Retinol-wrecked face - please help!

[GuruK]

A quick summary of how I ruined my face: I started using a retinol (0.1%) serum (Anew Anti-Wrinkle Smoothing Serum) about 2 months ago. Aside from a little peeling at the start the only thing I noticed was how soft my skin felt. However, after about a month I started getting breakouts, I figured my new serum wasn't agreeing with me so I stopped using it. The breakouts have continued and if anything they are getting worse.

I feel very stupid as I went into this completely blind and just thought I could start using it as I had my previous creamy serum. I've since done some reading and learned that you need to only use it once a day or once every other day and to use plenty of moisturiser after it. I've also read that you should expect a certain about of purging of toxins at the start of using it.

I now don't know what to do, prior to this I had fairly good skin, aside from mild rosacea on my cheeks and occasional premenstrual breakouts. My skin has always been a little sensitive though. I now don't know what to do for the best, every morning I wake up to several new spots and it's really getting me down. I have read that you can damage the skin's natural barrier and if this happens you should give it time to heal so I am leaving it alone as much as possible and only using E45 minimally for a little moisture. I really could slap my earlier self for ever having started with a new skincare product. Do I need to carry on with the retinol so it can finish "purging" or is there something I can use to try and help heal the barrier?! I feel completely out of my depth and thoroughly depressed that my skin has become yet another part of my body to cover up or disguise.

Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Another vote for LRP B5 cicaplast baume B5. Magic cream.

LRP Cicaplast, it cures all.

I wish people would stop recommending aqueous cream as a leave-on moisturiser. Every brand of aqueous cream I've ever seen contains SLS to facilitate its use as a soap substitute, and rubbing SLS into your skin and leaving it there is the best way to sensitise yourself to it. Which then means you spend the rest of your life having to arse about finding SLS-free shampoo, body wash, hand wash, toothpaste etc. to avoid dry, itchy flare-ups of contact dermatitis.

Anti histamine is good

I can only echo what others have said re: skin barrier.

It just needs to heal. I wouldn't want e45 cream on my face and really you'd be better off getting into a gentle u complicated skin routine with no active (acids or retinol) and plenty of hydration - but with good quality ingredients designed for daily facial use (eg not e45) that don't block pores and therefore cause breakouts. Dehydrated skin will not heal anywhere near as quickly as it will if it's properly hydrated.

I'd do a fragrance free cream cleanser, a serum, and a good moisturiser with no active and preferably no fragrance if you've sensitive skin. Brands like Cerave, Eucerin, La Roche Posay are all good bets and you can check online if the ingredients are non comodegenic. E45 and aqueous cream would do nothing for me but make life worse (as someone with sensitive dry and blemish prone skin).

I’m not expert but I’m doubtful that your skin would take over a month to heal from retinol.

I allowed myself to suffer this for nearly 20 years then I bit the bullet and made an electrolysis appointment - best decision I ever made 😊

Since the first session I haven’t plucked or shaved a single facial hair. Now, after 2 years, have zero growth on chin or upper lip. It has done me so much good and made me feel so much better about myself. I just wish that I hadn’t left it so long.

Dc suffers from dry skin and always uses Body Shop hemp face protector cream which is great as a moisturiser. May be worth a try?

To help with inflammation, healing and the skin barrier repair you could try either or both of salt water (put a tablespoon of table salt in a basin of warm water, or a cup of salt in the bath, and use that to gently pat into skin/rinse onto skin with a flannel for a few mins)

or natural yogurt / kefir as a gentle face mask (pop it on for a few mins then rinse off).

The salt is an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial and helps draw moisture into the skin. Sea bathing can also work if you are in the right location/season for that.

The yogurt/kefir has really good probiotics to help with the natural skin biome repair. You can also get probiotic creams if you don't fancy putting yogurt on your face, but check the ingredients and try something very gentle.

Everyone's skin is different of course but I have eczema and rosacea and reactive sensitive skin, and a combination of these semi regularly keeps everything happy.

Avene thermal water is nice and calming. There are times when it is the only thing I use on my face during a rosacea flare up.

Thank you so much for all this fab advise everyone! I really am so grateful for you all taking the time to reply with tips and I'm feeling a lot more positive now that there may be a light at the end of the tunnel!

I have ordered some La Roche Posay Baume as so many of you recommended. It arrives tomorrow so fingers crossed!

Thank you!

Thank you I can't tell you how much of a relief this was to read as the first comment. Really was starting to think it was irreversible!

Thank you I'll take a look at those brands as the e45 seems to make me feel even more red! Are there ones in particular you recommend for cleanser, serum and moisturiser? Thank you!

Hello all,

Just an update - La Roche Posay has saved my face! Thank you so much for all the reassurance that all was not lost, and for the recommendations. I am still using the Cicaplast Baume but feel like this is more a recovery cream than an everyday moisturiser. Having looked at their website though there are a huge amount of products so I wondered if anyone might be able to recommend a daily moisturiser from them and also perhaps a cleanser/micellar. Ones that are good with rosacea are preferable. Thank you so much!

Brilliant!
As an ongoing gentle moisturizer you can't do better than Toleriane. They do various formulations, there's a lotion and a cream, and also one called Toleriane Dermallergo for when your skin is feeling really delicate. (I probably recommended it upthread, I recommend it a lot!) I'm using it at the moment and it's lovely. Simple, light, gentle. I think they do a cleanser in the range too.
I think they do a rosacea range too. Roseliac or something like that.
It's all fabulous.

I would see a G.P and see year they say, antibiotics maybe?

Please don’t use anything else on your skin or you may start a whole new chain reaction.

Oh you’ve sorted - good news!

That's great news, OP 😀

Baume B5 is the best cream ever. Always use it if my skin is irritated.

My DM had exactly what you describe OP after using retinol products and she ditched them and used nothing but the rose balm from Neal’s yard for two weeks and it went.

Sorry just realise you sorted it with the magic La Roche Posay!

For a daily moisturiser for sensitive skin I love the Ren Evercalm.

That’s interesting because one of the things retinol definitely did to my skin was encourage a kind if ‘purge’ - whenever I started to use it on my face, any small pimples I have seem to be drawn out to yellow heads before disappearing very quickly. Not a nice stage!
I actually rarely use it now because I just can’t be bothered and the overall effect just wasn’t worth it. But I do still dot it onto any occasional spot I get and it does a really excellent job of ‘drawing out’ any pus so the spot clears up much quicker, rather than lurking under the skin.
OP I hope you get your issue sorted x

Glad you've sorted it, OP.

I gave birth in France recently and my gynaecologist actually prescribed the LRP B5 foaming cleanser and balm to use on my perineum and stitches. So I can vouch for how gentle it is!

I absolutely love the Neals Yard rose range.

Thank you, I’ve have a look and they do a rosaliac version of the Toleriane moisturiser so think I’ll give that a go, thank you!

Thank you all and apologies for the delay in reply, don’t seem to get notifications of responses. Thank you for the additional recommendations too I will definitely be regularly referring back to this thread!