Dr. Dennis Gross and Caroline Hirons Reveal Top Four Unknown Facts About Retinol

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Dennis Gross and Caroline Hirons, best-selling author and Advanced Esthetician, hosted an exclusive masterclass highlighting the benefits of retinol (if you missed it, you can watch the full masterclass here).

While the masterclass is jam packed with over 45 minutes of skin education, we pulled out four moments that had our jaws on the floor. 

1. Retinol does not thin the skin

It thickens the skin! Retinol works in both the dermis and the epidermis, thickening skin in both layers.  

2. Adapalene/Differn is great for acne, but stick to retinol for anti-aging

According to Dr. Gross, Adapalene was created specifically for acne. If you’re using Adapalene for acne and doesn’t make your skin too red or dry, carry on! However, for aging concerns, stick with tried-and-true retinol. 

3. You can use retinol on the neck – but not tretinoin 

Retinol gets a green light to use on the neck – but both Dr. Gross and Caroline strongly advise against using tretinoin (unless you want your skin to peel off).

4. Retinol and bakuchiol are two different ingredients

Despite claims, bakuchiol is not a natural version of retinol – it is a completely different ingredient. While the two have similar benefits, their molecular makeup is completely different. Bakuchiol cannot replace retinol. 

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