Does Retinol Really Help Acne Scars?

I would just like to say to all those teenagers and young adults out there... life is not fair!

I was one of those lucky girls in high school who had a spot here or there (and completely freaked out about it) but overall didn't have acne. So when I got out of my teens, I thought I was home free. But then life slapped me in the face and said, "Wait a minute Amber, that was too easy. Here's some unending acne and scarring for you... oh yea good luck with all that when wrinkles come!"

Yes in my mind, in this situation life is a capital B! But back to reality, it's true that acne doesn't end with high school. Apparently you can have acne and wrinkles at the same time... and apparently this can go on forever. So with that happy note in mind, we move forward.

I have pretty much banished the breakouts from happening (see my skincare post here), but I am left with hormonal breakouts (because your period isn't bad enough) and these scars. I have tried exfoliating, both chemical and physical, toners, ampoules, skin brightening lotions, and the list goes on and on and on.

I finally read about using Retinol to help with acne scars and found a relatively inexpensive, cruelty-free option that had good reviews. So I took the plunge.

I purchased the OZ Naturals Retional Serum from Amazon and took pictures documenting my used for a month. See the results below.

As I'm sure you can tell, there is a noticeable difference in the texture and tone of my skin as well as the scarring.

This is by no means a miracle, cure-all kind of product, but it does have results none-the-less. I don't even know if I would have noticed without the pictures reminding me what was. But you can see that each week (especially between week 3 and 4) my skin became clearer and more even toned. I will most definitely keep using a Retinol treatment as part of my nightly skincare routine. Please see below for some notes and tips!

Please do your research on Retinol, I am not an expert and my results may not be the same as yours. I found no issues with sun sensitivity or redness, but I know that can be a concern.
Be sure to apply at night and always use a sunblock during the day.
When exfoliating or using other harsh treatments, I did not use the Retinol to ensure I didn't over do it on my skin.
Don't expect overnight miracles, as you can see results took a while to appear.
I do have a sun spot (age spot, whatever) high on my cheek and although there are Retinol treatments that claim to help with that, this one did not.

So if you're interested in some anti-aging, skin tone and texture improving, and/or clearing up acne scars, I would definitely suggest looking into using Retinol in your routine.

Amber But Better