Skin care products come in many guises such as creams and lotions.  There are patches and abrasives and procedures by the dozen for those of us that want the healthiest skin we can get.  Some of the more useful products are retinoids.  Retinoids are compounds from the family of vitamin A.  These compounds regulate cell growth and bone tissue growth in the body as well as play parts in our immune systems and eyes.  Retinoids are a popular choice for skin care as well, particularly in the fields of acne treatment and wrinkle creams.  One of the more popular of the acne treatments is Retin A.  It is also considered effective by doctors.  Retin A is also a choice by people for use as an anti wrinkle cream.  It is fairly aggressive in prescription form and that is what is usually recommended in both cases. As with any medical product, see your doctor to determine if this is right for you.

A less aggressive version of retinoids can be found on the shelf of any drugstore.  While products such as retin A are prescription in nature and somewhat aggressive, these over the counter versions of retinoids are perfect for weekly upkeep of healthy, youthful looking skin.  Since they are not as aggressive as their prescription counterparts, weekly use is okay.  The active retinoid in these products is the derivative retinol.  It is a milder acting vitamin A component.  Sometimes, however, these products can dry the skin out.  Some people prefer to turn to products that contain fruit acids but still leave the skin moisturized. 

These retinoids also work for sun damaged skin.  Skin that has been damaged by the UV rays of the sun shows significant improvement with retinoid therapy.  Over the counter topical creams are usually used in this case although your doctor may be able to prescribe something more powerful depending on your specific needs.  It has been shown however, that discontinuing use of these retinoid agents has shown some reversals in the improvements gained by using them.

Coming from the family of vitamin A, retinoids show promise in other areas of medicine.  Skin cancer is being targeted as a possible use for retinoids as well as psoriasis.  In fact, treatment of psoriasis is already being done with some success.  See your doctor for more information.  Retinoids have a myriad of uses and have already proven themselves effective in skin care.