ggirl - that retin a cream from the dodgy site

[faustina]

WOW. and thank you! It's amazing - made a really really huge difference and I've only used it five or six times. So grateful to you!

oh dear, not suitable for breastfeeding....

may have to settle for a tarot reading

no pockmarks here but 50 next month and hardly any lines thanks to retin a

Gel 0.05% on Ebay

I ordered the one I linked to above, it arrived today and looks good, its the Tretinoin 0.05% gel one.

I paid £8.99 including delivery for a 20g tube.

Oolong, I'm excited for you! Think I might opt for the gel one too. Let us know how you get on.

It is now on my face!

Im doing it today [thurs] and then monday, thurs and monday for the first two weeks, then see how its goes before I up it to every other night?

Will post back with any further developments!

I ordered from the original link. Looks dodgy, but great service. 0.5 cream applied for the first time last night. I buffered it with moisturiser, no adverse effects this morning. I intend to take this very slowly, using every three nights to start with, and buffering for the time being.

Well I made it through the night without my face falling off.

I just put the *gel on 'neat' didnt follow up with any moisturiser, felt a bit dry/tight but nothing awful.

Ive just washed my face and moisturised with my usual [organic virgin coconut oil] and my face feel comfortable- not signs of any adverse reactions.

Probably imagining it but im sure my forehead looks smoother!

*the gel actually looks more like a cream, its creamy coloured not clear as I expected.

My skin seems smoother and softer too.

Careful though, folks. I ordered cream from ggirl's dodgy looking site (not that ggirl is the shadowy figure behind the contraband retin-A, you understand) and used it nightly for around a week with no adverse reaction.

I guess I got a bit more liberal with my 'pea-sized amount' and woke up with skin the texture of sandpaper. It gradually got redder and redder and did indeed resemble terrible sunburn.

It's taken well over a week to even start to repair.

Totally my fault and I will start using it (cautiously) again but I'm going to Crete in a few days and don't wish to anger my skin further before then!

I had just finished a course of the GA peels from the other thread so don't know if it was all too much.

Moral of the story.....pea-sized amount, sunblock and wait 30 mins after washing face.

Ouch! Yeah, I've read that it can take a few days for an adverse reaction to kick in. That's why I'm buffering it with moisturiser and taking it very slowly.

It's supposed to be a long term treatment ( life long for anti-ageing ) and your skin needs to get used to it. Very easy in the first few days to think your skin can handle it and over do it, I think.

winefairy, I think moral of the story is dont use it every night! especially after a peel.

Its hard because even last night I found that a pea sized amount didnt seem to go far? maybe im basing my pea sized amount of petit pois!

Quinn/Amber do you buffer an hour after application or immediately?

I put moisturiser on an hour before and then about half an hour afterwards. Just wanted to see how my skin reacts as I've never used it before. I'm anticipating eventually getting to the stage where I don't need to buffer. I found glycolic acid and salycilic acid quite drying, so I'm not risking it with retin a.

I waited 30 mins after washing my face, it did feel a bit tight as I usually use coconut oil when my face is still damp. I didnt actually use any on top of the gel last night as I wanted to see how it felt without, it did feel quite rigid!

I slathered loads on this morning after washing my face though, think i'll probably use some after applying the gel next time though and ive read that I should leave it an hour before doing it so i'll try that.

I know this sounds silly but im convinced my forehead looks smoother, my whole face did feel very smooth this morning when I was moisturising.

I can see why some people are tempted not to wait 3 days and to just use it nightly!

there was a v good tip about the pea sized amount thing that I read somewhere: - it tends to sink in really quickly, so dot the pea sized amount round your face, then rub it in. That way it spreads further before disappearing.

it must be a good two weeks now since I started using it. No ill effects yet, so am still doing it daily. Not going to try anything else new on my skin for a long time - I think that's sensible.

Ooh you're doing it daily? see now im getting tempted!

yes it deffo sinks in very quickly, I tried to dot it around as I read about that too, will have to try harder next time and use garden pea size not petit pois!

Woke up this morning, two nights after applying the cream with slightly flakey skin, which stings just a little bit when I put my moisturiser on. Not horribly so, but if this is what it does after one buffered application, then I am definately right to take it very sloooowly. I had been tempted to apply again tonight ( ie every other night ), but I'm definately going to wait until atleast tommorrow night, or maybe even the night after. I definately need to ease myself in gently to this stuff.

It goes to show that everyone is different! or our skin is anyway

My skin isnt showing any signs of flaking as yet, it felt drier than usual when I woke up this morning but ive just been slathering on my coconut oil.

I have a few flakey patches ,I am a bit shite at routine basically os I am too lazy to go upstairs and wash my face 30mins before I go to bed. So some nights I am missing the retin-a out.

I use clarins gentle exfoliating toner to get rid of the flakey bits ..works really well.

So are we agreed the original from the dodgy site is 0.5% ??

If so the amazon one is miles cheaper!

Nah, it's a legit product. Fully sealed. It's got what I think is Italian writing on it. I believe you can buy it over the counter there. So she's presumably doing that and selling it for a profit.

The Amazon one is a gel though, yes? I think I prefer to use a cream, not that it probably makes any difference. The dodgy site one did arrive within 2 days though, which is good.

Mine is 0.05% and only £8.99!

italian ? I assumed spanish