Is Retinol and Retinal a scam?

[datcherygrateful]

I'm hoping to take better care of myself and one of the things i have been looking into is anti aging. I am only 40 and honestly my skin is in good condition but I hear that really I should be getting into retinol.
Is it a scam to get us hooked into committing to long use and therefore spending? Or is this just advanced skincare technology and ingredients that genuinely are as good as people say they are?

I am hesitant but it's out of fear and not having enough information so I would be grateful for your experiences

Retinol is in the vitamin A family - it's really good for anti aging. It does a few things to your skin that end up making it look a bit younger / fresher on most people.

You can get cheaper retinol so don't need to get hooked on some sort of expensive treatment - the ordinary or other high street brands, that cost relatively small amounts. You can get side effects though, dry skin etc but most people start off at a small level of retinol put into a solution and then can work up in intensity, to avoid having to go through the side effects.

You can start / stop it as you wish so it's not really a scam to get you hooked on anything!

that's great thank you :)
I was worried that once I start, I should not stop (to see the effects)
So this is reassuring

Expensive retinol does nothing for me. I use prescription Tret prescribed by a dermatologist.

I'm using cheap as chips Boots no7 retinol at the moment - I can see and feel an improvement definitely

I love it- it has come completely transformed my skin. I get comments all the time about my translucent skin. I used to have awful acne all through my 30’s & early 40’s, so this is massive for me. I use Tretinoin & built up from 0.025 to 0.01% over a few months. I did have a horrible reaction to it at one point, but I stupidly used AHA with it, which is a huge Nono. I use really good moisturisers & rarely get any side effects now. I have always been a bit of a cosmetic addict so have tried many retinols, but honestly, nothing gave me the results that the tret did. I’ve used skin & me & dermatica. Both great services.

I recently listened to a Radio 4 programme on this subject. It was an episode of the Sliced Bread series. You'll be able to find it on the BBC radio website if you search for "Sliced Bread".

Update- I have finished a tube of Medik8 Crystal 3 and so far no purge, no real difference either but the texture is lovely (of the cream that is)

The next one up is nearly £70! So I had a look online and saw that many are saying that Geek and Gorgeous A Game is just as good. I was planning on moving to the A Game 5 which is £10, give it a go, then maybe move onto Crystal 6

Anyone here try both brands of Retinal? x

Same, tret is a chemical exfoliant and it absolutely does encourage collagen production but it takes time and you must wear a high SPF when using it.

You won't get any purge with Medik8. Their formulas are top notch but, as you've discovered, very pricey. I personally didn't particularly rate Geek n Gorgeous but plenty of people do. I prefer the new one by The Ordinary. It's stronger though and I buffer it and use it on alternate nights.

I'm using skin and me and they prescribed tret. Did the month's trial and really pleased so carrying on. Link is here for you to get a trial (and I get £10 off next month I think as well)www.skinandme.com/?promocode=KATHC5VKH

I used tretinoin. Not much of a purge as I took it slowly.

My skin looked amazing but ultimately I couldn't be bothered long term.

So it does work but as with all things skin, you have to use persistently as you have all new skin every 8 weeks.

I personally think these things are a bit of a con. Most people look their age; if these advanced skincare products worked we'd be surrounded by amazingly young-looking 50-year-olds.

Tretinoin is the one thing that's proven for anti ageing
But the majority of people aren't using it. If I asked my female colleagues about tret then probably 1 would know what it was (we've talked about skincare before)

I use Skin and Me.

This is the make up of mine.

Tret is not a con. Certified as the only anti aging product that works by the FDA and numerous studies. But it's not marketed as much. Plus it takes a long time to show results.
I get tret at £0.20 p a tube from family in India. Obviously no cosmetic company can make money from that, so they hype expensive solutions. I am super happy with my skin and have zero wrinkles. I won't claim I look young because of sagging jowls, but I look good enough.

I didn’t find retinols did anything for my skin. I use tretinoin now on prescription but like anything it’s not a miracle worker. You’ll still look your age. Just a little bit better

Retinol is fantastic stuff but most dermatologists say it can take 6 month to a year before you see results so it's a long game, agree don't need fancy expensive products

I had a do at the weekend where I met up with women I'd not seen for 20 plus years. I have to say, I'm the oldest but definitely my skin looked the best. They were all asking what my secret was. I haven't looked after my skin previously so it's a small miracle what the tret has done to turn things around. I'm excited to see how things progress. I've also bought some Korean sunblock for my face now to prevent any future sun damage.