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Honored Contributor
Posts: 38,221
Registered: ‎05-22-2016

Re: OK, retinol one more time

@Judaline,

If you are looking for a very good quality line of AHA products at reasonable prices then I would like to recommend Alpha Skin Care. They carry an entire line of AHA products. Creams for dry/normal skin or gels for oily skin...you choose. Find their stuff at neotericcosmetics dot com. The company has been around a very long time for many good reasons.Woman Happy

Honored Contributor
Posts: 34,958
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

Re: OK, retinol one more time


@Drythe wrote:

@Shanus wrote:

@Drythe wrote:

 

 

@Judaline

 

I have had great success with Retin-A.  I know you are speaking of retinol, however I wonder if this is similar.

 

I do not see much in the way of results unless I get a bit of a peel.  So, perhaps for some of us that is just part of the process.

 

There are many (here) who say no, no peel.  Yes, heard that MANY times, but for me peeling is part of the process, and my Derm. agrees.


@Drythe  Unfortunately peeling and redness is a dude effect of Retin A. It does go away as your skin adjusts. I’ve used it for over 30 yrs. and kept increasing the %. It does appear to plump up the skin from underneath.


@Shanus

 

Yep, I know peeling and redness are a effect of Retin-A, as I said, and mentioned that my Derm confirmed.      But thanks for confirming.

 

Don't know what that dude was meant to be.  Can't guess.

 


@Drythe  “Dude” word in there is definitely weird...not even same color as rest of print. Chalk it up to Halloween. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,275
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: OK, retinol one more time


@Judaline wrote:


 

 

I used Retin-A for about 2 years. Every day was the same. Redness and peeling. One day I decided, this is ridiculous. Why should I look awful each day in order to not have wrinkles when I'm old. So I quit. Went on retinol and saw a somewhat softening. But something was wrong with all the retinols I tried-mostly too oily and I couldn't put anything on top. I like the suggestion of staying with the retinol I'm using which I'm feeling is too light, and going with an AHA in the morning. That's my thinking so far.


@Judaline

I'm wondering why you want to put anything over the retinol? It could very well be entirely on its own, which I've done for years now...the only extra support I would use is eye & neck area.

 

@And yes, there are strengths to AHAs, the least irritating being lactic acid. But I have been using - from Alpha (neotericcosmetics.com) - the Enhanced Renewal Cream @ 12%. They also have a 10% and 14%. (Alpha is also the retinol I use.)

 

If you were getting redness and peeling every day, then that particular form of Retin A was not for you. Especially from the redness. There are gentler forms of Retin A.

 

However, I know that I am not a candidate for Retin A. Also, I re-think my use of retinol every now & again, too. There are always other ways to "skin the cat."

Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,468
Registered: ‎02-02-2015

Re: OK, retinol one more time

[ Edited ]

A friend of mine, who is very light skinned, started using Retin-A this past August. She was very hesitant because when she had laser done on her face a few years ago, she was very, very red in the face for a long time. And the peeling was massive, more than she had been told it would be. It took about three months for all the redness to go away and she had to wear her makeup heavy to cover it up. So she was leery about going with Retin-A.

 

This past year she used Peter Thomas Roth's retional and had no problems with peeling, but wanted to bump up the effects with the Retin. After reading a few threads on these forums about Retin-A and the suggested You Tube videos I told her about, she watched the video about incorporating Retin-A slowly, this is her routine:

 

August - use Retin-A once a week for the entire month

September - use it twice a week for the entire month

October - use it three times a week 

November - she is now going to use it four times a week

December - will bump it up to five times

January - six times

February - every day

 

So far, she has had NO problem with peeling or redness, and chalks it up to starting slowly like the video said so her skin can get used to it. She is seeing some results, and she likes that her skin is getting used to the product slowly and not adversely having her sensitive skin go ballistic on her like when she had it lasered.

 

I see nice changes to her skin, even though she doesn't use it every day yet. I understood from earlier threads on this subject that it might take a full year. My thinking is that she IS having some peeling, even if she and I can't see it; however, because she is going slowly, it is not a lot all at once, and she is probably sloughing off what little bit there is each time she washes her face.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 17,607
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: OK, retinol one more time

Thank you, @Harpa and @Sugipine and all. I have ordered from neoterric cosmetics. I am excited. When my present retinol is finished I will check out their retinol. For now, it's AHAs. I have a good feeling about this. Woman Happy

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,400
Registered: ‎03-16-2010

Re: OK, retinol one more time

I really like the Beauty Bioscience line on HSN. (I think that is the name)

 

It is a kit that has three strengths in it. You do Strength1 for 2 weeks, then move to strength2 for 2 weeks, then go to strength3 for 2 weeks.

 

If you wish (and I do) there is a strength4 that you can buy separately. It is the strongest, and they say right on air NOT to start with strength4 even if your skin is used to retinol.

 

You use it only at night. It is a dual chambered bottle and you put one pump of one side of the bottle (the retinol) and one pump of the other side (which is some sort of serum) coc.ktail it together and put on your face. Use nothing else.

 

I saw very good results with this kit. No reaction at all for my skin as far as redness or scaling, but it sure improved my skin.

 

It is pretty expensive, but they run a sale a couple times a year ($120.00 for the kit). You only use it every six months. There is enough in the kit to do two 6 week treatments. It is kind of fun to watch the improvement every 2 weeks.

 

You do have to keep it going though. They say 6 weeks then stop, and do it again in 6 months. I could see by month 5 that I was ready to do it again, but I waited to month 6.

 

This kit has a longer return policy also, because it is expensive. It is either 60 or 90 days so you can see the results. Plus it is usually on 5 or 6 pay.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,616
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: OK, retinol one more time

What about the OTC retin-A now available?  I believe it's Differin.  I know it's about half the strength of prescription retin-A, but wouldn't it be more effective than retinol?

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,776
Registered: ‎07-09-2011

Re: OK, retinol one more time


@Shanus wrote:

@Drythe wrote:

 

 

@Judaline

 

I have had great success with Retin-A.  I know you are speaking of retinol, however I wonder if this is similar.

 

I do not see much in the way of results unless I get a bit of a peel.  So, perhaps for some of us that is just part of the process.

 

There are many (here) who say no, no peel.  Yes, heard that MANY times, but for me peeling is part of the process, and my Derm. agrees.


@Drythe  Unfortunately peeling and redness is a dude effect of Retin A. It does go away as your skin adjusts. I’ve used it for over 30 yrs. and kept increasing the %. It does appear to plump up the skin from underneath.


@Shanus

 

I highlited it from your original post so you would see what I was asking.  Just wondered what you meant by  ‘dude effect’.

 

 

 

 

 

"Animals are not my whole world, but they have made my world whole" ~ Roger Caras
Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,309
Registered: ‎12-01-2012

Re: OK, retinol one more time

I've been using OTC Differin for about a month.  It was $10 at Walmart and I'd been thinking of giving it a try.  I used Alpha Hydrox for many years, then graduated up to various strengths of retin-a, which I used for about 3 years, on, and off usually for the summer.  I did see results with it, but always had a hard time tolerating it.  Went back down to retinol for a while and taking rests from it all.  Occasionally still use a little alpha-hydroxy cream.

 

For now, I am liking Differin.  Even though it is an acne medication, retin-a started out that way, too, as did salicylic acid, which is also effective for anti-aging. I think there are no studies backing its use for anti-aging, but I bet that it does have similar effects as the others. 

 

Differin over the counter, I would agree, is a little stronger than retinol, not quite as strong as retin-a.  I've tolerated it well and could tell a difference in just a couple of weeks.  Did take a week or two to build up to every night just this week.  I do get a very light peeling with it. 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 34,958
Registered: ‎05-17-2010

Re: OK, retinol one more time


@Drythe wrote:

@Shanus wrote:

@Drythe wrote:

 

 

@Judaline

 

I have had great success with Retin-A.  I know you are speaking of retinol, however I wonder if this is similar.

 

I do not see much in the way of results unless I get a bit of a peel.  So, perhaps for some of us that is just part of the process.

 

There are many (here) who say no, no peel.  Yes, heard that MANY times, but for me peeling is part of the process, and my Derm. agrees.


@Drythe  Unfortunately peeling and redness is a dude effect of Retin A. It does go away as your skin adjusts. I’ve used it for over 30 yrs. and kept increasing the %. It does appear to plump up the skin from underneath.


@Shanus

 

I highlited it from your original post so you would see what I was asking.  Just wondered what you meant by  ‘dude effect’.

 

 

 

 

 @Drythe. Typo. Think I meant dual effect. These gadgets decide sometimes what they want to say is better than what I intended. 🤪