Let's start with the basics. How does Vitamin A work when applied to the skin? Vitamin A (retinoids) work by increasing our natural cell turnover rate. What does that mean? Our skin naturally sheds, and the rate depends on our age and the products we use. When we are younger, this process can happen as quickly as every 14 days, but as we age, that process can slow dramatically, taking as long as 60 days. Slower skin turnover means more time with dull, pigmented, and aged skin and less time with luminous, healthy, glowing skin.