What is retinoic acid in skincare?
Retinoic acid is the form of vitamin A that skin cells can actually use. Every other retinoid – retinyl palmitate, retinol, retinaldehyde – is a precursor that the skin must convert into retinoic acid through one or more enzymatic steps before anything happens.
Applied topically as tretinoin it is a prescription medicine, because it bypasses conversion entirely and binds straight to retinoic acid receptors in the cell nucleus.
What skin concerns does retinoic acid treat?
By binding those receptors it changes gene expression: keratinocytes mature and shed normally, sebaceous activity drops, melanin distribution evens out, and dermal fibroblasts produce more collagen.
That translates to measurable improvement in acne, fine lines, wrinkles, rough texture, enlarged pores and mottled pigmentation – the widest evidence base of any topical active.
What ingredients are best paired with retinoic acid?
Because it is the most potent form, barrier support matters most: ceramides, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, panthenol and squalane. Build up slowly rather than pushing through irritation.
Keep it to night use, apply broad-spectrum SPF every morning, and avoid layering with AHAs, BHAs or benzoyl peroxide in the same step. It is contraindicated in pregnancy. If your skin cannot tolerate it, retinaldehyde or a well-formulated retinol is the sensible step down. Take our Skin Quiz.
What is dry skin?
Dry skin – xerosis in clinical terms – is a skin type that lacks oil rather than water. It feels tight after cleansing, looks flaky or rough, may show fine cracking, and often reads dull because the uneven surface scatters light.
It is worth separating dry skin from dehydrated skin: dryness is a lack of lipids and is usually lifelong, while dehydration is a temporary lack of water and can happen to oily skin too. Many people have both at once.
What causes dry skin?
At the root is a compromised moisture barrier. When ceramides, cholesterol, fatty acids and natural moisturising factors run low, water evaporates out of the skin faster than it can be replaced.
Age, genetics, cold weather and low humidity, long hot showers, harsh surfactants, over-exfoliation, some medications, and conditions such as eczema and psoriasis all deplete those lipids. Consistent moisturising is the single intervention with the strongest evidence behind it.
What ingredients are best for dry skin?
Rebuild in layers. Humectants such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, urea and panthenol draw water in; emollients such as squalane, jojoba oil and shea butter smooth the surface; and occlusives seal the whole thing in.
Ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids are the priority, because they replace exactly what a dry barrier is missing, with niacinamide helping the skin make more of its own. Apply to damp skin, and swap foaming cleansers for cream or oil-based ones. Take our Skin Quiz to find the right combination for your skin.
