Skincare - let's sperg about routines and products

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Adding in that Head&Shoulders work too. Anti-fungal ointment is good too.
Yeah actually Head and Shoulders here doesn't have Zinc pyrithione in it anymore but I did try to find it at the store. It has another complex for Europe but I got my hands on pure zinc pyrithione wash from Amazon and after one wash my face was a lot better. Peeling and flakey off but better.

I've used it twice now right before bed (because it kinda burns and I'd rather sleep through it) and I think along with that and my modified routine thanks to Visible Belly, my skin is slowly returning to normal clearness. My cheeks don't look like a bunch of mosquito bites anymore and the skin underneath the peeling was clear and soft. Around my chin/hairline/forehead is still pretty funky but I'll keep up with the fungal wash for the next week and hope it clears up too.

That is a good tip about spf for the eyes though. I'm stealing that.

So if the Ordinary retinol isn't great what retinol would people suggest? Admittedly I've spent almost 100 quid trying to figure out what the fuck is happening to my skin (only to find out all I needed was a 5 quid bottle of zinc pyrithione ughh) but fuck it.
 
Yeah actually Head and Shoulders here doesn't have Zinc pyrithione in it anymore but I did try to find it at the store. It has another complex for Europe but I got my hands on pure zinc pyrithione wash from Amazon and after one wash my face was a lot better. Peeling and flakey off but better.
I know, it has selenium sulphide. Which is in Selsun Blue too. Reason why it's in the EU version, is it requires prescription in the USA.
So if the Ordinary retinol isn't great what retinol would people suggest?
They have a 1% retinol suspension, you can use that.

Edit:
Only one line of Head and Shoulders have selenium sulphide. Discovered this when I tried searching for it in my EU shampoo. No wonder my fungal acne isn’t going away. I’m mad at myself now.
Have ordered my country’s version of Nizoral now.
 
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I wish I knew this thread existed sooner.

I have a question for y’all. I started using Tret .025 a couple of weeks ago, daily. My skin isn’t sensitive at all and I’ve had no irritation. I want to add a toner or serum to my routine. Any recommendations for a new addition?

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser AM&PM, Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturizer AM&PM, Tretinoin.025% PM. UV Aqua rich SPF.

My main skin concerns are acne scarring, redness, sun spots, I know tret will help with most of this but I really want to add a little extra.
 
I wish I knew this thread existed sooner.

I have a question for y’all. I started using Tret .025 a couple of weeks ago, daily. My skin isn’t sensitive at all and I’ve had no irritation. I want to add a toner or serum to my routine. Any recommendations for a new addition?

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser AM&PM, Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturizer AM&PM, Tretinoin.025% PM. UV Aqua rich SPF.

My main skin concerns are acne scarring, redness, sun spots, I know tret will help with most of this but I really want to add a little extra.
You could try a Vitamin C product for help with pigmentation issues. An AHA product like glycolic could help with sun spots and scarring depending on their type, but it'll work slower than tret. I would try vitamin C first since you can use it in the mornings while you use tret in the evenings.

I'm also a big fan of chemical peels for all those things, but I would highly suggest doing your research before going down that road.
 
Ahhh please correct me if I’m wrong someone but afaik mixing retinoids (much less prescription grade) with vitamin C is a very very risky thing because trent already dries the skin and makes it thinner and vitamin C can be aggressive.

My answer personally would be adding a basic hyaluronic serum in there (like The Ordinary) because that will help to bind in more moisture without being heavy and soothe any redness. Plus it works well with pretty much every active (at least that I know about).

Also be really REALLY careful about using AHAs (like glycolic, salicylic etc) when using trent. Retinol already exfoliates the skin and makes it thinner and more prone to damage, I’ve been a dumbass before and gave most of my face an actual chemical burn because I was using retinol twice a day and exfoliating (with an AHA mask) twice a week (trying desperately to get rid of old scarring).

My skin is fine now but it was awful and 0/10 don’t recommend.

Edit: a word
 
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Ymmv mixing tret/retinol with other actives, but yeah incorporate slowly and at the first sign of irritation back off. I've been on tret .05% for almost a year and can still only use it 3 times/week.
 
I wish I knew this thread existed sooner.

I have a question for y’all. I started using Tret .025 a couple of weeks ago, daily. My skin isn’t sensitive at all and I’ve had no irritation. I want to add a toner or serum to my routine. Any recommendations for a new addition?

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser AM&PM, Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturizer AM&PM, Tretinoin.025% PM. UV Aqua rich SPF.

My main skin concerns are acne scarring, redness, sun spots, I know tret will help with most of this but I really want to add a little extra.
+1 to @Diet Cake's advice, and I'd also consider looking into niacinamide. It can help with your concerns of redness and hyperpigmentation, and most people's skin tend to tolerate it very well.
 
Also be really REALLY careful about using AHAs (like glycolic, salicylic etc) when using trent. Retinol already exfoliates the skin and makes it thinner and more prone to damage, I’ve been a dumbass before and gave most of my face an actual chemical burn because I was using retinol twice a day and exfoliating (with an AHA mask) twice a week (trying desperately to get rid of old scarring).
I have cosrx BHA power liquid. I used it like twice about a month ago. I got it for my blackheads and pores, but then I started to use retinol up until I got my tret. I’ve been curious about adding it into my routine but I’m afraid of mixing things because I am still only a few months into actually giving a fuck about my skin. I’m not sure how similar or different AHA and BHA are.
+1 to @Diet Cake's advice, and I'd also consider looking into niacinamide. It can help with your concerns of redness and hyperpigmentation, and most people's skin tend to tolerate it very well.
Do you have any recommendations? I’m thinking about The ordinary, because their products seem to be pretty straight forward ingredient wise.

Edit:
I guess I also would like to know if any of these products y’all have recommended are able to be used at night along with tret? Or will they need to be used in the morning? I need to do some research on what does and doesn’t work well with tret.
 
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I have cosrx BHA power liquid. I used it like twice about a month ago. I got it for my blackheads and pores, but then I started to use retinol up until I got my tret. I’ve been curious about adding it into my routine but I’m afraid of mixing things because I am still only a few months into actually giving a fuck about my skin. I’m not sure how similar or different AHA and BHA are.

Do you have any recommendations? I’m thinking about The ordinary, because their products seem to be pretty straight forward ingredient wise.

Edit:
I guess I also would like to know if any of these products y’all have recommended are able to be used at night along with tret? Or will they need to be used in the morning? I need to do some research on what does and doesn’t work well with tret.
The 10% Booster by Paula's Choice seems to be pretty widely recommended on the internet. (I find their formulations tend to stick to ingredients with good clinical backing.) Personally, I use CeravePM as my evening moisturizer, which has niacinamide in it.

Apparently most clinical testing is done in the 2-5% concentration range, so there's dubious value in going with a super high percentage serum (and the higher the percentage, the higher the chances of irritation). If you go with The Ordinary, I'd recommend trying the 10% serum and avoiding the powder so you can be sure you'd getting the right amount.

Edit: I didn't see your edit before posting. To the best of my knowledge I'd say:
  • Vitamin C - Anytime, but ideally AM. One of the great things about vitamin C is that it absorbs free radicals from UV radiation, which damage your skin. You'll see the most benefit from this if you use it in the AM.
  • AHA - PM, probably on an alternate night than when you use tret. AHAs like glycolic acid increase photosensitivity, so they should ideally be used at night, with diligent sunscreen use the next day.
  • Niacinamide - Anytime.
 
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The 10% Booster by Paula's Choice seems to be pretty widely recommended on the internet. (I find their formulations tend to stick to ingredients with good clinical backing.) Personally, I use CeravePM as my evening moisturizer, which has niacinamide in it.

Apparently most clinical testing is done in the 2-5% concentration range, so there's dubious value in going with a super high percentage serum (and the higher the percentage, the higher the chances of irritation). If you go with The Ordinary, I'd recommend trying the 10% serum and avoiding the powder so you can be sure you'd getting the right amount.

Edit: I didn't see your edit before posting. To the best of my knowledge I'd say:
  • Vitamin C - Anytime, but ideally AM. One of the great things about vitamin C is that it absorbs free radicals from UV radiation, which damage your skin. You'll see the most benefit from this if you use it in the AM.
  • AHA - PM, probably on an alternate night than when you use tret. AHAs like glycolic acid increase photosensitivity, so they should ideally be used at night, with diligent sunscreen use the next day.
  • Niacinamide - Anytime.
adding that the bottom three should not be mixed--niacinamide in general should not be applied with the acids as it will mess with their pH levels and decrease their effectiveness.
 
adding that the bottom three should not be mixed--niacinamide in general should not be applied with the acids as it will mess with their pH levels and decrease their effectiveness.
Skeleton lady aka Dr. Dray warned about mixing tretinoin with moisturiser. It gives spotty coverage. Done it for years, and I don’t believe it has anything to say in the long run. Because the spots will be in different places each application.
The effectiveness will mellow out, but good to know anyway.
 
Skeleton lady aka Dr. Dray warned about mixing tretinoin with moisturiser. It gives spotty coverage. Done it for years, and I don’t believe it has anything to say in the long run. Because the spots will be in different places each application.
The effectiveness will mellow out, but good to know anyway.
So you put the tret on, and.... no moisturizer??? Or like, don't blend the two together and apply it as a mixture?
 
So you put the tret on, and.... no moisturizer??? Or like, don't blend the two together and apply it as a mixture?
She meant to not mix it in the hand before applying, but I do it because tret isn't easy to smear on the skin by itself.
 
She meant to not mix it in the hand before applying, but I do it because tret isn't easy to smear on the skin by itself.
Ah gotcha. I was going to say, I'm pretty sure if I just put on the tret and didn't moisturize afterward, my skin would...like... fall off eventually.
 
I recently got/noticed some cherry angiomas on my face, saw online some people saying you can use apple cider vinegar to burn them off, and I need somebody to tell me if this is insane or actually does work. For the record, I would test it on another body part with an angioma before trying my face.
Apparently you put some coconut oil around the spot to protect it, and the speck will scab and come off in about a week.

Could you also use a wart freeze-off thing to get rid of them? I might be able to find one in a store if they do still sell those.
 
I wish I knew this thread existed sooner.

I have a question for y’all. I started using Tret .025 a couple of weeks ago, daily. My skin isn’t sensitive at all and I’ve had no irritation. I want to add a toner or serum to my routine. Any recommendations for a new addition?

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser AM&PM, Aveeno Oat Gel Moisturizer AM&PM, Tretinoin.025% PM. UV Aqua rich SPF.

My main skin concerns are acne scarring, redness, sun spots, I know tret will help with most of this but I really want to add a little extra.
I’ve heard that cosrx snail mucin essence is really soothing and hydrating for tret skin.
 
I’ve heard that cosrx snail mucin essence is really soothing and hydrating for tret skin.
I have heard AMAZING things about that product. I’m just wondering if it’s overhyped. But I may consider trying it sometime.

I added Hyaluronic acid and Niacinamide from TO into my routine and I feel like my skin is much more oily now. Maybe the snail mucin would work better.
 
i have pretty shitty combo dry/oily skin but my schedule is usually
shower in the morning, use a lil bit of let the good times roll from lush, out of shower skin's shangri la moisturizer also by lush.
before bed i just wet my face again and use a hand towel, just so im not gross before bed.
 
I’ve heard that cosrx snail mucin essence is really soothing and hydrating for tret skin.
I have heard AMAZING things about that product. I’m just wondering if it’s overhyped. But I may consider trying it sometime.

I added Hyaluronic acid and Niacinamide from TO into my routine and I feel like my skin is much more oily now. Maybe the snail mucin would work better.
My skin isn't sensitive, but something I can't explain. I feel like it give me some sort of plump.

Vaselin as a sleeping mask is what saves sensitive tret skin

Only part about skin not being more sensitive to sun, because of vit A is relevant. When I was on plebbit, I only saw "OMG, vit A will make your skin so sensitive to the sun".
Learned this long time ago, but it's information that's more "hidden".
 
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