As our skin ages, it gets thinner and laxer. It is more prone to wrinkles and fine lines than younger skin but also more susceptible to injury and ulcers. Now a study at the University of Michigan Health System says that lotions containing retinol have been shown to reduce wrinkles and also increase collagen production, making skin stronger and less prone to injury.

The U-M study used a lotion specifically designed for the experiment that contained retinol, an ingredient found in many commercially prepared skin lotions. In a double blind study, they applied the lotion with retinol to the skin on one arm and regular skin lotion on the other. The results were dramatic. The skin that was treated with the retinol lotion improved in appearance, looking younger, firmer and less wrinkled.

“With the population aging so rapidly, it is important that we find ways of treating skin conditions of elderly people – not just for purposes of vanity, but also for the healing of wounds and the reduction of ulcers,” says senior author Sewon Kang, M.D., professor of dermatology at the U-M Medical School.

This research serves as an important step forward in the understanding of how aging skin can be improved, researchers say.

Retinol lotion reduces the fine wrinkles from natural aging of skin, University of Michigan study finds