Skin help! Retinoids

[Jiggy16]

Just looking advice on how to use this product? Got it from Spain after I ran out of differin gel (the results were under whelming with it) and I'd head about this product but now I haven't a clue how to use it? Can anyone help? I would be very grateful for any tips.

Just for context, I'm 35 with 2 v young kids, stressed out and not looking after myself great due to pnd, so I know that will be making my skin worse but I feel I'm stuck in a bit of a vicious cycle. I'm prone to spots, blackheads, comedones and wrinkles seem to be forming at an alarming rate, the line between my nose and outer corners of my lips are especially bad. I just look saggy and dull. I'm trying to get in top of it but also pick my skin when I'm stressed. Been using aha/bhas for quite a while with no real effects either.

Sorry for the long post!

Which strength have you got? 0.025%, 0.05% or 0.1%? Have you ever used any kind of retinol/retin-A before?

I use 0.025% and I have built up to using it every other night. I started with twice per week for a few weeks, and then three times per week, and finally every other day.

In the evening I wash my face and then apply a very thin layer of moisturiser. When that has completely dried, I apply a pea sized amount of retin-A to my face, another pea to my neck and a smidge of the back of both hands.

Then I leave it for two hours and then apply my facial oil, eye cream and moisturiser, and finally a later of Vaseline just before bed.

There are lots of different ways of using it, but was recommended by my dermatologist and has worked for me with none of the peeling or dinosaur's butt skin side effects which retin-A is famed for

Thanks for your post that's really helpful! Sorry I forgot to attach a photo. I've used differin, one of the ordinary retinoids, and a few other ones from boots, but nothing of this strength before.

You're very welcome . OK that looks like the perfect one, some people use stronger ones, or work up to them, but if you're using it for anti-ageing and general good skin as opposed to acne there isn't any need to ever go stronger.

All the studies have shown that the 0.25% has identical results (for anti-ageing) over time as the stronger versions, but with the stronger versions you just get to the perfect skin a bit more quickly, but with a lot more of the lizard skin and peeling side effects. For me it took four months, I had the purging, then looked a bit knackered (grrrr) but followed all the advice to stick with it and I'm so glad I did. I always had crap skin and looked exhausted and grey all the time, but now I glow and my skin is always perfect, 24/7, 365. Its still a shock when I pass a mirror.

So if I were you I'd start with the routine I suggested, its gentle but still very effective. If you start getting peeling around your nostrils, immediately after applying the retin-A rub some lip balm over the area and that should solve it. Build up your usage slowly, if you start getting peeling, lay off it for a few days, use rich moisturiser and then start again. If your akin won't tolerate every other day, scale back to three days a week. Skin takes time to get used to it

Also, after applying it, when you're waiting the 2hrs before moisturising, if your skin starts feeling tight, apply your moisturiser then, and work up I two hours before moisturiser.

Do make sure you're using a good spf50 suncream religiously every morning too, Canmake Mermaid Gel and Biore Watery Essence are both brilliant, work excellently under makeup, are non greasy and are fairly cheap on Amazon.

Lastly, do give the Vaseline over the face before bed a go, at least on retin-A nights, it locks in your moisturiser and makes it more effective, and it will not give you spots, but it will help keep your skin hydrated. There was a thread recently where lots of posters tried it with enormous success. I don't work for Vaseline, just amazed at what a difference it makes

Thank you so much for your advice, I really appreciate it! I was worried as that retinol says 0,25 when I had read about 0.025 so tho it was far too strong. Am excited/nervous to start it! Do you use any acids in your skin care when your using retinol?