Has anyone's skin got worse through using liquid exfoliant?

[Renlay]

In July last year I started using Ren Ready Steady Glow. It didn't seem to be doing much so I switched to Paula's Choice 2% BHA liquid exfoliant.

That doesn't seem to be doing much either. Or at least it's not doing what I hoped it might! Instead I now seem to have a lot of clogged pores on and around my chin, the occasional blackhead/blocked pore on my cheeks, and the same amount of blackheads/blocked pores on my nose but they seem more prominent!

Am I doing something wrong? Is this the bad bit before the good bit?! Please help me, I'm confused! Thank you :)

How often are you using it?

I had a bad reaction to the Paula's Choice one when I tried it. I initially thought I was just purging so kept with it but ended up with terrible weepy, infected spots. Think I used a The Ordinary one prior to that and it worked well for me but can't remember what one (I'm not great at sticking long term at skincare regimes)

Agree with @Haventhadaneggsinceeaster - I’ve mistakenly thought my skin was purging a few times with new products so waited it out until months and months ended up passing and I still had loads of spots Packed it in after that because I realised I looked bloody better before I started!

@Blondie1984 twice a day.

Yes to @askmeagainin5 - I think my skin looked better before too! Well - it definitely did in terms of blackheads/blocked pores, but it was looking a bit unevenly toned and grey which is why I started with the liquid exfoliant.

@Haventhadaneggsinceeaster interesting that the Paula's Choice one made you break out. I hope it wasn't too painful for you.

Everyone's skin is different.

Expensive doesn't automatically equal good.

I use a mix of pricey and not. Things that make my skin happy.

You're not doing anything wrong. Your skin doesn't like it. Ditch it and try something else

I haven't used the two you've mentioned but I had a bad experience with the pixi glow tonic. It made me really spotty. I've been using the Superdrug dupe for a few months now and it's really made a positive difference to my skin. I'm guessing because it's cheaper it's not as strong as the pixi one so maybe the higher end ones are just too potent for some peoples skin?

I can’t use liquid exfoliators too often. They are quite harsh I think. I use maybe once or twice a week. If I remember!

Are you using an AHA too?

The BHA salicylic acid will enter your pores and help her rid of the debris. However if that pore is blocked by dead skin then this will reduce this.

AHAs will remove the dead skin and allow the BHA to enter.

(Aha= lactic acid, glycolic acid, mandalic acid)

X

Thank you for the further responses.

@SomethingbeginningL no I'm not using an AHA. Do you have any particular favourite ones?

I'm going back to old style scrubs. I know people say now that those are too harsh, but it's the only way to get the effect I want.
I tried a 'peeling' facewash from the Body Shop and ended up with pieces of my own skin stuck in the downy hair on my lower cheeks. Didn't realise I had a beard until then! Am I the only one with this problem.

I used Pixi Glycolic Toner and I think even that was too harsh for my poor old face. I am using some Facetheory stuff at the moment with retinol and it’s nice but, will be going back to simple skin care (maybe a bit of goose fat! 😂) when I’ve used it up.

I think sometimes, especially when there are so many “miracle” products on the shelves, we can do too much to our skin. Not for nothing do people constantly say “my Nan used Nivea all her life and had an amazing complexion!” My Auntie is 91 and has used Oil of Ulay (now Olay) Beauty Fluid, the pink stuff, since I can remember as a little girl and she has really beautiful skin. I, will NOT look that good, when (if) I live that long. And don’t get me started on SPF! 🙄

@Gwenhwyfar... I think you may be right. As long as you go gently with that scrub. Avon used to to an amazing grainy scrub but it’s discontinued now. It was gentle and very brightening, when I was in my 30’s, some time ago.

I gad a really bad experience with The Ordinary's glycolic acid, in that it gave me terrible huge weepy spots, but the Paula's Choice is excellent for my skin (although it's making my hands peel). I don't buy into purging, tbh. If it's making your skin worse, sack it off.

"My Auntie is 91 and has used Oil of Ulay (now Olay) Beauty Fluid, the pink stuff, since I can remember as a little girl and she has really beautiful skin. I,"

I'm allergic to that one (found out when I "stole" some from a relative) and quite a few people seem to be.

What products are you using before and after?

Do you remember the days of the BuffPuff (I think that's how it's spelt) when you literally scrubbed the life out of a spot?! Life was so much simpler then ... 😷

@FlyingByTheSeatof - I use a toner before it (Clean and Clear which I've been using for about 25 years!) and then I moisturise. In the morning I currently use L'Oréal hydra genius. In the evenings I alternate between 3 or 4 heavier moisturisers.

@Renlay... BuffPuff 😂 I remember my skin glowing after using them but then, I’d possibly removed several layers of dermis and the fat layer in the process. Ahhh, the things we did in the ‘80s!

I think they changed Ulay Original a few times. Shame. I loved the smell.

@Renlay

I really like Alumier. It's a medical grade brand that I sell myself and really trust it.
They have AHA renewal serum (a lactic acid) or you could possibly look at Bright & clear solutions.

I have my own skincare brand too. It has a really great glycolic acid wash. I won't mention the name, as I don't want to get into trouble for promoting a business!

But check out Alumier. They have a portal and you can book free consultations with medical practitioners.

I tihnk you're probably overdoing it OP. Twice a day AND toner is a lot. I wonder if it's stripping your skin of oil and so it's trying to compensate by making more.

I use an acid exfoliant 3 times a week and that seems to be plenty (although I do have sensitive skin). I use the First Aid Beauty pads.

Maybe try dropping right down to a few times a week, and hot cloth cleansing every day, which is often enough of a 'scrub' to exfoliate.

@dazzlinghaze what is the super drug dupe?

I started using the red chemical peel from The Ordinary but l only use it for a few minutes once a week. So far no issues but it really stings.

My young daughter has started using salicylic cleanser for stubborn black heads on her nose. She was using a scrub before, might get her to use it once a week. It's working for her so far.

I remember trying doggedly with Clinique Clarifying Lotion, on and off for most of my 20’s. I actually think I damaged my skin using what smelt like neat alcohol twice a day. Our grannies didn’t have all that.

Dr Hauschka recommends a far more gentle approach, if you want to have a glance at the website. And she doesn’t approve of night time moisturiser either.

Which Clean and Clear toner are you using @Renlay? The deep cleansing one? That’s an acid as well. It’s salicylic. So if it’s that one and you added in another acid twice a day you are way overdoing it.

I don’t like facial scrubs as I think they are usually way too harsh but Paula’s Choice do one that sounds quite gentle.

If I were you I would stop with all the acids including your Clean and Clear toner for a couple of weeks to let your skin settle.

The REN one you used is an Aha. The Paula’s Choice is a BhA. You can use both as they do different things but not at the same time. I wouldn’t even use them the same day.

Let your skin recover and reintroduce them but not together.

Have a look at Caroline Hirons’ blog on skincare. I know lots of people don’t like her but she gives good basic advice in skin conditions. You don’t have to buy really expensive stuff. Her Cheat Sheets are great.

@LadyTiredWinterBottom2 it's the glycolic toner from their naturally radiant range. I've also been using the day and night moisturisers from that range and I'm really happy with them too. There's a few other things in the same range and it all seems to get good reviews so I'm going to pick them up next time I'm near a Superdrug now I know it agrees with my skin. It'll save me a fortune because I've always bought high end skincare up until a few months ago!

@dazzlinghaze thanks - they do some really good own brand stuff 👍

Thanks again. I really feel I've lost my way with skincare. I've fallen foul of the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" rule I think.

My skin has always been mostly fine with a very straightforward regime of tone/cleanse/moisturise but when I saw it looking a bit grey and lifeless last year I went overboard.

I'll look up Caroline Hirons' advice/cheat sheets.