. What is retinol? I first discovered the word when flipping through Jean Godfrey June's memoir, . The author (and fellow beauty editor) touted retinol as the ultimate antiaging miracle worker.
Slather it on at night and emerge with , smoother skin in the morning thanks to its magical ability to prevent dullness, promote plump, firm skin, and minimize lines.I glossed over this section rather quickly, thinking I would cross the retinol bridge sometime in my mid- to late-30s, when wrinkles would begin to emerge.
Cue my 26th birthday several months later, when I noticed a few fine lines around my eye area. Not full-on crow's-feet so much as the suggestion of them—creases that became even more prominent when I smiled.