THE A GAME

Environ Skincare founder Dr Des Fernandes, aka the godfather of vitamin A, tells Kezia Parkins about changing attitudes to retinol, the new regulation and his latest formulations

When did you start using vitamin A?

“In 1976, I began using it on my patients’ scars. Then, I realised that it was being used in America for acne, so I started to use it on my patients for that as well.”

What was the turning point in your research?

“I had always thought that tretinoin was the only form of vitamin A that worked and then I had what I call my ‘eureka moment’ in 1986 when I suddenly realised the human body is a factory to convert cosmetic vitamin A (the storage form of vitamin A) into the active form, the retinoic acids.

“Then it became quite simple because you could supply cosmetic forms in equivalent international unit doses to retinoic acid, and get the same result.

“I also understood the retinoid reaction by then – redness, dry skin and maybe an acne eruption because I suffered from that myself when trying it out. I realised that I could avoid this by starting with a low dose and working up stronger.”

Do different forms of Vitamin A work better for some skin types?

“Retinol can be used fairly easily on oily skin types but you still have to take that incremental approach.

“I wouldn’t recommend it for use on oily skin. Instead, I would generally prefer to use something like retinyl propionate, which is a much softer sort of vitamin A, but interestingly more efficient than retinal palmitate.”

Have you seen attitudes toward retinol change?

“Definitely. Now, retinol is a very trendy ingredient and everyone is using it but in the beginning, I was told I was using a dangerous chemical, that it would harm my patients, and also that it was useless, and that I should use the proper vitamin A, retinoic acid.”

What are your thoughts on the EU regulation that’s set to cap cosmetic retinol formulations at 0.3%?

“I don’t know any situation where a cosmetic containing vitamin A has caused any problem so I don’t see the science to it. I use vitamin A every day at the highest permissible amount and I don’t think anybody would complain about my skin.

“People have to be reassured it’s an extremely safe ingredient. We know Vitamin A is safe because nobody can be allergic to it. In our Environ laboratory, we’re working hard to comply with the new retinol regulations and we are working on something exciting. What helps us is ingredients like bakuchiol and the ability to mix with serums and boosters.”

So, why do you think the regulation has come about?

“When we get new regulations it’s normally around safety and prompted by someone experiencing an adverse event or side effect that can’t get settled, but that hasn’t happened.

“I’ve written to the Scientific Committee to say that all the evidence I have is that vitamin A is not absorbed through the skin in an unsafe amount. A tiny amount will move through interstitial fluid and eventually get into the bloodstream but this is practically undetectable.”

Tell us about Environ’s new retinol products

“We’ve taken a new look at retinol. A lot of people will concentrate on one form of vitamin A, whereas what I’m trying to do is have multiple forms in one product.

“We’re now using three forms in Environ’s new retinol serums to get this spectrum of retinoic acid, and then in the Forte version we have ingredients that not only act like vitamin A but also stimulate vitamin A receptor activity and amplify its effects.”