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Do you want to fight the signs of ageing? A new study reveals vitamin A could be the answer - find out more here
Many beauty products contain retinol - vitamin A - or "pro-retinol'' compounds from which the vitamin is derived.
All are said to fight the signs of ageing. But evidence is lacking, because manufacturers are reluctant to subject their products to rigorous independent testing.
How does it work?
The new study found that a lotion containing 0.4% retinol had a significant rejuvenating effect on a group of elderly volunteers with an average age of 87.
Retinol has to be used with care because it can cause redness and irritation, and sensitise the skin to sunlight. In pregnant women, excess vitamin A is also associated with birth defects.
The body converts retinol to tretinoin, or retinoic acid, an active form of vitamin A.
Tretinoin is known to benefit the skin. However it has side effects even more severe than retinol and is only available on prescription.
The rate at which retinol is converted to tretinoin is slow, and varies greatly between individuals.
Natural ageing
The research published in the Archives of Dermatology focused on wrinkles caused by the natural ageing process, as opposed to the dramatic ageing effects of the sun.
Participants were smothered with retinol cream on one arm, and an inert lotion containing no vitamin A on the other.
The treatment was repeated up to three times a week for 24 weeks.
Wrinkles, roughness and overall severity of ageing were graded on a scale from zero to
nine.
Four millimetre-wide biopsy specimens of skin tissue were also taken from both arms.
A total of 36 individuals took part in the study, led by Dr Reza Kafian at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor.
Thirteen withdrew before the end believing neither cream had led to any improvement. However when their results were included, the researchers found that all the ageing scores were significantly lower on the treated arms.
Analysis of the tissue samples showed that retinol increased the production of two structural components of the skin, glycosaminoglycan and procollagen.
Wonder product
Recently shoppers have been flocking to get their hands on Boots No 7 Protect & Perfect face cream after it was endorsed by the BBC's Horizen programme.
The cream contains a pro-retinol complex. Demand grew so intense that Boots limited orders to one per week.
Where is Vitamin A found?
- Good sources of vitamin A include cheese, eggs, oily fish (such as mackerel), milk, fortified margarine and yoghurt.
- Liver is also a rich source of vitamin A - But, because it's such a rich source, if you already eat it every week, you might want to choose not to have it more often.
- If you're pregnant, you should avoid eating liver because of the amount of vitamin A it contains.
