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[bigbuttons]

sorry for rubbish title, it's been a very long day!

Do I need a night cream other than Retin-A?

I find I do need a moisturiser after Retin-A, one of the reasons I live Cerave so much is that the ceramides and niacinamide in it are really healing and seem to stop my peeling and redness in it's tracks. I also tend to oily skin but when I'm in full on retin-A mode (0.5% every night) my skin gets much drier and likes the moisture.

I'm interpreting the Bouncy Sleep Mask as something like a hydrating serum - so great instant results, no lasting changes to your skin. If you are Retin-Aing presumably you might not see the same benefits from the mask as someone who isn't?

kundry, which cerave do you use? Is it the one in a pot with purple label?

Tonight I cleansed with a flannel instead of a muslin, first with Eve lom and then superfacialist rose cream, but I'm obviously not doing it right as there was make up all over my towel. How can I get the first step wrong?! Can someone please talk me through proper cleansing?!!

Then I skipped my acid and used my old REN rose oil followed by REN night cream to help those sore spots improve.

Also (spurred in by having a sore face and craving wet cool moisture) I am thinking about the spritz after the toner bit. I am tempted by the body shop vit c spritz which has glycerin too, although I know the vit c will be pretty meaningless. Anyone tried this? I love the wet sound of the moisture surge spray but think I need budget options after last weeks splurge...

I used the body shop Vit E spray. It is one of the very few buys I have thrown away. It burnt my skin to buggery. Not actual red burns but it really irritated and stung my skin in a way that my own ( strong) home made serum doesn't. It just didn't feel right.

Thanks kundry. I might go for the cerave then. Which one would you recommend for post retin dryness and redness. Ta x

I think all the products are pretty similar. I've only used the pm moisturising lotion but that's mainly because I won't use tubs and like tubes or pump bottles. And the website suggested it for oily skin as it's oil free (but so is the tub of cream). The ceramides and niacinamide are in all of them.

Posted on the other thread and when I started, my simple routine was an Aldi cleanser, Rosehip oil and Olay total effects 2 in 1 serum with a little moisturiser as and when needed. Now, it's -

AM

Cetaphil cleanser
Nip and Fab wipes - Glycolic
Olay Regenerist serum
Anthelios

PM

Double cleanse with Cetaphil
Clearasil pads - Salicylic
SR Skincare Vit C serum
Blue Orchid Oil

Treatments - SR mandelic 15% peel once per week - I've started at 2 mins and building up 1 minute per week. Retin A 0.025% once per week.

I've been doing this for nearly 2 weeks now. I've probably jumped in rather than taking the softly softly approach but I'm sure my frown lines seem less noticeable. My only concern is I'm experiencing breakouts along the jawline and on my cheeks and they are a little itchy. Is this normal or a rash? It seems more like acne.

I have oily skin so don't feel I need moisturer but after the peel and the Retin A (done on different days) I do use a little Cerave lotion, it's the body lotion but fab for face too. My skin is also dehydrated which is why I have the Blue Orchid oil. It smells gorgeous but I probably won't buy again. Hmm, no I probably will, its my only treat!

I do need a hydrating serum but when would I add this? After the Regenerist or Vit C serum? Any good, cheap products? Beautypedia doesn't seem to rate the Indeed Labs hydralauron , it's a bit pricey for me but I do need something hydrating. How about a hydrating toner?

I've ordered the Body Shop Camomile cleanser to remove makeup, 40% off so very happy. I will use alongside the Cetaphil to double cleanse. I'm about to order Paula's Choice 2% BHA as I think the Clearasil pads may be irritating my skin - maybe the alcohol? I do like the Nip & Fab but for my skin I think salicylic acid is better. CH has just reviewed the 2% Pore Refining Treatment which includes hyaluronic acid so maybe this a good idea? Anyone used this?

Hi Baalamores I found that when I started acid toning I did get some spots come out, including in weird places I never get spots (WTF are eyebrow zits?) so this might be happening to you too.

I've just bought the SR Salicylic/Mandelic peel so v excited about that - already use the Salicylic but hoping I'm might get some results on pigmentation from the Mandelic.

I know what you mean about the Blue Orchid Oil - smells lovely, feels lovely but fragrance means nothing to your skin and blue orchids is the same rubbish as edelweiss stem cells. But it's so lovely even if it is really not doing much

Anyway CH is coming to the rescue as apparently she's focusing on serums for May - Yippee!!! Apparently she has 60 in her bathroom

On the hydration front I found the Paula's Choice 2% BHA hydrating in itself as it has hyaluronic in it - the 2% Pore Refining Treatment sounds like a step up, you wouldn't need both.

Fraid I agree with Beautypedia about Hydraluron - I am finishing the tube but it's done nothing for me and I don't like the tacky feel. Final nail in the coffin for me was that it only contains hyaluronic and no other beneficial ingredients (no doubt what Beautypedia doesn't like) but costs £24.99 - a poster on the other thread pointed out Aldi Lacura Aqua Serum is essentially the same and cost £3.49

Am looking for a serum with more than just hyaluronic in it now thanks!

I'm looking for a hydrating toner in M&S as I have vouchers and a £5 coupon. Had a look at the REN range yesterday but got confused.
I'm 43 and have 'normal to dry skin

Any recommendations? (REN or other m&s brands)

I bought three tubes of the Indeed Hydraluron when it was on 2 for 3 a few months ago, and I will finish them, but I can't be sure they're doing much. I know they're not harmful and I believe that HA is good for skin, but I'm not buying it again,

HA gel can be made at home (buy the powder, mix with distilled water, and refrigerate) so if you want, you can make it very cheaply. I'm just not convinced it's worth the bother.

I'm secretly not convinced of the concept of dehydrated skin - there, I said it

There is dry, oily and normal and there is not exfoliated. The top layers of your skin are dead, your body isn't supposed to put water in them as it's a waste of it's time, it's just waiting for them to flake off. How come we ALL have dehydrated skin? - it doesn't make sense to me. Would love to be proved wrong by someone who isn't a beauty journalist or flogging product.

Am deeply deeply suspicious that 'dehydrated' is just a way to make me buy more product - and yes, I am bitter that I spent £24.99 on Hydraluron

Kundry I know what you mean. Now, if I'm hung over or have been on a long hill walk then my skin is temporarily dehydrated. But I think that it's an exfoliation thing.

So, beautypaedia suggests that a physical sunblock could be better for the eye area as a chemical one could cause irritation which could lead to darker circles!
I have no idea what the best physical blocks are. I don't need a big bottle as it would only be for the eyes. I have heliocare and biore for the rest of my face. The biore is fab. I find the heliocare greasy and it makes my face shiny.

Does anyone have any recommendations for good physical blocks?
Ta.
Oh after three continuous days of almost Unbuffered retin I am peeling again like a Good 'un.
I don't know whether to persist and get past this stage or go back to every other day?.....

Kundry, my first week of acid toning made me look like a 14 yr old with hormonal spot issues.

Yesterday (2 weeks in) I sat doing a lesson opposite a mirror, and kept getting distracted with how glowy and nice my skin looked

The acid tone is the only thing I've added so far, apart from being more strict about always doing the double cleanse.

Re: flannels/muslins. I can't use a flannel on my face, far too scratchy. I always use a muslin, but just hold it on and wipe very very gently. If I don't my whole face drops off.

Oh, and on Friday I spent the day at the outlaws (public holiday here) and was raving to my SILs (both Italian and more or less my age) about double cleansing, and oils and acid toners and why one of them mustn't use wipes to take her makeup off and why the other one didn't need to spend £60 on a Guinot moisturiser. (this was in answer to why I was wearing spf 50 on my face when it's only May)

As if they didn't before, they now think I am officially nuts.

Drank sangria ... I agree the acid tone is the biggest wow factor :) after a week my skin looks fabulous ! Even my Partner and mother have commented !

- my DH thinks I'm crazy too! This all kicked off when I had spots and a wrinkle (how rude) and he said 'which wrinkle' I'd only found one!

He now denies having said anything of the sort and is mystified why I'm bothered at all, being the sort of woman who dries her hair in the car and didn't wash her face for 20 years. I don't care as the wrinkle has gone

bigbuttons personally I would drop down the retin a to alt days or less. I'm going a bit quicker this time but last time round I think I used half the tube on alt days before going everyday and then there was no peeling at all.

I'm lucky enough not to have probs with chemical sunblock but I think Clinique Cityblock is a mineral sunblock and everyone raves about it.

Totally agree about acid tone - I don't double cleanse and I already moaned that hydrating made zilch difference. And I only moisturise when Retin-A-ing. And I've not really explored serums at all yet. So none of those steps are really the most important to me.

But my first bottle of Paula's Choice BHA was lifechanging - I had no idea that any beauty product would really really work. Not only did the spots go (for the first time in 25 years) but my face just looked better. The sebaceous filaments on my nose that I'd been resigned to looking blackheady for the rest of my life also faded away. It was amazing!

A few spots would come back and then I did the Retin-A - no more spots and this was when I really got that 'glow' on. And my pigmentation from sun damage - helpfully in a straight line highlighting the fecking wrinkle - really faded too. Wonderful.

Every evening when I start my "routine" I casually say, "Just off to wash my face". I am sure dp imagines me with the Imperial Leather and a sponge.

I am the woman who doesn't even have a hairdryer! And weasr Asda jeans (they're excellent btw! And for £8 what's not to like, the stretch really holds!) I've never been particularly interested in clothes, (and own one pair of winter shoes and 2 pairs of white superga for summer) But I will never add up how much I spend on my face or on perfume because I would be repulsed at myself.

Morning Glowing people! Well Vit e spray serum - I like, very cooling, have used three times so a really in depth review.!

This morning, single cleansed (cetaphil) Malin&Goetz pds to acid tone, leave on for 20 mins then Vit e toner, Clinique dark spot serum, and super drug revitalising moisturiser with SPF 15, just been told I look "fresh" would have good if I'd been out till 3am and was hungover. But since I started this 3 weeks ago have been trying to sleep more, so have been in bed at 10 each night and drinking 2l water a day, no idea which step is more effective! Best I keep with all of it

I got a little carried away with the glycolic acid. I didn't mess with the stuff when I started Retin A but this week thought I'd add it back in. I was fine with the Olay Regenerist Night Serum (which is 8-10%) but then I tried the Nip and Fab pads and maybe overdid those a bit. Oops. So, I ended up with some red ouchy bits and a bit of flaking. I thought of not putting anything "exciting" on my face for a couple of days but went ahead and did the Retin A at night as normal. I'm just going to lay off the GA for a while. I want to get totally used to the Vitamin C serum for a week or so and then I will re-introduce the GA.

I think I will use the Nip and Fab pads the same way some others use Liquid Gold - that is, three days a week or so.

Also Kundry re dehydrated skin, totally agree with you, would have always said that's what I have, coz when I push my finger up my cheek diagonally from base of nose to outer corner of eye, there was creping!! Now three weeks later with water, sleep, and a decent skin care regime, I do not have this. However like the OP said I have had a few spots where they have never been before. Used to get a period spot, large, angry red, mind of its own on chin every month. This month nothing, but the odd what I would call traditional proper spot, on cheek, and temple (weird) but they have gone within a few days - hoping this is all the rubbish coming out!!

I've been using the Superdrug Vit E toning mist as a hydrating toner after my acid tone (either N+F glycolic pads or a 2% lactic acid toner wotsit), it contains glycerine & seems to be ok. I spray it on after acid toning & then go straight away to serum and day cream (day) or night cream (night)
Does that sound right?
It's very refreshing & cheap! I'd recommend it highly.

Update.

Been using the Retin A for 5 days in a row now I think. No side effects. However, I have two black heads which I never get but no red angry cystic spots! I am still using acid in the mornings but just the retin at night.

My skin looks cleaner and more supple and healthy for sure. I hope the scars will start to fade soon because every bloody spot leaves scars.

I am still expecting to wake up with my acne much worse while I go through the purge, but so far all I have seen is a dramatic reduction in new spots. I think I have one tiny red spot at the moment with the two blackheads which is a miracle.

So thank you for all the advice here. I haven't felt this good about my skin for years and I know when the retin A kicks in it will only get better.

Ha I spoke too soon!

Just put on my sun screen and my cheeks stung and I still feel a bit stingy. Not sure if it is from the Retin or the acid as I just used acid before the SPF.

Maybe I need to give the retin and acid a break for the next day or two or carry on through it?