but like any potent drug, they have significant side effects. Please do not use them without consulting a specialist. Remember about the inadmissibility of use in pregnant women. And they also have a photosensitizing effect, because of which you should not appear in the sun during the entire course. Well, or at the very least, you should use sunscreens with the maximum SPF factor.



If you are interested in how we create new funds, visit our telegram channel (@geltek_cosmetics). There we tell interesting things about the chronicles of our cozy laboratory.