I started my journey in skin care with doctors as mentors (there’s more cosmetic surgery in dermatology in Beverly Hills than Starbucks, you can fact check me, but I’m probably right), and their science and results based approach to skin has been imparted on me for life, and complimented my education in holistic medicine and Ayurveda quite well. Is the best thing for collagen a yet-to-found berry that only lives on the highest peak of a mountain on an island off Japan? Not likely, and honestly that’s not the way nature actually situates itself. The highest vitamin and antioxidant rich plants, like kale and blueberries, thrive in a multitude of places that don’t require rock climbing gear. So when it comes to anti-aging, collagen building, and scar fighting, my confidence is always with the best collagen rejuvenator that has existed since it’s inception it was first discovered in 1971: tretinoin, or as you may know it, retinol, which is derived from Vitamin A. Retinol deserves it’s reputation as being transformative, and with that comes a lot of misconceptions, misuse, and overuse. (Spoiler alert: retinol does not make you more prone to sun damage, in fact the recent data shows the opposite.)

We wanted to assure we were working with the most effective tretinoin with clinical data and results. I’ve seen so many alternative vitamin A derivatives be sold as superior or slower delivery, but there was actually no independent data to support that they were truly metabolized as tretinoin. We chose to work with 2.2% retinol, and support it’s efficacy with beta carotene and vitamin A rich carrot seed oil, DMAE “the facelift molecule”, healing rose hip seed oil, polyphenol powerhouse pomegranate, and of course a heavy dose of stable vitamin C ester along with B vitamins for brightening and pigmentation. Though the range of botanicals and antioxidants we included is extensive (organic rosemary leaf, neem seed, sunflower, tamanu seed to name a few), all of these ingredients are very sensitive to light and oxygen, which is why packaging was of much importance. Retinol and vitamin C can essentially arrive to you inert if they are stored in clear or plastic packaging, so we package and store Alpha C in double-walled tinted glass.

So, how to best use retinol? The most common cause of sensitivity to retinol comes from using too much, or using it too frequently. Retinol works by turning on a mechanism in your skin (the skin cells interaction with the retinoic acid (RAR) and retinoid X receptors (RXR) located in the nucleus of the cell. These nuclear receptors increase the production of procollagen and function to block the release of inflammatory mediators.) , and once that mechanism is “on” (think of it as a light switch) it has done it’s job, and over using it beyond the point of it turning that mechanism on (usually, every other night is ideal) will cause hyper sensitivity, red spots, dryness, and other signs of inflammation. Additionally, your skin only needs a thin layer of retinol to get a result. This is another reason we choose to have Alpha C be a rich, concentrated serum. One pump is exactly what you’ll need for your face and upper neck.

I like to cleanse with Daily Detox to physically remove surface cells and eliminate every trade of dirt and pollution, followed by Phyto Glow to prep the skin (if you know me, you know I joke that I refuse to age, but I’m not kidding) and make Alpha C penetrate more deeply. During Winter (yes, LA has a Winter), I’ll layer Phyto Flora on top for added vitamin E and hydration. During the warm Los Angeles Summer and Fall, I find Alpha C completely satisfying on it’s own.

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