Retinol, what am I doing wrong?

[egginabap]

My skin is AWFUL. I'm 37, pitted acne scars on cheeks, massive pores everywhere, red marks from spots of years ago that have never faded. Wrinkles multiplying by the day it seems. Lots of blackheads and occasional breakouts.

So I decided 8 weeks ago to start retinol, I ordered from Facetheory the Regenacalm Serum Pro 3% and the Regina-C moisturiser. I've been using both of these daily for 8 weeks and I look WORSE. I knew at first I might break out a bit more and akin would be a bit red. The redness has subsided but the spots are really bad and they keep coming. So I now have even more red marks, and pores/wrinkles are as bad as ever.

So if you are an expert in this area please share with me where I'm going wrong. Have I bought the wrong products? Am I using them too little/too much? How long is it meant to be before I see results? It's actually lucky we are in lockdown as I've never looked worse 😞

It sounds like your skin is purging, stick with it!

If you are prone to acne or spots, then maybe this stage is worse and takes a little longer possibly?

I use retin A but never really suffered with spots but if I use too much, I get very flaky. I'm sure once your skin has purged, it will improve drastically - certainly from before/after pics of other users I've seen.

Good luck and it's the best time to be going through this phase, during lockdown. Wear no makeup to give your skin the best chance of healing quickly.

You might need to step down a bit and use a product with a lower concentration of retinol. In addition, most serums are to be used every two to three days, not daily so double check the instructions.

You might be reacting to another ingredient or preservative. For example, mixing retinol with hyalauronic acid or vitamin C can cause skin irritation from too many anti-aging things being applied at once if you have sensitive skin.

What about the rest of your routine? If you are using retinol, you don’t really need any face scrubs because both products are designed to replenish skin cells. Scrubs by removing old ones physically, retinol by having the cells replenish from inside more quickly. So look at your entire routine, you may be irritating your skin by having two products doing the same thing.

I can’t advise about retinol but for your pores and acne scars I really recommend the glycolic acid range by Nip+Fab. The pads and the scrub are good, my forehead was covered in old acne scars and bumps and now my skin is smooth and fine lines look loads better too!

Probably still purging op, it's depressing though isn't it. Like you say though, it's a good time to be going through this stage.

I signed up to Dermatica as recommended on MN. For £22 a month, they send you the products they recommend from photos you upload of yourself. You answer some questions too and once signed up you can change how often you want the item sent, so I've changed mine to every 7 weeks as that's how long the product lasts for for me.

It may be you're using the wrong products. Dermatica have prescription strength products without needing a prescription.

Have a look on their website OP and check out others recommendations on here. I'd personally rather use products that have good reviews from people with similar skin.

@wickedfairy
I too have dry skin and when I use retinol it goes flaky. Do you continue using it or stop ?

I have quite sensitive skin, so I have taken it quite slowly with retinol. You should build up from a lower concentration (3% is pretty high). I use Beauty Pie’s super retinol serum which is really gentle but a few weeks after starting to use it (I use it every night), I could see real improvement - less tired, brighter skin and some fading of pigmentation / lines. I’d recommend it as a newbie to retinol. In time, I might slowly progress to stronger concentrations but I’m very happy for now. Also, don’t forget to wear sunscreen every day - retinol makes your skin super sensitive to the sun / sun damage!

I should mention it did give me some mild “purging” for the first couple of weeks (a few tiny whiteheads and some small patches of dryness) but these went quite quickly (I did give myself the odd evening off from using the serum during this time, though)

You must use a good facial sunscreen with high SPF as well.

Have a look at Sam Bunting's website and YouTube, she seems to specialise in helping acne prone skin and clearing blemishes, doesn't just promote her own products. She has a nightly serum which might be a good place to start for you, not as strong as what you are using.

Check your diet and cut down the usage and build it up slowly but sometimes nothing ever works it's pants! Good luck x

Your skin just might not like retinol. I can’t use retin a even on the lowest diet I break out.

What has your gp tried so far?.

@LadyEloise

I don’t use it every night, just a couple of times a week. So when I go flaky, I just take a break. I also use it much less when it’s sunny, even though I never really go in the sun anyway. I use spf 50 everyday, regardless of the weather.

I also use AHA and BHA acid toners, but not on the same days as the retin A.

The retinol is too high a percentage of retinol to start on. Put a squirt on your hand and a squirt with a regular face serum and mix the two. That will dilute it to 1.5%. Apply every second night. After a week apply nightly. Then decrease the amount of other serum until it’s just the retinol.

You use it at night because your face doesn’t see the daylight. During the day you must wear sunscreen even if it’s not sunny. Otherwise you will damage your skin as retinol and daylight don’t mix.

Hiya - I had really bad skin, and I started using PH formula - I noticed a difference over night. It is the best thing I have EVER used.
Perhaps you could find someone in your area to try this out?

Thank you wickedfairy