
If I had a dime for every time I was too tired—or let's be honest, too damn lazy—to take five minutes to get up, wash my face, and slather on some moisturizer, I'd be a freakin' millionaire (and then I could pay someone to do all that for me, right?).
And though I'm admittedly bad about my skincare routine—especially my anti-aging efforts—my entire tune has changed after seeing this picture of a 78-year-old woman with incredibly smooth, bright, and practically wrinkle-free skin. If you needed proof that taking care of your skin is truly worth it, look no further.
Yesterday, Reddit user @ucancallmekt (opens in new tab) shared a photo of her grandma, writing "My 78-year-old grandmother is a poster child for Retin-A! She’s been using it since it was first released on the market." In the photo, a woman with great skin (and brows—I mean come on!) looks on, smiling.
In the post (opens in new tab), the user wrote, "My friend just started Retin-A and is complaining about the side effects, so I snapped this photo at Mother’s Day Brunch to prove to her it works!" She continued, "My grandma started Retin-A for adult acne right when it was first released on the market. She was one of her dermatologist’s first patients to try it."
Retin-A is a retinoid (i.e. an umbrella term for all vitamin-A derivatives, including retinol) that's also FDA-approved for treating acne—though, technically, all retinoids will help treat acne (opens in new tab). How? Retinoids sink into your skin and stimulate the production of new skin cells, which speeds up exfoliation, increases collagen production, brightens scars and dark marks, smooths fine lines and wrinkles, and, yes, destroys acne (opens in new tab). Oh, and it can also make you look 60 years old when you're 78, apparently.
And clearly, I'm not the only one who's impressed. "She's glowing," writes (opens in new tab) one user; "I spent years in the medical field, so I treated a lot of elderly PTs (and I'd always know their exact age, unlike in a social situation)—you almost never see a 78-year-old looking like that. Amazing." Adds another (opens in new tab), "Holy mother of cucumber! She sure is aging gracefully! I hope this would be me too when I am older."
So basically, every single person should be using a retinoid (so long as your skin isn't crazy sensitive, like anyone with rosacea (opens in new tab)) if you care about boosting your skin's health. Ideally, you'd talk to your dermatologist to find the best over-the-counter or prescription formula for you, but if you're looking for a quick fix, you can try Kim Kardashian's favorite $10 anti-aging serum (opens in new tab), or the cult-favorite Roc Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Facial Filler (opens in new tab).
Of course, there's absolutely nothing wrong with wrinkles and fine lines—they're natural! Embrace them!—but if you're hoping to stave off the effects of aging for a little bit longer, try a retinol. Or, you can just defy the laws of science like this Reddit user's grandma. You know, whatever is easier.
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I’m currently working at Dotdash Meredith as the Celeb & Entertainment E-Commerce Lead contributing affiliate content for People.com and InStyle.com. I’m basically like your personal shopper, from writing about that cozy loungewear set you didn’t know you needed to keeping tabs on the best sales and deals on the internet. I’m also a pro at finding affordable dupes for celebrity looks and I love to dig into the data to strategize content opportunities.
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