Long-term risks of retinol/AHA products?

March 24, 2015 3:04 PM

I started using retinol and AHA products in my early 20s. Are there any risks to using them in the long term?

I started using a retinol and AHA 2-3 years ago to help fade some scars on my face, and stuck with them found they made my skin look a lot nicer (smoother, smaller pores etc.) I'm only 25 and know these are typically anti-aging products used by older women, and I saw this piece that suggested this might be bad for your skin in the long-term, which was surprising and not what I've heard before, but the evidence behind the piece seemed a little suspect.

Are there any real studies that suggest this might be or not be an issue? I'm not the type to worry too much about aging, etc. but I don't want to fry the hell out of my skin at a young age. For what it's worth I am white, pale, no longer get acne, wear moisturizer & sunblock every day.

posted by noxperpetua to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

Best answer: I've done a lot of reading on various skincare ingredients and I've never heard that AHAs or retinoids are a problem to use long-term. Both ingredients can certainly irritate your skin, and using them at too high a concentration can cause problems, but (if your skin is tolerating them without irritation), I haven't read about anything bad happening with long-term use. I think I once read that retinoids, when used long-term, can actually improve skin health - I can't find the cite, though.

I like Into The Gloss, but I wouldn't put much weight in anything they post - last week they had something about some face oil that's "chemical free" and has no "toxins" - which is totally meaningless, as everything is a chemical & toxicity depends on dose. They don't seem to put any effort into posting scientifically accurate information.

Paula's Choice has a good ingredient glossary with some information about AHAs and retinoids, including citations. I am somewhat skeptical about some of the claims the website makes - they've been wrong before! - but I generally find it a good place to start when researching skincare ingredients.
posted by insectosaurus at 4:03 PM on March 24, 2015 [3 favorites]

It's not precisely the same, but, I've been using Retin-A for almost thirty years (I'm 40) and twice now I have had dermatologists respond to this with "Really?! Wow, you're really lucky!"

So, for what that's worth as anecdata...

The fellow speaking out against it in the article seems awfully interested in selling an alternative he has a financial stake in; I wouldn't pay any attention to that at all.

Further on with the anecdata, I've used the strongest Retin-A Rx close to daily over the decades, and am exactly as suntan/burn-prone now as I was as a kid.
posted by kmennie at 4:21 PM on March 24, 2015

Best answer: The main person interviewed would like everyone to please purchase dead stem cells to apply topically instead. This is pretty ludicrous when AHA and retinol are pretty solid and scientifically backed. I have not seen warnings for longterm use and AHA has been available otc for almost 20 years now.
Please don't confuse topical retinol with the Rx Accutane. This is prescribed for short term use, and extremely closely monitored. Restasis is also rx and monitored by a Dr for longterm conditions. Step away from the woo.
posted by lawliet at 5:15 PM on March 24, 2015 [1 favorite]

Retinol in its oral form (e.g. Accutane) has been reported to cause dry eye. Retinol as a topical cream (e.g. Retin-A) is not reported to cause dry eye. Since you mention using them to fade marks on your face, I'm guessing you're using topical.
posted by holyrood at 5:20 PM on March 24, 2015

They're not something you'd want to use if you were pregnant, trying to get pregnant, or even if you were not using a very effective form of birth control.
posted by Anne Neville at 8:27 AM on March 25, 2015

As you mention you use sunblock, I'm assuming you are aware that AHA can make your skin more sensitive to sun damage/sunburn which could have long term implications if you aren't careful about using sunblock.
posted by wwax at 10:09 AM on March 25, 2015

[kmennie, what did they mean by lucky? Lucky like, "You should have horribly damaged skin by now with all those chemicals!" or lucky like "So great that you discovered it at age 12!"?]
posted by amaire at 1:00 PM on March 25, 2015 [2 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks for all of your replies, much appreciated! Just to clarify, I was talking about skin creams only, not anything like Accutane.
posted by noxperpetua at 1:43 PM on March 25, 2015

Best answer: amaire, the second. One went on for a bit re. "I'm so jealous!" (Yes, because getting pimples early and never quite outgrowing the idea completely... Argh. But they both seemed to view it as a huge deal anti-wrinkle-wise.)

Re. pregnancy comment: nowhere credible advises avoiding AHAs during pregnancy and it is oral, not topical, retinoids that are the big pregnancy concern.

"Allure" says retinoids do not make one more prone to sunburn and Paula Begoun claims that AHAs do not increase sun sensitivity any more than any other exfoliating. (The article also says long-term AHA use is fine.)
posted by kmennie at 5:40 PM on March 25, 2015 [2 favorites]