Skincare. Skin and me vs dermatica or neither?

[BalladOfBarryAndFreda]

I’m looking at these prescription subscription services and wonder which one is better, or if I should bother at all.

I’m in my 40’s with first signs of ageing (mostly fine lines and a bit of uneven tone), still get occasional spot. I’m looking to target all of that.

I’m not a total Luddite when it comes to skincare. Current skincare routine is,

AM
Face wash
Light moisturiser
SPF50

PM
Oil cleanser
Ordinary Lactic acid 10%
Ordinary niacinamide & zinc
Moisturiser

OR

Oil cleanser
Tretinoin 0.05% cream
LRP Cicaplast

I use the tret about once a week as I do peel like a MF from it. I don’t use the lactic the day after I use the tret cream, otherwise I get that shiny, sensitised, overexfoliated look.

So, if I already have a tret in my routine, is it worth it? If it is, can you recommend either supplier and why/why not?

I should say, I dab salicylic acid 2% onto any spots and tbh, I’m not that happy with the results from the routine I have, hence the looking for an alternative.

You should be cleaning off the oil cleanser with a water based one. The 0.05 is probably too strong for you and your skin can't get a chance to get used to tret as you're only able to use it once a week. A lower strength used twice or three times a week would give more benefits.

Realised I didn't answer your question at all - I'm not a user of either service, but from reading on here it seems to be a personal thing, perhaps leaning more in favour of skin&me. You'll get a lower starting dose with either service, probably with niacinamide in it.

I've been using Skin+Me and really rate it. It did make me dry to begin with but I used a very hydrating mask over the top every other night and that really helped. Worst was over in about two weeks. The beauty of the prescription services in my opinion is not just the results (which I'm really starting to see now!) but being able to pare the rest of my routine right back. It therefore takes out a lot of the guess work about what products work with what!!! Other than the prescription cream I use a very basic cream cleanser AM and PM, a very clean rinsing balm cleanser if I wear make up, and then a basic french pharmacy day cream. And that super hydrating mask if I need it. So I'm using less products and seeing better results!!!

@Apileofballyhoo

You should be cleaning off the oil cleanser with a water based one. The 0.05 is probably too strong for you and your skin can't get a chance to get used to tret as you're only able to use it once a week. A lower strength used twice or three times a week would give more benefits.

The oil cleanser I use is the DHC one, I use with a cloth and it does seem to come off cleanly.

I take your point re the 0.05. I went for that strength as I’d been using retinoids for years and years without issue and everything I read said I’d probably be fine to go onto 0.05. I mostly just get peeling around the marionette lines and nasolabial folds, so I tend to either apply even more thinly there or buffer application in those areas with a little cicaplast first. You’re probably right in that a 0.025 every other day would be more beneficial with fewer side effects.

@linerforlife, I like the idea of refining the routine. When you say ‘worst was over in about two weeks’ is that that tret peeling? Did you not have that again? You say you’re starting see results, how long have you been on the skin+me regime?

If everyone gets peeling, I wonder if I shouldn’t just bite the bullet and stick with my tret a few times a week and see if I can work through the flaky phase? Or take it as a sign to move down a gear and use the 0.05 in a few months when I’ve acclimatised a bit. Hmm.

Sorry I did scroll back a few pages on s&b looking for threads on either service but couldn’t find them so apologies if this is repeating old ground and thanks for your input

I think with ret and tret consistency is key so a lower tolerable dose will give more benefits than a higher one once a week. You may well have to push through on peeling and irritation even with a lower dose! Hopefully somebody who uses either service or started with one and then changed will come along. I know there are people on the fantastic skincare threads that subscribe if you want to try asking there for personal experiences. I have the DHC too and you're right about it rinsing off very well, but I still feel there's a slight residue I can get rid of with a second cleanse. It was your mention of occasional spots that made me bring it up - it might make a difference to those.

I'm in my 3rd month of Skin and Me. I'm 40 and have very sensitive skin and eczema. I'm not using tret or ret currently. My current prescription is for Azelaic Acid 8% and niacinamide 4%. My skin is definitely getting soft. My forehead wrinkles have reduced and I think this is due to the very dry skin having peeled away and the new soft skin being able to get the benefit of moisturizer.
I use Skin City cleanser morning and night and then a good moisturizer AM and PM too. I've also started using a Korean facial SPF, and it's a lot easier than using a million little bottles like I was before. My main concern was less my wrinkles and more the fact my skin seemed very congested no matter what I did whilst also being very dry/thick. I'm happy so far and the cost is similar to the millions of wee bottles of The Ordinary and getting ready for bed is much quicker too!

That’s useful. Thanks @Councilworker.

Thanks to you too, @Apileofballyhoo. I’m not wedded to these services, I’m just curious as to whether they’d be a good fit for me or whether they’re better for people starting at ground zero. It sounds like they could be good though.

No worries, I find all things skincare really interesting and love reading about what things people use.

Not sure what type/formula Tret you have but agree with PP that just using it once a week is verging on counter productive. You need to get your skin fully 'retinised'.

One of the reasons a subscription service is good is that they take you up gradually, you can get personal advice and imo the formulas are quite gentle. But as you are basically half way there, you could manage things yourself by increasing usage of what you are already using.

I use 0.1 from Dermatica every night without any issues. You can also get it with a gentle antibiotic if spots are a concern which they are for me.

@TableNiner

Not sure what type/formula Tret you have but agree with PP that just using it once a week is verging on counter productive. You need to get your skin fully 'retinised'.

One of the reasons a subscription service is good is that they take you up gradually, you can get personal advice and imo the formulas are quite gentle. But as you are basically half way there, you could manage things yourself by increasing usage of what you are already using.

I use 0.1 from Dermatica every night without any issues. You can also get it with a gentle antibiotic if spots are a concern which they are for me.

It’s a normal cream formulation, 0.05% tretinoin. Quite a wet, thin and easy to spread gel type cream but described as a cream formula by the manufacturers.

Does the bad peeling phase actually pass or is it something that continues to happen regularly?

It passes with regular enough usage. I would use what tret you have but more often, I would buffer all over not just on the peely bits while you get used to it. Twice a week for a couple of weeks, three times a week for a couple of weeks, up and up until using every night.

Then Slowly stop buffering some nights. Avene Tolerance is nice under it too, it seems to sink in more for me.

It passes with regular enough usage. I would use what tret you have but more often, I would buffer all over not just on the peely bits while you get used to it. Twice a week for a couple of weeks, three times a week for a couple of weeks, up and up until using every night.

Then Slowly stop buffering some nights. Avene Tolerance is nice under it too, it seems to sink in more for me.

Thank you for that advice @Anotheruser02

If anyone would like to use my code you will get 2 months free skin and me to try and see what you think without splashing out too much money. I think it's great and will carry on using it to treat my pigmentation issues.

Code is SAMANTH9AHW

Sorry code is SAMANTHT9AHW apologies