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Vitamin A, more commonly known as retinol, has become an increasinly popular way for people to control fine lines and wrinkles. Today we are going to discuss retinol, and the benefits it can have to your skin.

As I said, retinol (also known as Retin-A and Renova) is Vitamin A. Retinol is the natural form, while both Retin-A and Renova are synthetic versions only available by prescription. Retinol is a great way to diminish fine lines and wrinkles and even your skin tone. Because of retinol's healing and antioxidant properties, you don't have to wait until you have fine lines and wrinkles to use it.

Retinol products should be used at night because they increase your sensitivity to the sun. Additionally, sleep also provides a rest for the skin, and therefore provides an ideal time for concentrated products like retinol to work well. Begin by using retinol every other night until you feel your skin has adjusted to the concentration. Because retinol is potent, it can cause flaking at first. This should clear up, but if it is really bothering you, switch to every third night.

If you already have fine lines and wrinkles, you may notice a difference when using retinol products after just a few days. Acne sufferers may also notice that some of their acne is clearing up. If you are still young, you may not notice a difference in your skin until forty years from now when people are still carding your for margaritas.

There are two retinol products I would recommend. Philosophy's Booster Caps are easy to use. Just pop open a cap and mix in the product with your nighttime moisturizer. They are fairly gentle, so if you have sensitive skin, you shouldn't experience problems with this. The second product I like is DermaDoctor's Poetry in Lotion. The product rubs on smooth, and it seems to be a bit more aggressive if you have specific skin concerns you want to tackle. I haven't used Poetry in Lotion long enough to determine how long the bottle lasts, but I can tell you that you will need to use one Booster Cap every night (or every other night, depending on how you use it), which means you are looking at about $1 per cap. All in all, retinol is not a cheap product, but the results are said to be worth it.