Bioretinol – The Safe, Natural Alternative to Retinol That Can Help YOU Banish Stretch Marks! 

Our bodies are amazing. They’re capable of beautiful, radical change, and can achieve truly incredible things – the ultimate perhaps being the creation of a brand-new little body within our own. But such dazzling feats of growth can leave their mark, including the lightning-like patterns that we often call stretch marks.

Now, we here at LUMI think there’s nothing at all wrong with bodies that wear the marks of rapid change proudly on their surface – in fact, we think they’re often quite beautiful! – but it’s entirely understandable that some people may want to lessen the visual intensity of their stretch marks, or even prevent their formation at all.

That’s where our new offering, No Strezz, comes in! No Strezz is packed full of powerful bioretinol and other active ingredients that minimise the appearance of stretch marks and help skin retain and restore elasticity, so it can bounce back better from whatever life has in store!

To celebrate the launch of No Strezz, today we’ll be exploring just how bioretinol works its magic on stretch marks, and showing how its stellar performance compares to traditional retinoids (as well as highlighting why retinol alternatives need to exist in the first place!). Let’s get started!

Why Not Retinol?

With all this talk of bioretinol, you might justifiably be wondering why we need retinol alternatives in the first place. After all, aren’t retinoids one of the biggest skincare trends of the last five years? Whilst it’s true that retinol use has blown up in recent years, and vitamin A and its derivatives certainly have their uses, the side effects of retinoids are very rarely given equal attention. And, reader, they really should be, because retinol can cause a host of unwelcome complications!

You may have already heard of ‘retinol burn’, where vitamin A increases the sensitivity of skin to UV radiation, potentially leading to burning and skin damage. In fact, it’s such an issue that retinoids are forced by law to carry warnings about photodamage on their labels. But there are also many skin concerns that can be caused or worsened by retinol that are less well-known.

‘Retinoid dermatitis’, or retinoid-induced skin irritation, has been investigated by medical researchers for over twenty years, and has been found to frequently present with a variety of symptoms, including erythema (redness), scaling, burning, itching, and peeling. It’s also been shown in academic studies that the effectiveness of retinoid use tapers off over time with exposure, whilst reported side effects increase with use. All in all, then, not ideal!

The Promise of Bioretinols 

So, with so many unwelcome potential side effects to retinoid use, it’s no wonder that alternatives that are gentler on skin are being sought. That’s where bioretinols come in! Bioretinols are natural retinoid alternatives that can fulfil much of the same functions as vitamin A, whilst having excellent safety profiles and little-to-no side effects.

We’ve been using one type of bioretinol, bakuchiol, in some of our products for a while now, but No Strezz utilises an exciting new form of retinoid alternative derived from algae!

This vegan, sustainably produced active ingredient has been shown in clinical trials to possess comparable anti-aging (reduction of photoaging and hyperpigmentation signs) properties as 0.3% retinol solutions, as well as similar anti-acne properties (reducing skin imperfections and improving skin comfort) to bakuchiol!

What makes this retinoid alternative so fantastic, though, is just how gentle it is on skin. In testing, the algae-derived bioretinol was found to be non-phototoxic (not causing increased sensitivity to UV), non-irritating, non-cytotoxic (safe for cells), and non-sensitising. Compared with the many issues that retinoid users frequently report, this form of bioretinol is far, far gentler on skin. It’s No Strezz’s super-safe secret weapon!

Banish Stretch Marks and Help Skin Bounce Back With LUMI!

Once we discovered this incredible new form of bioretinol, we knew we had to make something special with it! No Strezz is the result: a restorative and preventative cream with a focus on fostering skin resilience and helping the body deal with stretch marks.

No Strezz has a super-strengthening base of shea butter and coconut oil, and builds upon it with not one brilliant natural active, but three! Accompanying the bioretinol is another algae-derived compound that has been shown to help skin rebuild, boosting elasticity and firmness, and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. Rounding out this fantastic trio is an innovative plant stem cell active full of Centella peptides; this state-of-the-art ingredient helps skin regenerate, reducing wrinkles and rough skin texture, as well as minimising the appearance of pores and blemishes!

So, whether you’re pregnant, postpartum, experiencing a growth spurt, or simply looking to tighten your skin and minimise stretch marks, No Strezz is your go-to solution for skin elasticity, improved skin texture, and reduced sagging. And here’s a final top tip – combine No Strezz with our brilliant Skin Gym series for incredible multifunctional results that need to be seen to be believed!

Ready to give your skin the boost it needs to bounce back and fight stretch marks? Simply click any of the links above to be whisked away to our detailed product pages. Looking for something else? Check out our entire range of science-backed skincare solutions right here!

References

1. Buchanan, P. J., & Gilman, R. H. (2016). Retinoids: Literature Review and Suggested Algorithm for Use Prior to Facial Resurfacing Procedures. Journal of cutaneous and aesthetic surgery, 9(3), 139–144. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.191653 

2. Kang, S., Kim, K., Jun, S. H., Lee, S., Kim, J., Shin, J. G., Kim, Y., Kim, M., Park, S. G., & Kang, N. G. (2021). Anti-Irritant Strategy against Retinol Based on the Genetic Analysis of Korean Population: A Genetically Guided Top-Down Approach. Pharmaceutics, 13(12), 2006. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13122006

3. Milosheska, D., & Roškar, R. (2022). Use of Retinoids in Topical Antiaging Treatments: A Focused Review of Clinical Evidence for Conventional and Nanoformulations. Advances in therapy, 39(12), 5351–5375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12325-022-02319-7  

4. Motamedi, M., Chehade, A., Sanghera, R., & Grewal, P. (2022). A Clinician’s Guide to Topical Retinoids. Journal of cutaneous medicine and surgery, 26(1), 71–78. https://doi.org/10.1177/12034754211035091 

5. Szymański, Ł., Skopek, R., Palusińska, M., Schenk, T., Stengel, S., Lewicki, S., Kraj, L., Kamiński, P., & Zelent, A. (2020). Retinoic Acid and Its Derivatives in Skin. Cells, 9(12), 2660. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells9122660