Personally I wouldn’t start on a 2% retinol. Retinol is designed to be built up as different people have different tolerances to how much of it they can use. Also 2% would be for very severe skin issues and aging, I think 0.5-1% is classed as a higher strength retinol, so as a beginner I would look at less than that. Skincare is about sometimes a longer journey than a quick fix, slow and steady wins the race.
The ordinary do a 0.2% I would start with that and use just a couple of times per week only of an evening. Eventually building it up in frequency of use if your skin is okay with it. It’s a lot of trial and error to see how your skin responds, if you find you’re okay then maybe move to the 0.5%. Again when starting with the 0.5 try a couple of times per week and build up.
The hylauronic is great for the moisture and I love the ordinary one. I also love the organic rosehip from them to. I use their 1% retinol, I use only upto a few times per week as that’s enough for my skin.
Vit C serum is a fantastic product, you can use this am and then pm. It’s perfect for pigmentation as you say and also brightening the skin. You can also use on the days you use retinol they’re a power couple. Make sure you do get a spf!!! This is soooo important when using retinol and also vit.c. The vit c applied underneath the spf does amplify the sun protection. When using retinol you have to protect your skin as effectively you are removing the top layer of skin and it’s not good to leave that exposed to UV (whether sunny or not it must be applied) never apply retinol in the morning, the sun activates it and damages your skin. If you don’t want to use spf I wouldn’t use retinol. Use a spf suitable for the face so it’s not too heavy and will sit well under any make up. A google of facial spf followed by your skin type should bring up a decent selection. If you’re interested in the ordinary you could check this one out m.feelunique.com/p/The-Ordinary-Mineral-UV-Filters-SPF30-with-Antioxidants-50ml?url=The-Ordinary-Mineral-UV-Filters-SPF30-with-Antioxidants-50ml&slang=EN&gclid=CjwKCAiA1ZDiBRAXEiwAIWyNC3uzhwz3_HEGmXPG7Ix_qvfQT-lJ3B5TGuNmsre9GtnQ-xT5EwINAhoCrJIQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
If you’re planning on have the glycolic acid as a staple it’s worth noting it can decrease the effects of the vitamin c. Also if you were to use both glycolic and retinol it would be worth adding extra moisture to the skin as they can be very drying together. Vitamin E based product would be good.
A good tip I was given is spend less on a cleanser and more on your serums. My skin is the best it’s ever looked, I’ve never had really bad skin but I am pale and do have redness ( from food intolerances 🙄) and also odd spot scarring. I’ve ran out of cleanser at the moment, waiting for a deliver. I have been using one from M&S pure range for £5, so I am currently also using dove 😂 but I thoroughly cleanse all make up off and then get to work on what I apply. I’ve used very expensive cleansers and regular cleansers you can pick up in boots and I actually think so far the M&S is my favourite.
If you’re wanting a tool to invest in I can highly recommend swiss clinic dermaroller start with a 0.2mm, if you’re interested in a dermaroller it is better to invest in a good one than one from eBay/Amazon. Swiss clinic also offer advice and you can get some good deals when they have discounts.
It’s worth mentioning if you’re wanting to try the ordinary products you can email them with your skin concerns, skin type and what you want to achieve and they’ll send you the recommendations.
It’s also worth noting that it’s good to look at what food you eat and also drinking plenty of water. Dairy can inflame the skin, so if you didn’t want to cut it out you could reduce the amount you have. Also sugar is another major culprit, these are great changes that don’t cost anything and do have profound effect.
In the meantime start to feel good in your skin, know that you’re on the way to getting your skin in a condition where you love it. If you can, treat yourself to a facial ( extraction of blackheads etc. ) also have a look online Trinny Woodall has a very informative blog and YouTube for all ages and also Caroline Hirons.
Also make sure that your skincare stays within your budget so that you are able to replace when needed.
I hope this helps!!