I’ve used one bottle of Olay Retinol body wash. I also use less than a pea-sized amount of Differin gel on my chin and forehead. I just received lab work showing increased vitamin A serum levels (74.8, high normal 62). I follow a mostly plant-based diet. I eat about 2 eggs/week and have a serving of Greek yogurt most days. My liver values are normal, my multivitamin does NOT contain vitamin A and the Omega3 in it comes from micro-algae. My dermatologist ordered the vitamin A testing as my nails have been lifting for 4 years. I feel like the chances of the body wash/Differin gel being the culprit are slim, but why else would I have elevated serum levels?
Retinol body products usually use such a low concentration that they aren’t even required to put it on the label so you are probably right about the chances of it being that slim.
Any chance your plant-based diet contains a lot of orange vegetables (carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, pumpkin, butternut squash) and/or leafy greens (like kale, collards, spinach, etc)? It’s really easy to eat an abundance of vitamin A with even moderate portions of these things - if you are even eating just 2 or 3 servings of them a day you can be getting several hundred mcgs over the recommended amount. I eat vegetarian meals for 80% of my diet track my nutrition and frequently go way over my needs for vitamin A. (A cup of sweet potato is 213% of your needs for the day, a cup of spinach is 105%, etc.)
Are any supplements other than your vitamin? (Also does your vitamin say beta carotene? That is a precursor for vitamin A) Are any plant-based protein powders, smoothies, or green drinks/powders?
No supplements other than an occasional B12. No beta carotene or vit A in my MVI (Ritual). No shakes/smoothies. I do kale salads with roasted veggies, but takes about 4-5 days to consume a normal grocery-sized bunch of kale, single sweet potato, eggplant, butternut squash, etc.