Skin and me

[HotDogsJumpingFrogsILoveTurkey]

I've been using it since September/October.

I've worked up to:

• Tretinoin (0.015%)
• Niacinamide (4%)
• Azelaic Acid (4%)

My skin is looking much, much worse. Not just irritated but pores are emphasised and my nose has gone sort of lumpy.

I've emailed them and am waiting for a reply. However, since my skin has never liked it, is it time to just give up on it?

If so, is it worth trying Dermologica? I just want something you can throw on, not lots of lotions,and potions like The Ordinary.

Have you tried varying how you use it? Everyday was too much for me so I now use it every other day which works a lot better. I also find I need a repairing moisturiser on the days I use the skin & me. I use La Roche posay cicaplast with ren ever all balm over the top

Ever calm*

Did you build up usage when starting? or just went in using it daily?

I did it every other day for the first few weeks, then gradually every day. The last few weeks I've gone back to every other day/few days to see if that helped but it made no difference.

I've tried various moisturisers, including theirs. I'm currently alternating between a Boots Vit C one and squalene(which my skin used to love).

I use la rochey posey 50+ sun cream. I really dislike it as it leaves my skin greasy but When I was using Biore 50+ (which didn't leave my skin greasy), my skin was the same so I'm confident it's not the sun cream.

Personally I didn’t like using Tretinoin and Azelaic Acid together, as AA has quite a rough texture and irritated my skin. I would try without AA. I’m with Dermatica and on 0.1 Tret and 4% niacinamide. I did have clindamycin at the beginning, if you have issues with spots.

I wouldn’t use Vit C with tretinoin but I still think that’s a long time to use it and not get past the tretinoin uglies. Why don’t you try switching to Dermatica? I have heard that some people just don’t get on with Skin + Me and vice versa.

It made my skin a greasy spotty mess, so I binned it and cancelled my subscription

I think I'm going to cancel it.

They came back (very quickly tbf) to tell me to stop using it for at least 14 days and then she'll lower my prescription with my next month (which I need to pay for obviously). However, I started on Tretinoin 0.006% and have never seen much of an improvement at any strength.

My issues are pores, spots and fine lines, general blahness (and saggy skin but I don't think a cream can fix that!).

Will look into the other one (dermologica?) and see what the difference is. I really like the idea of something really easy that is worked out for you. I get confused by it all.

@Mumsanetta I thought vit c was a good thing to use. I've been using it sporadically for the last couple of weeks but will stop.

Can I use a face wash with 2% Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide?

I'm on the same strength (started in Aug) and have given jn with it this month, for now at least.

I couldn't get past the flakiness and unrelenting dryness no amount of moisturiser could sort. It's aged me and I've not really seen an improvement. I have used a high strength retinol for years before this with no issues but I know tret even at a low dose is much stronger. I do use Vic C in the morning, again have done for a few years, and hadn't considered that could be part of the issue.

Skin and Me told me to let me skin have a break, stop the Vit C and they lowered my dose to 0.009% for when I'm ready to restart, but similarly I'm undecided.

I'm keen to hear from more people using Dermatica or people who have switched. I'm tempted to just go back to my medik8 retinol!

Sorry, no much help but in the same boat.

Some tips if it helps
Stop all other actives
Apply to bone dry skin
Moisturise before and/or after
Use it every 3rd day then every 2nd

I've been using it since it existed and it's been amazing for my skin

Retinol is not meant to go on your nose. You shouldn't be using that on your nose. Stop doing that and use a normal moisturiser on your nose.

I love Skin and Me and it will be prised from my cold, dead and suspiciously wrinkle-free hand. I have used Dermatica in the past but ironically found S+M customer service to be better.

Agree with PP that it shouldn’t be applied to nose or eye area and you can try buffering (moisturiser applied 10 minutes prior, then again after using the daily doser). Maybe impose the break, use only very gentle products in the meantime and a pared-back regime (certainly no actives) then try to reintroduce slowly? At the very least that will maybe help you effectively use the product you have already paid for.

I appreciate you probably aren’t inclined to spend more with them, but I have to say their cleanser (non-foaming) and moisturiser are brilliant. They will give you a free trial of those, BTW.

Oh and in case anyone reading would like to try, you can get a month trial of your custom formula for £3.50 with my link (I would also get a credit applied to my account so it’s not pure altruism in me sharing )

Link for £3.50 trial month

Vit C is wonderful but it’s an active and I wouldn’t use it with tretinoin if you’re having issues. I also wouldn’t use salicylic acid as again it might be too much for your skin but do use niacinamide as that helps to repair your skin barrier. Dermatica started me on 0.025% and I use that every day on dry skin, after about 40 mins I apply 20% niacinamide and after about 15 mins I apply a rich ceramide moisturiser (Sunday Riley Ice). My skin was stinging and flaking for several weeks when I started at a frequency of every other day but it’s been much much better since I added niacinamide despite switching to daily use.

So I shouldn't put Skin+me on my nose? They didn't mention that even when I said about it causing issues there. What about between my eyebrows? I'm starting to look like a klingon and was hoping this would help.

I will wait a couple of weeks and see how I feel. I'm kind of thinking I would have seen "something" by now on the areas that aren't irritated if it was going to work. I'm not really sure I understand the logic of going back to 0.006.

@Mumsanetta that's helpful. Thank you.
I get confused with talk of actives and acids and retinols and everything else! Does anyone remember the Clinique "revolutionary" 3 step routine of wash, tone, moisturise? 😂

So back to basics then. I have some of their cleanser left (I prefer a face wash but if the one I have isn't suitable due to the SA, it's probably not a good idea to add something new). I'll dump the vit c and stick to the squalene and sun cream.

I've been using skin+me for about 3 years and I love it and their customer service is great. I found my skin got sensitive and flaky when I went from 0.027 to 0.03,% Tretinoin so I contacted them and they sent me a new doser out straightaway for free in my old formulation and suggested a break for a couple of weeks. I've stuck on that percentage as my skin seems to be great and I don't want to risk the flakiness again. I also read an interesting article about higher percentage of tret not necessarily being more effective

www.dearbrightly.com/blog/are-higher-strengths-of-tretinoin-always-better/

Before reading it I was determined to get to as higher strength as possible thinking it would work better.
I use vitamin c in the morning under SPF and have had no bad reactions. But I would let your skin recover completely before reintroducing it. I usually use my daily doser 5 out of every 7 days and if my skins feeling sensitive I buffer with cerave moisturiser.

My code for a free trial just £3.50 p&p if anyone wants it, then I get £10 credit! 😊

www.skinandme.com/?promocode=LAURENS5YP3

Pah. Why wasn't I offered a free doser? 🤣

Although if anyone wants an unopened (received yesterday) 0.015% doser pm me your address. It's of no use to me I don't think.