Many people have asked me if retinol is toxic and if rosehip oil is a good vitamin A alternative for repairing aged skin.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with retinoids unless you have experienced severe intolerance or allergy to retinol.
Retinoids work! In fact, only retinoic acid has a biological effect on the skin and there's plenty of peer reviewed dermatological journals confirmed by in-vivo (performed on living people) studies such as this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6791161/
and this:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2699641/.
I am all for "clean" beauty products but as an aesthetician, my focus is on results-oriented treatments that can safely transform the skin. Indeed, rosehip oil contains a tiny (parts per million) of natural retinoic acid (tretinoin), a retinoid famously known in the skin care world for its anti-aging, anti-pigmentation, anti-acne benefits. However, when you're looking for "active" vitamin A content in a product made with rosehip oil, you would first need to estimate its percentage according to its full ingredients list. So let's do a little research...
Pure rosehip oil contains about 0.357 mg of tretinoin PER liter of oil, which translates to 0.00003923% tretinoin. Keep in mind its potency also depends on if the oil is refined or cold-pressed. Let's use this "Retinoic Face Oil" as an example. Going by the ingredient list on their bottle, we can safely estimate 37% rosehip oil, which indicates the product contains approximately 0.0000145% tretinoin, in other words almost nothing! Prescription tretinoin is usually 0.025% to 0.05% or higher. That being said, the amount of retinoic acid in rosehip oil alone is not significant enough to scratch the surface of skin rejuvenation. Other than being formulated with nourishing rosehip oil and smelling good due to being scented with essential oils (potential irritants, especially if the skin barrier is compromised), I'd proceed with a high level of skepticism in regard to the retinoic acid claim. Please beware of marketing jargon used by many cosmetic brands misinterpreting the term "retinoic" in the name of retinol-free products.
The biggest concern with retinol is its tetragenic compound. Regarding systemic absorption, the only available data linking retinoids to birth defects comes from oral retinoids (such as Accutane), which are prescription medications. However, if you are like me and prefer to take a cautious approach and avoid all forms of vitamin A during pregnancy and lactation, that is a completely valid decision. The truth is, there will never be a skincare or medical professional who can guarantee the safety of topical retinoids during pregnancy since no one wants to assume liability. Due to ethical concerns, clinical trials to establish the safety of retinoids in pregnant women will never be conducted.
I recommend opting for products with other active ingredients such as lactic acid, glycolic acid, or vitamin C instead of vitamin A. Try Beleza by Z Tallow Skin Tint 4-in-1 Serum for a multifunctional approach that will still nourish and enhance your skin during pregnancy. In addition, consider incorporating organ meats into your diet since beef liver is the most bioalvailable source of vitamin A. For more details on organ meats for skin beauty read this: https://belezabyz.com/blogs/blog/beauty-the-beef-how-fatty-red-meat-and-organs-can-transform-your-skin
Otherwise, if you've been on the lookout for an effective vitamin A product, look no further and try Beleza by Z Advanced Night Repair Bio Lipids Serum. This high-performance vitamin A elixir is mostly powered by hydroxypinacolone retinoate (HPR), an ester of all-trans retinoic acid (bioalvailable vitamin A) which works in conjunction with astaxanthin, stabilized vitamin C from tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and ferulic... minus the dryness, itching, and sun sensitivity commonly experienced with standard retinol products.
