Applying serums or creams with retinol—a vitamin A-derivative known for its anti-aging and acne-fighting properties—may be a mainstay in your skin-care routine.
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Applying → apply → routine
Some social-media influencers claim you can benefit by “eating your retinol” in the form of carrot-dense salads.
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you → claim → salads
“The answer is yes and no,” says Dr. Lawrence Green, a clinical professor of dermatology at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and vice president of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Green → say → Dermatology
The “eating your retinol” trend centers on the “retinol salad,” which typically includes ribboned carrots, garlic, vinegar, peppers, sesame oil, and lime juice, though recipes vary.
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recipes → eat → carrots
The idea is that carrots are packed with beta-carotene (a precursor to vitamin A), which some influencers claim your body converts to retinol, similar to what’s found in skin-care products.
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what → pack → products
“This is a great skin-saving salad, but I think the name is misleading,” says Dr. Rajani Katta, a dermatologist and author of Glow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods, Younger Skin Diet.
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Katta → save → Diet
The retinol salad provides vitamin A, which is good for the skin, but it’s not the same as applying an over-the-counter retinol or prescription retinoid topically, she explains.
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she → provide → retinol
Here’s what to know about the role of vitamin A and skin health, and whether the “retinol salad” offers any skin benefits.
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salad → ’ → benefits
Vitamin A helps maintain the health of several vital organs, including the heart, reproductive system, eyes, and skin, says Amy Bragagnini, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
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Bragagnini → help → Nutrition
Beta-carotene, a natural pigment that gives red and orange fruits and vegetables their color, is a precursor to vitamin A, meaning your body needs to convert it to the vitamin, Bragagnini says.
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Bragagnini → give → vitamin
It’s true that the body converts beta-carotene into retinol (which is preformed vitamin A, or its active form).
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which → ’ → retinol
But it’s “not an efficient conversion,” Green says.
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Green → ’ → ?
“It happens, but it takes a lot of beta-carotene to get a lesser amount of retinol.
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it → happen → retinol
You can actually get retinol directly from foods, including eggs, milk, and beef liver, Katta adds.
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Katta → get → eggs
A 2025 systematic review found that topical and dietary carotenoids (a group of plant compounds that include beta-carotene) offer anti-aging skin benefits, including lowered inflammation and improved hydration and elasticity.
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that → find → inflammation
However, eating a retinol salad or other forms of beta-carotene “nowhere compares to putting retinol directly on your skin as a cream,” Green says.
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Green → eat → cream
When applied topically, retinol penetrates your skin, where it can speed up cell turnover and boost collagen production, Katta says.
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Katta → apply → production
Research shows that topical retinol can improve fine lines, hyperpigmentation, roughness, and signs of sun damage.
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retinol → show → damage
Retinol can also exfoliate and plump the skin and help treat and manage acne.
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Retinol → exfoliate → acne
Consuming carrots or other foods rich in beta-carotene is an inefficient way to get these benefits, since your body has to go through the process to convert it into vitamin A, Katta explains.
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Katta → consume → A
But its benefits mainly come from the antioxidants in the ingredients, rather than the potential to add retinol to your diet, Green says.
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Green → come → diet
Antioxidants help maintain skin health by reducing the effects of oxidative stress from the environment, such as ultraviolet light radiation and pollution, research shows.
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research → help → radiation
Antioxidants also protect against free radicals, or unstable molecules that lead to premature aging and collagen breakdown, Katta says.
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Katta → protect → aging
Beta-carotene from dietary sources is typically safe for most people, even in high levels, according to the Harvard School of Public Health.
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carotene → accord → Health
However, too much preformed vitamin A, which you could get from overusing vitamin A supplements—or, less commonly, by eating too many vitamin A-rich foods—could be toxic, potentially causing blurry vision, dry skin, nausea, or vomiting.
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you → preform → vision
One potential downside to the salad, Bragagnini says, is that eating too many carrots could cause beta-carotene to build up in your blood and possibly turn your skin a “yellow-orange color.”
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carotene → say → skin
If you don’t normally consume vegetables, which are fiber-rich, eating too many at once could upset your digestive system, she says.
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she → consume → system
“I encourage my patients to make sure they are eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables,” at least five servings a day, Bragagnini says.
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Bragagnini → encourage → fruits
Fruits and vegetables contain different antioxidants that protect your skin from damage from UV rays and pollution, she says.
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she → contain → rays
Omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds, reduce inflammation in the body, which may guard against skin conditions.
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which → find → conditions
Also, limit sugar, alcohol, and ultra-processed foods, like cookies, bacon, and sugar-sweetened beverages, Bragagnini adds.
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Bragagnini → limit → cookies
These foods may increase oil production in the skin and affect collagen production.
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foods → increase → production
Overall, Green recommends the Mediterranean diet, which incorporates many of these principles and has been shown to benefit overall health.
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which → recommend → health
Research shows that the diet can also help manage inflammatory skin conditions, like acne or psoriasis.
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diet → show → acne
Yet diet alone is “not going to necessarily change your skin in a month,” Katta says.
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Katta → go → month
It’s a long-term approach.
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It → ’ → ?
When to see a dermatologist about your skin
If you’re struggling with acne or are bothered by age-related changes like wrinkles, sagginess, or sun spots, see a dermatologist.
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you → see → dermatologist
For acne, doctors can prescribe topical retinoids like tazarotene or tretinoin, oral retinoids such as isotretinoin, or other types of medications, Green says.
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Green → prescribe → medications
The goal is to clear breakouts, prevent new ones, and minimize scarring, Katta adds.
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Katta → clear → scarring
Dermatologists may also recommend dietary or other lifestyle changes.
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Dermatologists → recommend → changes
…and 7 more, not listed.
