From skincare to body care, vitamin A is entering increasingly targeted formulations. But what do we really know about retinol’s efficacy, and what belongs to the language of cosmetic claims? From retinol to bakuchiol, the guide to the active ingredients changing body care.
Summer ends, skin remains. And after weeks of sun, heat, exposure, and habits different from usual, September can be a good time to look at body care with fresh eyes.
This doesn’t mean chasing the latest “miracle” product or trying to erase in a few weeks what the season has left on the skin. Rather, it means returning to regularity and, when needed, choosing formulations built around active ingredients with interesting scientific literature.
Among these, retinol is one of the ingredients that in recent years has earned an increasingly important place in cosmetics. Originally a protagonist of facial skincare, today it also appears in formulations dedicated to the body.
Retinol is not only an anti-aging ingredient
Retinol is a form of vitamin A belonging to the retinoid family. Unlike tretinoin, which is retinoic acid and is used in dermatology as a drug, cosmetic retinol must be converted by the skin into biologically active forms.
Research on retinoids is particularly substantial when discussing photoaging. Studies show effects on skin remodeling and synthesis of extracellular matrix components, including collagen; clinical studies have also observed improvements in wrinkles, elasticity, and pigmentation with continued use of retinol-based formulations.
The distinction is important: it does not mean that any cosmetic containing retinol produces the same results. Concentration, formula stability, vehicle, application frequency, and treatment duration affect efficacy and tolerability. A literature review on vitamin A cosmetics has in fact highlighted that the quality of evidence is not uniform across different products and studies.
Why bring it into body care as well?
Body skin is not simply a larger version of facial skin. Thickness, quantity of sebaceous glands, and sensitivity vary by area; for this reason, formulations and active ingredient concentrations can also differ.
Arms, décolleté, legs, and other exposed areas can, however, be affected over time by the same phenomena related to skin aging and ultraviolet radiation. Research on retinoids has documented their ability to intervene in processes associated with photoaging, although most available cosmetic studies still concern the face.
This is precisely where body care is changing: no longer just hydration, fragrance, and a feeling of softness, but formulations that seek to work on the overall quality of the skin.
After summer, the keyword is consistency
The temptation, upon returning from vacation, is often to seek an intensive treatment capable of producing immediate results. Skin biology suggests instead a less spectacular and more realistic approach: cosmetic actives need continuity.
In the case of retinol, clinical studies show results associated with weeks or months of use, not occasional application. In a controlled study on 0.1% stabilized retinol, improvements in photoaging signs increased over the 52 weeks of treatment.
A more recent integrated analysis of six controlled studies observed improvements in various photoaging parameters as early as the first 4-12 weeks with a specific 0.1% formulation, also highlighting the possibility of erythema and desquamation, albeit infrequent and generally transient in the studied sample.
The keyword, therefore, is not “immediate effect.” It is routine.
Retinol yes, but with judgment
Retinol is not an ingredient to treat like ordinary body lotion. Tolerability is one of the central aspects of its practical efficacy: irritation, dryness, redness, and desquamation are among the effects that can appear with topical retinoids, especially depending on concentration and individual sensitivity.
And there is an important detail for those purchasing cosmetics in Europe. From November 1, 2025, cosmetic products containing retinol, retinyl acetate, or retinyl palmitate that do not comply with the new conditions cannot be placed on the Union market; the regulation establishes, among other things, a limit of 0.05% retinol equivalent for body lotions and 0.3% for other categories of leave-on and rinse-off products. A warning regarding overall vitamin A intake is also required.
One more reason not to evaluate a product solely by the presence of the word “retinol” on the packaging.
And bakuchiol?
In the new body care, bakuchiol also appears, a plant-derived ingredient often presented as an alternative to retinol.
The definition must, however, be used with precision: bakuchiol and retinol are not the same substance. Interesting data exist on their cosmetic behavior, and a randomized, double-blind study on 44 people compared a 0.5% bakuchiol cream with a 0.5% retinol cream for 12 weeks, observing improvements in wrinkles and hyperpigmentation with both; in the small study, retinol more frequently caused desquamation and burning.
It is therefore more correct to speak of an alternative ingredient with promising evidence, rather than a perfect equivalent.
Niacinamide and Centella: the “quiet” part of the formula
When discussing advanced body treatments, attention tends to focus on the star active ingredient. But a good formula is also a matter of balance.
Niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, is studied for its role in supporting the skin barrier and for various cosmetic effects, including improvement in skin tone evenness. Specific studies on body products containing niacinamide and glycerin have shown improvements in hydration and stratum corneum barrier integrity.
Centella Asiatica, on the other hand, is an ingredient traditionally used in cosmetic formulations for its soothing and moisturizing properties. In the case of E’lifexir Anti-Flacidez Retinol, it is combined with niacinamide within the formula.
A concrete example: E’lifexir Anti-Flacidez
It is in this landscape that E’lifexir Anti-Flacidez Retinol fits, an evening-use body cream-gel presented by E’lifexir as an intensive treatment. The formula uses what the brand defines as RetinDual System, based on a dual retinol, together with Phytosonic, Centella Asiatica, and niacinamide.
Phergal Laboratorios attributes to Phytosonic an “aspirating” effect and describes it as a system that mimics ultrasound technology, claiming it can enhance the results of professional treatments. This must, however, be considered a manufacturer’s claim, not an independent demonstration of the efficacy of ultrasound technology applied to the product.
The same caution applies to the numerical results reported by the company. E’lifexir cites, among others, a self-assessment conducted on 20 volunteers for 45 days and percentages relating to the perception of firmness, volume, and skin appearance. These are data describing the responses of the studied sample and do not equate to independent clinical proof of the product’s efficacy.
It is precisely this distinction that allows cosmetics to be read with greater awareness: separating what we know about the ingredient from what a company claims about its own formulation.
This does not diminish interest in the formulation of E’lifexir Anti-Flacidez Retinol, which presents a set of active ingredients consistent with the goal of improving skin appearance and quality. Tests conducted by the company have also shown encouraging results: in the self-assessment reported by the brand, 95% of participants stated they perceived firmer and smoother skin, while 90% reported an improvement in volume and contour definition.
These are data to be read in their proper context, but they nonetheless indicate a positive response from the sample and make the product an interesting example of how cosmetic research is evolving in the body care field as well.
The new body routine, after summer
A sensible body routine does not need ten products. It needs consistency, coherent formulations, and realistic expectations.
Non-aggressive cleansing, daily hydration, and sun protection of exposed areas remain the foundation. Active ingredients such as retinoids and niacinamide can be introduced at a later stage, choosing products specifically formulated for the body and introducing them gradually when necessary.
Retinol, above all, does not erase what summer has left on the skin. It can, however, fit into a broader cosmetic strategy oriented over time toward texture, elasticity, evenness, and skin quality. The most solid evidence concerns photoaging and certain specific formulations; automatically extending those results to every cosmetic or every body area would be scientifically incorrect.
RETINOL: 4 THINGS TO KNOW
01 — It is not the same as tretinoin
Retinol is a cosmetic retinoid, while tretinoin is retinoic acid and has a different dermatological use.
02 — It does not work overnight
Available evidence shows that results require consistency and variable treatment times.
03 — Tolerability matters
Dryness, redness, and desquamation can occur: formulation and frequency of use are important.
04 — The body also needs sun protection
Retinol does not replace photoprotection: preventing UV exposure remains one of the cornerstones of photoaging management.
