Anyone else given up on retinol & SPF?

[Arraminta]

So, for the 6th or 7th time I've tried introducing a very mild retinol and daily SPF into my skin care, only for my skin to feel uncomfortable and tight within days.

I've tried various combinations, using lots of moisturiser etc, and doesn't matter how much I spend, it always ends like this. Anyone else?

I wear Eborian BB creme which is SPF 25, and I know this really isn't ideal, but I think it's as good as it gets for my face? I've never put my face in the sun, always kept it shaded etc.

Yes. It’s not for me.

I react to retinol and tret so am in the same boat

How often were you using it @Arraminta ?

I felt like my skin had been clingfilmed at first so cut right back to once a week for a month, sandwiching ,although this is controversial as some think it holds the tret/ retinol onto the skin.
Then twice a week for a month and so on
Ive never used more than 3 times per week

It seems like nothing is happening then bam you wake up one morning with fabulous plump , clear skin

Following as about to embark on this treatment.

Yeah as PP said - you need to start very gradually. I started once weekly for a few weeks, then twice a week and worked up to alternate days. Always wear spf; that’s a no brainer.
if you do this, you will eventually tolerate it. I didn’t have to do the sandwich technique

I think you need to find an SPF that works for you and get used to that first before introducing tret. Then start with the lowest possible strength every few days at first. For SPF have you tried La Roche Possay for sensitive skin?

You need SPF 50 if you’re using tretinoin

I wear spf50 all year round and have done for years. I think this is the single most important thing you can do for your face, so I’d recommend you finding one that suits you.

I don’t have an adverse reaction to retinol (or retinal), so I’m lucky there. I’ve only just started using tretinoin. I’ve been using 0.1% on the backs of my hands (an area with visible signs of sun damage). Oh my god. It’s been unbelievable. Even my unobservant husband has been commenting daily about how incredibly it’s working. It’s literally stripping freckles and sun spots away. I’m really encouraged now to use it on my face and décolleté. Both are areas where I’ve been extremely careful regarding sun exposure, but I’m sure it will only do good judging by my hands.

Yes I don’t have a freckle or sun spot on my face. I’m really happy with my skin at 55

I've been using MediK8 Crystal retinol for about 6 weeks and it's not made my skin red at all, and I've very sensitive eczema prone skin. (It did make a small patch of eczema a bit redder so I just stopped using it there.)

It's not cheap at £50 a tube at the strength 3 version.
I bought the Crystal 3 ( they start at 1 and go up to 20 strengths.)

I used it twice a week to start with and over moisturiser, at night.
Now I use it nightly.

My skin looks better- smoother and more even toned.

I've used SPF 50 for over 30 years and am sure that's why I've no wrinkles other than a few 'laughter lines' on my eyes.

Forgot to mention SPF
Another one who has always avoided the sun and used spf 50 from a young age
However its always given me watery eyes until last year when I discovered Beauty of Joseon , the probiotic and rice spf 50 one
Absolutely gorgeous, soft cream that doesnt pill or give me sore eyes
Its cheap and I just chuck one in my bag for top ups .
Vital if you are using tret/ retinol and my top tip is to chuck it out if you reach the 12 month mark and dont hoard, buy fresh as SPF degrades .

Avoid anything with Vit C in it, no scrubs or AHA etc and protect that skin barrier with a good ceramide cream/ snail mucin overnight

I've used the Boots No 7 0.03% retinol just twice a week for the last 3 weeks. But have just gone 8 days not using it and it's only today my skin feels much more comforrable. No redness, but skin feels tight and uncomfortable alm the time and when I do my skin care skin tingles and stings a bit.

Have been wearing Biore Watery Essence spf 50 because I hate the feeling of anything heavy on my skin.

Just be careful, especially on your neck. Tretinoin is thought to be about 10 times stronger than retinol.

I’ve been using tretinoin for 5 years or so, and for a long time anytime I tried it on my neck I flared up with red itchy skin like I had hives - I had to introduce it very slowly and build up, and that was using 0.05%.

Google ‘retinol purge’

I had never heard of this and started retinol and this happened. It was a tough 3-4 weeks but my gosh, my skin cleared and has been lovely and glowy since, very smooth and healthy looking.

Sounds like you need to cut down to once a week for the first month then go up to twice and see what happens , if its too much stick at once a week.
Its a slow burn anyway, minimum 3 months before you see a difference, it was 4 months for me

I literally slather ceramide cream over the top at night and snail mucin on non tret days to maintain the skin barrier

Are you fair?
Im classic fair -use Erborian Clair or Bare minerals Vanilla to give you an idea and I had to go so slow to start with

Went down a rabbit hole and checked the ingredients on that Boots Retinol
Its got Matrixyl 3000 in it
I used this on its own and HATED how it made my skin feel, tight, itchy and mask like

Before I went onto Tret I used Face Theory Retinol Supreme Multicreme
It was lovely, really gentle

Retinol does not suit my skin at all, it seems much happier with peptides. I also use various Korean SPFs and they’re so much better than anything I else I’ve used.

Oh thank you. Yes, that's exactly how it makes my skin feel too. I assumed it would be super gentle because it's such a low percentage and marketed as 'starter' retinol?

Thank you. Yes, I'm fair skinned and also wear Erborian Clair, but tan very easily (though never tan my face).

Can I ask, should I apply my serum and moisturiser before retinol? Or afterwards?

Surprisingly my skin can tolerate Tret really well, I am very fair with eczema prone skin which reacts at the drop of a hat!

I use it a couple of times a week but could definitely use it more often without any problem.

Im only using 0.025% I think, I will order a stronger one next time!

Hi OP

My skin can be sensitive and I don't have a big budget.

I use The Ordinary lowest dose in squalane and Nivea Soft as a moisturiser.

Then SPF, I use factor 50 by Thank You Farmer which is a Korean brand and really lovely. I have to look at myself all day in the mirrors at the gym (6.30am, zero make up!) and then on Teams calls, and I can definitely say this makes a difference.

So re your last question, what I do

Evening - clean face with cold cream and a gentle flannel - when dry apply The Ordinary retinol, then moisturiser

Morning - use Olay sensitive moisturiser, then make up, then factor 50 from TYF as above

I ended up with contact dermatitis from retinol so now I’m afraid to use it.

i also get a reaction from spf that’s over 30

What peptides are you using? (Actually why Korean stuff you are using as well!)