Confused as to what beauty products to use when

[Hemlock2013]

Hi,

Hopefully someone here can help. I’ve read loads on retinol and ahas etc on here but I’m still struggling to put it all together.

I’ve recently purchased some retinol from the ordinary. I’ve also got an m&s gift card and in my basket is ren lactic acid peel, liquid gold and Neal’s yard frankincense intense creme.

I have already the ordinary squalene cleanser and some Superdrug glycolic hot cloth cleanser and I have hydraulic acid serum stuff which I use with a micro needle a couple of times a month. Also the body shop sleeping mask.

I also have purchased some kind of micro current led device.

I’m feeling a bit desperate about the arrival of smokers lines when I’m still in my 30s hence panic buying this lot over the last 6 months. Can anyone help me put this all together??

Tia

You’ve given up smoking though?.

Ok, so I do this;

Am, foaming cleanse, glycolic tone, sunblock. I don’t use moisturiser but if you need to add it after glycolic tone.

Pm, oil cleanse, foaming cleanse, retinol.

You’ve got a lot of acid products there considering you’ve got retinol now too.

If you’ve got lines wouldn’t it be better in the long term to have a proper cosmetic peel?.

Well I haven’t smoked for 8 years but about 4 years ago got into electronic cigs so my face was still making the smoker face. Although I’m so aware of it, I now don’t pull the lips in when puffing if that makes sense.

Is it a case of retinol or acids then? I think this is where I’m confused, do I need both?

Thanks for coming back on this. I clearly need help.

For reference also, lines aren’t that bad, as in I only have very faintly on a bad day... but they are coming 😟

It can be a lot for the skin to take in one go because you can really strip it and then you’ll break out.

You can use both but tread lightly. When I started retinol I used it twice a week and built up. I only use one drop of retinol for my face, one for neck and chest.

Try a bland, normal cleanse, acid tone AM, then a proper sunblock (Superdrug solstice spf 30 or 50) then retinol in the evening but no acids.

You want to encourage cell turnover not strip 10 layers of varnish off a door 😀.

Do you think retinol might be a touch too far? Or is it worthy of the hype?

I’m thinking of trying the lactic and liquid gold first and move to the retinol depending on results.

Well retinol encourages cell turnover and increases collagen.

The acids just encourage cell turnover. Both make skin sensitive to hyper pigmentation if you don’t wear a good sunblock.

You could try the acids first if you want to. We’re all so different and respond to different treatments.