Let's face it; aging is something we have to deal with. However, it doesn't mean that we can't go about it gracefully. Retinol is a must-have addition to your skincare routine if you look to have firmer skin and smooth out those fine lines and wrinkles.
The CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serum is formulated for those with post-acne marks, uneven skin tone, and visible pores. The gently smooth serum refines, smooth and improves skin texture without compromising its protective barrier. The formula contains encapsulated retinol.
With that said, before investing in the product, this CeraVe skin Renewing Retinol Serum Review seeks to expound more on the serum's benefits, its essential ingredients and if it does what it says it does.
1) What Is It?
Cerave Renewing Retinol Serum is a gentle and effective nighttime serum that helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles. The anti-aging serum is ideal for all skin types and features a non-comedogenic formula that improves your skin texture and radiance. The CeraVe Skin anti-aging retinol serum is enhanced with hyaluronic, encapsulated retinol, soothing niacinamide and three essential ceramides that aid in restoring the protective skin barrier. Lastly, the serum features patented time-release MVE Delivery Technology.
How To Use It
These are helpful tips on how to use the CeraVe serum:
- Apply the serum in small dots where needed around the face
- Gently smooth until its thoroughly absorbed
- Use it alone or under makeup once or twice a day
NB: The Cerave brand advises spacing out applications until your skin adjusts if experiencing discomfort during the first application.
Lastly, if applying the anti-aging retinol serum during the day, it's essential to follow with a broad spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen and reapply every 2 hours or as much as your lifestyle allows.
Additionally, when using the product, avoid getting it into your eyes. If contact occurs, rinse thoroughly with water. If skin irritation occurs, wash the fine lines serum off and consult a physician.
What To Expect
When first applying the serum, you are likely to experience a slight tingling sensation. It is an indication that the product is working. If the sensation is prolonged or becomes unpleasant, discontinue use and consult a physician. Always apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen while using retinol products.
2) Key Ingredients
i) Retinol
Starting off the list of critical ingredients we'll be covering in the CeraVe Skin renewing retinol serum review. In the serum, it comes in the form of encapsulated retinol.
Retinol is a kind of vitamin A that naturally occurs in the skin. When absorbed topically, the enzymes in the skin convert retinol to retinoic acid, stimulating the production of healthy new skin cells. The ingredient rose in popularity as an anti-ager when patients using it to treat acne noticed it not only got rid of their blemishes but also made the skin less wrinkled and reduced pigmentation. It's also known to smooth fine lines, the skin's texture and provide a brightening glow.
The CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol face serum features encapsulated retinol, which is retinol that has been housed in a delivery system to protect its integrity and improve its ability to penetrate into the skin effectively. This is essential because retinol can be very sensitive to air and light. In addition, retinol is clinically proven to provide various benefits to the skin when applied to the skin.
The use of retinol is essential to any anti-aging regime, especially if you've got mature skin. Retinol breaks up the skin's top dead layer and increases cell turnover, allowing smoother skin to shine through.
It's advisable to apply retinol two to three times a week, starting at the low concentration and adjusting accordingly. The body develops a tolerance to retinol over one to two months, known as the retinization period, so any irritation experienced at the beginning of therapy should improve over time as your skin adjusts to the product.
It's advisable to start with a low percentage of retinol and then increase based on your skin's sensitivity. For sensitive or dry skin, it's best to start with a lower strength like 0.3%, increase to 0.5% and then ultimately 1%, if you can tolerate it, over weeks to months.
b) Niacinamide
The second essential ingredient we'll cover in the CeraVe Skin renewing Retinol Serum review is Niacinamide.
Niacinamide targets blemishes and pigmentation due to its effect on melanin transfer in the skin. It's the amide form of vitamin B3 or niacin.
The ingredient has a soothing effect, so it helps with irritation which generally accompanies retinol, especially for dry skin.
For instance, scientific studies like a publication in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology state that niacinamide may repair the protective skin barrier and improve the skin's moisture. Niacinamide can also help to reduce inflammation, blotchiness, hyperpigmentation, acne, and wrinkles.
Niacinamide is a true multi-tasker that provides many benefits, and it's great that the CeraVe Resurfacing renewing retinol serum contains a decent amount of this ingredient.
c) Ceramides
They are considered vital in most CeraVe products; hence it's only right that we would discuss them in the CeraVe Skin renewing retinol serum review.
The Cerave serum contains Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, and Ceramide EOP). They are a great addition as they elevate the tolerability of the product.
Ceramides are waxy lipid molecules or fats naturally produced by the skin and are vital in supporting the skin's natural barrier.
The essential ceramides, incorporated using Multivesicular Emulsion technology (mve delivery technology), are released slowly over hours into the skin. Thus providing continued hydration to the skin and helping to restore the skin's natural barrier.
All CeraVe products, including CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum, include ceramides as important ingredients.
The stratum corneum is the skin's outer layer. An analogy of the "brick and mortar" system can be used to understand its purpose. The bricks are the dead skin cells, also known as the corneocytes and the intercellular lipids (ceramides) represent the mortar.
Without ceramides, the skin barrier is weakened. The result is skin that can easily become dry, itchy, or irritated.
A properly functioning skin barrier is essential for healthy skin as it maintains epidermal hydration and protects the skin from environmental stressors, infections, irritants, and allergens. Topical application of ceramides may help to replenish ceramide levels, helping to restore the skin's natural barrier.
d) Hyaluronic Acid
Hyaluronic acid was another essential ingredient to look the Cerave Skin renewing Retinol Serum review is Niacinamide especially when it comes firming up those fine lines.
Considered one of the best moisturizing ingredients. Hyaluronic acid is ideal for anti-aging because it is supposed to help the skin retain moisture as it attracts water into the upper layer of the skin and acts as a sponge to attract and retain the skin's water content. In addition, hyaluronic acid helps to hydrate and plump up the skin, which can help plump up fine lines and wrinkles.
e) Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate is a derivative licorice root extract that serves as a skin-conditioning agent with skin-soothing and brightening properties. The ingredients may also have the ability to improve the appearance of dry or damaged skin by reducing flaking and restoring suppleness.
The Full Ingredient List:
Lastly, it's always beneficial to know a full list of product ingredients.
The CeraVe serum includes a mixture of emollients, solvents, moisturizers and emulsifiers.
Water, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide Np, Ceramide Ap, Ceramide Eop, Carbomer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Dimethiconol, Lecithin, Sodium Citrate, Retinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Shea Butter
3) Retinol Side Effects
Dermatologists usually advise patients to apply the serum or creams at night because of their sensitivity to sunlight. However, modern-day retinol products have gentler and lighter formulations.
The newer product generation releases retinol slowly into the skin to minimize irritating effects, giving flexibility of use whenever it fits into your daily routine. Ensure to apply it after cleansing and before moisturizing, distributing a pea-sized amount on your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin before rubbing it in. Additionally, sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30 is vital and should be applied on the retinol, while makeup can be applied over the SPF.
To minimize side effects, search for retinol moisturizers that contain vital hydrating ingredients or use a separate moisturizer additionally to your retinol. In contrast to prescription products, where the exact concentration of retinol is known, information about the percentage of retinol in over-the-counter products is often nonexistent on the packaging.
Be on the look for ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which are very effective at adding and sealing moisture into the skin and preventing sensitivity. If a product is too irritating, stop using it and switch to a different brand or use it more sparingly.
The truth is retinol thickens the skin's top layer, the epidermis, by stimulating collagen and elastin. However, it can also thin the stratum corneum, the very top layer of the epidermis, which explains the retinol' glow' that some patients experience.
The glow occurs because retinol improves light reflection on the skin's surface. Thinning of the stratum corneum will not 'weaken' the skin, but it can make it more sensitive to sunburn and physical trauma. Hence you'll need to be careful when it comes to sun exposure, hair removal, facial scrubs or anything that exposes the face to trauma or irritants."
If you're undergoing a chemical peel, facial waxing, or if you're pregnant, hit pause on your retinol. But you should try to restart usage as soon as possible since tolerance to retinol could be lost," adds Young.
So, how is the CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum?
On the whole, the Cerave skin fine lines smoother serum is well received. The fine lines serum helps to improve the appearance of scarring and dark spots. In addition, it contains niacinamide and licorice root, effective anti-inflammatory agents that help improve the tolerability of retinol, along with ceramides, which are critical to maintaining the skin barrier and preventing water loss.
The Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum boasts anti-aging benefits. It helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles. In addition, the essential ceramides come in handy, keeping the skin hydrated, thus maintaining a healthy skin barrier.
The fine lines and anti-aging serum works for all skin types, whether you've got oily skin or combination skin. In addition, some reviews have noted that the renewing retinol serum aids in restoring an even skin tone.
Its fragrance-free formula is perfect for those who are sensitive to smells. It also works well for sensitive skin types.
What's great about Cerave Resurfacing Retinol Serum is that it's expert-approved. In addition, it doesn't feel gritty or pasty like other retinol products, and one pump is the perfect dosage for the entire face.
The downside is that the renewing retinol serum leaves your face feeling drier. Hence its best used with a moisturizer that can restore the skin's moisture. In addition, the retinol product stings for about 10 seconds upon application.
In addition, the other negative drawback is the possibility of the serum not achieving the desired results. After using Cerave's renewing retinol serum, some reviewers stated that they saw no difference in their skin. Despite having bought the fine lines serum to reduce the look of acne scars, the encapsulated retinol, and lastly, seeing that it was good for sensitive skin.
Overall, the Cerave Skin Renewing Retinol Serum improves the appearance of scarring and dark spots. It's an excellent recommendation for anyone looking for a gently smooth solution that works for most skin types. The Cerave serum is packed with ingredients that boast anti-aging benefits like smoothing out fine lines and wrinkles. In addition, moisturizing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and shea butter help keep your skin firm, plumping out the fine lines.
Lastly, the serum is inexpensive, making it perfect for your skincare regime. Some reviewers have noted that small areas of pigmentation have diminished, and their skin looks fresher and brighter than ever.
The serum is a perfect stepping stone into the retinol world.
Frequently Asked Question About Cerave Skin Renewing Retinol Serum
a) How Can I Incorporate Retinol Into My Skincare Routine?
Due to their sensitivity to light, retinol is used at night. There are two ways to go about it. One is to layer them with a moisturizer on top. The second is to opt for the sandwich technique- moisturizer, retinol product, moisturizer. This is the ideal way to use retinoids. However, the sandwich technique is generally not needed for retinol (especially this kind formulated with ceramides, vitamin E, and hyaluronic acid).
