Is vitamin C serum supposed to be so painful?

[iwanttolookbetter]

I feel like Kevin in Home Alone when I put it on. And it stings for hours after applying it sometimes. Is this normal? I also use acnecide, tret and sunscreen.

When I put it in it's a bit tingly in places and then my skin feels tight but never painful. Sounds as if you are sensitive to it?

This doesn’t sound right and you should maybe ease off a bit or find a less stingy formula?

What’s your daily routine? Are you using the vitamin c with the Tret or different days?

Is that The Ordinary?

That one stings like ..ssssssbilly oh.
I use elizabeth arden capsules, about twice a week and you know the vitamin c is fresh cos it's in a capsule. At least I hope it is!?.

Are you supposed to put vitamin c on different days than on the retinol cream day

Sometimes I do it both at once, sometimes on different days sometimes I just have a break from it all. But it hurts no matter what I do. I started with an expensive Obagi one then moved on to the Superdrug version when I found out about it but they're both much the same. I take it Elizabeth Arden is expensive Muser?

I'm sensitive to very little so that would surprise me PersonaNonGarter. But there's a first for everything I suppose.

You shouldn’t use vitamin C at the same time as Tret.
The acnecide counteracts tret so they also shouldn’t be used together.
All those products are irritants for the skin so I’m not surprised you have some pain.

All three together would be causing moisturise barrier issues. Are you using a moisturiser as Tret is very drying? LRP cica baume is very good.

Moisture barrier*

The ordinary vit c stings like a bastard. I switched to oskia vit c capsules. Yes more expensive but No stinging and my skin is much brighter. The trouble with vit c is it is very unstable and oxidises very rapidly and so bottles of it are less expensive but less likely to still be active by the end of the bottle/tube/whatever.

I have no stinging with The Ordinary L Ascorbic acid powder but it does sound like you're overloading your skin.
Try the vit c every other morning and alternate your tret and acnecide every other night.
Loads of moisturiser to buffer afterwards.

How do you mean the acnecide counteracts the tret? I've seen articles on order of skin care application and they've included acne treatments and trets in their suggested routines. Is acnecide different to other acne treatments?

Interesting about the capsules but I'm not sure I can afford them if they're costly. How much roughly?

I use a sunscreen that's for general application (not face) and it's a little greasy so feels moisturising. I like it for day time as it makes me glow. I discovered it in lockdown when I couldn't get the face stuff I'd been using and it makes me look younger and is cheaper. Do you think this works? My skin certainly isn't dry.

www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/benzoyl-peroxide

Acnecide is benzoyl peroxide when it’s used at the same time as Tret it breaks it down so it isn’t effective

Oskia full price is £60 for 60 capsules but I stock up on Cult when I get discount Codes - join one of the skincare groups on FB. They love To share! Also oskia supplies directly and has introductory offers so maybe try that?

It would be easier if you broke down your exact routine, but maybe use the acnecide in the morning and the Tret at night. It’s only an issue if you are using both at the same time.

Do you mean you're using a sunscreen for the body as facial moisturiser?

No, I have tried various vitamin c based products with zero stinging:

Kiehls powerful line reducing concentrate
TO Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%
Inkey list 15% Vitamin C and EGF Serum

I think it is about 40 for 30 capsules and i use 2-3 a week. I know that is expensive but i use the boots retinol cream 3 for 2 and at least i feel the vitamin c is fresh enough to work. Altho who knows.

With vit c in a tube, as soon as you open it air gets to it.

How long have you been using tret for? It takes months to get used to it.

Without knowing your full routine I would offer the following pointers:

Vitamin C in morning on non tret days.

Try the Ordinary ascorbic acid powder so you can control how much. At first only use a very tiny bit then build up.

Make sure you buffer the tret (put a layer of moisturiser on beforehand) if it's giving you flakes or soreness. It still works it's just less intense. You can gradually ease off on the buffering.

Put a layer of moisturiser on before sunscreen in morning.

After tret at night use a moisturiser and/or oil and then use a layer of an occlusive like Vaseline or aquaphor. This is what changed my skincare routine the most.

Just to point out. It’s absolutely fine to use Tret at night and vitC the following morning.
Curel products are brilliant for preserving your moisture barrier! :)

Oh god, this is all so complicated. But I'll have a look into those other vit C products, thanks everyone for the recommendations! I think my skin would be an oil slick if I did tret plus moisturiser plus sunscreen though. Tret alone makes my skin very greasy. And I'm not even sure it's capable of absorbing that amount of product. Will I not just get those weird bobbly bits/product crumbs?

I've been using tret on and off for a year or two but took a break for financial reasons and have only been back on it a month or so. My dermatologist said your skin never gets completely used to it. In all honesty though I have good high cover foundation so I don't mind if it makes me a little red!

Incidentally, though, my skin has still been peeling with the tret used with the acnecide. Doesn't that indicate that it's working? And the website only says it can render it inactive. Not that it always does. Or is that just poor communication on their part?

I’ve been on Tret for 10 months, I rarely peel and I don’t have redness or suffer purges now and I’m on 0.01% 3 x weekly which maintains my clear skin and helps with anti aging. Good luck OP hope you find the right product for you :)

I use the Superdrug one and the instructions say to mix with your moisturiser then apply. Might help with the stinging?

Can you tell us your routine? It sounds like you are using the Tret in the mornings? Or have I misunderstood?

Tret in the morning