Skincare questions

[benignice]

https://www.paulaschoice.com/clinical-1pct-retinol-treatment/801.html how does this compare to normal retin a? it's really hard to get in my country

As far as retinols go, thats a good one, its pretty strong, but no retinol will be the same as tretinoin if thats what you're wanting.

 

[changeisnigh]

current skincare routine looks something like this. give me your thoughts

Morning 1:
1) Cleanser (Avene)
2) Toner (Hylamide)
3) Niacinamide
4) Buffet Peptides
5) Natural Moisturizing Factors (moisturizer)
6. sunscreen
Evening 1:
1) Cleanser
2) Toner
3) Mandelic Acid
4) Vitamin C
5) Moisturizer

i rotate vita c with retin a (0.05) every other day. also do the aha chemical peel once a week.

 

[benignice]

current skincare routine looks something like this. give me your thoughts

Morning 1:
1) Cleanser (Avene)
2) Toner (Hylamide)
3) Niacinamide
4) Buffet Peptides
5) Natural Moisturizing Factors (moisturizer)
6. sunscreen
Evening 1:
1) Cleanser
2) Toner
3) Mandelic Acid
4) Vitamin C
5) Moisturizer

i rotate vita c with retin a (0.05) every other day. also do the aha chemical peel once a week.

I'd personally move the vitamin C to the morning (also that way if your skin can handle it you can do it on the same day as the Retin A), but that is 100% personal preference. Other than that it looks good

 

[Deleted member 1849]

My acne is clearing up, this is mega lifefuel.

I've added Benzoyl Peroxide 10% Face and Body wash
Retin-A 0.025
Niacinamide 10% with 1% Zinc
Vit C serum

It's getting better every day. I'm gonna come out of quarantine with great skin.

 

[YoungRichNigga]

My acne is clearing up, this is mega lifefuel.

I've added Benzoyl Peroxide 10% Face and Body wash
Retin-A 0.025
Niacinamide 10% with 1% Zinc
Vit C serum

It's getting better every day. I'm gonna come out of quarantine with great skin.

what vitamin c serum and niacinamide are u using?

 

[benignice]

My acne is clearing up, this is mega lifefuel.

I've added Benzoyl Peroxide 10% Face and Body wash
Retin-A 0.025
Niacinamide 10% with 1% Zinc
Vit C serum

It's getting better every day. I'm gonna come out of quarantine with great skin.

Good, I'm glad its working for you man.

what vitamin c serum and niacinamide are u using?

Going on the way that was phrased I'd take a stab at the The Ordinary Niacinamide. Not sure about the vitamin C though.

 

[Lars]

i upped my tret to 0.1 2 days ago but when i applied Niacinamide and moisturizer my skin felt it was on fire and it got this red should i go back to 0.5? or just skip few days and do 0.1 again

 

[benignice]

View attachment 357558
i upped my tret to 0.1 2 days ago but when i applied Niacinamide and moisturizer my skin felt it was on fire and it got this red should i go back to 0.5? or just skip few days and do 0.1 again

Yeah that can happen- you've irritated your skin with the tret so most things on top of it can make the irritation worse. Its up to you how you want to handle it, either option would be a valid choice.

 

[Lars]

Yeah that can happen- you've irritated your skin with the tret so most things on top of it can make the irritation worse. Its up to you how you want to handle it, either option would be a valid choice.

alright thankyou!

 

[YoungRichNigga]

Never tried it, couldn't comment but I trust Sam.

Cause oily skin as a skin type? No. Can it be too heavy for your skin and make you oily throughout the day? Yes.
Salicylic acid.

should i get benzoyl peroxide for acne treatment?
i heard it is harsh on the skin especially when im already on tretinoin 0.05%

 

[Deleted member 1849]

what vitamin c serum and niacinamide are u using?

The one from bengis guide.
bengie is my savior. My acne has always haunted me. I have always been mad because of my fucked up skin.

@benignice is the best poster here. Skinmaxxing is the most legit looksmax other than gym and neck.

should i get benzoyl peroxide for acne treatment?
i heard it is harsh on the skin especially when im already on tretinoin 0.05%

If your skin can handle it, yes. Only night time, and skip nights you feel would do more harm than good irritation wise bro.

 

[YoungRichNigga]

for acne cleasners
should i get the cerave foaming cleanser
or
the neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Face Wash Cream Cleanser
neutrogena link

 

[Moggy]

Appreciate all the help @benignice, I'm starting a new routine and would love your input.

Is this product a good replacement for copper peptides - https://deciem.com/product/rdn-buffet-copper-peptides-1pct-30ml

Do you apply Vit C in the morning and leave it on for the rest of the day, and if you leave it on, do you apply moisturizer/sunscreen on top of it?

I unfortunately can't get my hands on retin-a, are retinols such as this product still worthwhile https://deciem.com/product/rdn-retinol-1pct-in-squalane-30ml

Lastly, I plan on jumping on steroids as soon as gyms reopen and want to fight off the build up of sebum, would using cleansers twice a day be sufficient, or should I look into other products.

 

[YoungRichNigga]

Appreciate all the help @benignice, I'm starting a new routine and would love your input.

Is this product a good replacement for copper peptides - https://deciem.com/product/rdn-buffet-copper-peptides-1pct-30ml

Do you apply Vit C in the morning and leave it on for the rest of the day, and if you leave it on, do you apply moisturizer/sunscreen on top of it?

I unfortunately can't get my hands on retin-a, are retinols such as this product still worthwhile https://deciem.com/product/rdn-retinol-1pct-in-squalane-30ml

Lastly, I plan on jumping on steroids as soon as gyms reopen and want to fight off the build up of sebum, would using cleansers twice a day be sufficient, or should I look into other products.

thank god my doctor prescribed me retina-a back when i was 15.

 

[benignice]

Is this product a good replacement for copper peptides - https://deciem.com/product/rdn-buffet-copper-peptides-1pct-30ml

Its not the best out there, but its perfectly acceptable. It also has some other pretty nice peptides in too.

Do you apply Vit C in the morning and leave it on for the rest of the day

Almost always, yes. It depends on the individual product but if its in a serum then yes.

if you leave it on, do you apply moisturizer/sunscreen on top of it?

Yes

are retinols such as this product still worthwhile

Worthwhile? Absolutely. The same as tretinoin? No.

I plan on jumping on steroids as soon as gyms reopen and want to fight off the build up of sebum, would using cleansers twice a day be sufficient, or should I look into other products.

It should be fine- shift either your morning or evening routine to when you've finished working out and you should be okay in terms of hygiene. The potential of acne that comes along with steroids likely won't be fixed by cleansing alone however.

 

[EverythingMattersCel]

iv) Is the CeraVe moisturiser feeling like its enough for your skin? And how is the cleanser feeling?
Yes, you're right with the vitamin C- the aim of the game here is to not piss your skin off until your moisture barrier is back to where it needs to be.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/14odhwjGkPX7IjhDX_KbwyvQPHiPJ5djDlXBkkDcdZGI/edit?usp=sharing
There are some product recommendations in here.

The moisturiser does the trick in giving my skin moisture but if I put it on my peeling skin after a shower my whole face turns bright red. The cleanser though is really drying. At the moment I am using the CeraVe foaming cleanser. The hydration cleanser is recommended for dry skin and I plan to switch to it once the foaming cleanser runs out...

My recent switch to washing my face every other day seems to be doing the trick. My skin is much less dry and I have avoided any severe breakouts. It's not ideal though and I'm hoping the CeraVe hydration cleanser will let me wash my face every day...

By the way, what are your thoughts on using Adapalene and Retin-A together?

I only have a layman's understanding of the subject but studies show that Adapalene binds to the retinoic beta/gamma receptors while Retin - A targets the Alpha receptors. Wouldn't it be ideal for sustainability, anti-aging and spot-controlling purposes to use both in one's skincare regimen? I don't mean applying both in the same day but Adapalene could be used one day and Retin - A on another day...

 

[benignice]

The moisturiser does the trick in giving my skin moisture but if I put it on my peeling skin after a shower my whole face turns bright red. The cleanser though is really drying. At the moment I am using the CeraVe foaming cleanser. The hydration cleanser is recommended for dry skin and I plan to switch to it once the foaming cleanser runs out...

Potentially look into something other than the CeraVe for moisturiser if you feel like you need to.
Yeah I wouldn't recommend a foaming cleanser if you're feeling that dry.

By the way, what are your thoughts on using Adapalene and Retin-A together.

I only have a layman's understanding of the subject but studies show that Adapalene binds to the retinoic beta/gamma receptors while Retin - A targets the Alpha receptors. Wouldn't it be ideal for sustainability, longevity and spot-controlling purposes to use both in one's skincare regimen? I don't mean applying both in the same day but Adapalene could be used one day and Retin - A on another day...

Tretinoin (Retin A) binds to all three retinoic acid receptors, whereas adapalene selectively binds to beta and gamma.
Some people find that they have better results with one compared to the other so it might be worth trying them both out individually, but beyond irritation concerns and individual results I can't see much of a reason to alternate.

 

[EverythingMattersCel]

Tretinoin (Retin A) binds to all three retinoic acid receptors, whereas adapalene selectively binds to beta and gamma.
Some people find that they have better results with one compared to the other so it might be worth trying them both out individually, but beyond irritation concerns and individual results I can't see much of a reason to alternate.

Thanks.

What are your thoughts on this study?

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13555-018-0231-8.pdf

Can adapalene really improve atrophic scarring? If you look at the results from the participants, it's pretty damn good. The efficacy looks similar to that of more invasive treatments like microneedling and lasers.

If true, does that mean Tretinoin should be able to bring similar textural improvements to pitted scars?

 

[benignice]

Thanks.

What are your thoughts on this study?

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13555-018-0231-8.pdf

Can adapalene really improve atrophic scarring? If you look at the results from the participants, it's pretty damn good. The efficacy looks similar to that of more invasive treatments like microneedling and lasers.

If true, does that mean Tretinoin should be able to bring similar textural improvements to pitted scars?

I think that its certainly interesting and very promising although all of the studies (that I've seen) have been very small.
Not necessarily re tretinoin, although I have heard some people getting good results on atrophic scarring from tret.

 

[Wannabe6ft2]

@benignice what do think of rest days to allow your skin to "breathe" whereby for 1 day of the week you only cleanse your skin.

Thanks.

What are your thoughts on this study?

https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s13555-018-0231-8.pdf

Can adapalene really improve atrophic scarring? If you look at the results from the participants, it's pretty damn good. The efficacy looks similar to that of more invasive treatments like microneedling and lasers.

If true, does that mean Tretinoin should be able to bring similar textural improvements to pitted scars?

I've seen someone on here say they cured their atrophic scariing with tazorac. You would think that if tazorac/adapalene could cure scarring tretinoin could as well however I've had no success

 

[benignice]

what do think of rest days to allow your skin to "breathe" whereby you only cleanse for 1 day of the week?

I've never seen a valid reason given for this.
And skin doesn't breathe.

 

[Wannabe6ft2]

I've never seen a valid reason given for this.
And skin doesn't breathe.

Yeah hence why I put it in quotations. Thanks.

 

[EverythingMattersCel]

Yeah hence why I put it in quotations. Thanks.

https://www.the-dermatologist.com/news/tazarotene-gel-option-post-acne-scarring

This looks interesting as well:

"I think any of the retinoic acids, like tretinoin, would be a similarly effective treatment," he said. "It stands to reason that tretinoin as well as adapalene would get similar results, although I'm not aware of any study that that looks at their effectiveness versus microneedling. Each of these (modalities) works by activating the same receptors."

Did you get no improvements on your scars with Tretinoin? Do you have, mild, moderate or severe scarring?

 

[benignice]

Did you get no improvements on your scars with Tretinoin? Do you have, mild, moderate or severe scarring?

Are you asking me this or someone else?

 

[EverythingMattersCel]

Are you asking me this or someone else?

The guy I quoted. I will take it to DMs...

 

[Wannabe6ft2]

https://www.the-dermatologist.com/news/tazarotene-gel-option-post-acne-scarring

This looks interesting as well:

"I think any of the retinoic acids, like tretinoin, would be a similarly effective treatment," he said. "It stands to reason that tretinoin as well as adapalene would get similar results, although I'm not aware of any study that that looks at their effectiveness versus microneedling. Each of these (modalities) works by activating the same receptors."

Did you get no improvements on your scars with Tretinoin? Do you have, mild, moderate or severe scarring?

A derm told me mine are moderate, although I think they are closer to mild. Really depends on the lighting. Invisible in some, pretty bad in others.

Tbf, I've only just started applying 0.1% tret every night for the past week. Whereas before it was fairly sporadic use. I'm gonna see how the tret use (and other topicals) do me until I can get something like subcision when lockdown is over with.

 

[Moggy]

Its not the best out there, but its perfectly acceptable. It also has some other pretty nice peptides in too.

Almost always, yes. It depends on the individual product but if its in a serum then yes.

Yes

Worthwhile? Absolutely. The same as tretinoin? No.

It should be fine- shift either your morning or evening routine to when you've finished working out and you should be okay in terms of hygiene. The potential of acne that comes along with steroids likely won't be fixed by cleansing alone however.

Thanks, that clears things up. Do you know of any product or method that I should incorporate into my skincare routube to limit the amount of acne/sebum that may flare up due to roids

 

[benignice]

Thanks, that clears things up. Do you know of any product or method that I should incorporate into my skincare routube to limit the amount of acne/sebum that may flare up due to roids

Niacinamide, azelaic acid and salicylic acid would be the first things that came to mind.

 

[hairyballscel]

@benignice
whats your opinion on double cleansing?
I have dry skin so would it dry it out further?
Also what do you think is the best type of cleanser for dry skin? thanks

 

[Collagen or rope]

@benignice what's your opinion on upgrading from 0.05 to 0.1 tret for anti aging? Will it make a difference, however small? I just wanna look as young as possible, for as long as possible. Collagen is life.

 

[KingScrew]

Applying generously vs neatly:
I figured that the additional time spent spreading a sparing amount moisturizer compared to just slapping it on quick was not economically efficient.
So does it generally matter whatever or not one carelessly/quickly layer on thick with a moisturizer and cleanser (both CeraVe), or should I use smaller amounts and some extra time.

For reference, I like someone else mentioned find the moisturizer to not really "absorb" but rather sit as a layer hours later.

 

[benignice]

@benignice
whats your opinion on double cleansing?
I have dry skin so would it dry it out further?
Also what do you think is the best type of cleanser for dry skin? thanks

I like it if you're wearing sunscreen (which you should be). It shouldn't dry your skin out if you're using the right cleanser(s) for you. I have really dry skin and double cleanse on an evening whenever I'm wearing sunscreen.
Best type of cleanser would be a balm, oil or cream most probably.

@benignice what's your opinion on upgrading from 0.05 to 0.1 tret for anti aging? Will it make a difference, however small? I just wanna look as young as possible, for as long as possible. Collagen is life.

If you're under 35 and don't have an awful lifestyle then 0.5 is going to be just fine.

Applying generously vs neatly:
I figured that the additional time spent spreading a sparing amount moisturizer compared to just slapping it on quick was not economically efficient.
So does it generally matter whatever or not one carelessly/quickly layer on thick with a moisturizer and cleanser (both CeraVe), or should I use smaller amounts and some extra time.

For reference, I like someone else mentioned find the moisturizer to not really "absorb" but rather sit as a layer hours later.

Sorry, I'm not sure what you're asking?
With product application, apply enough to cover what you need but don't make your face feel like an oil slick. But I'm not sure how taking time vs doing it quickly would factor in?
You can always add more product if you need to.

 

[KingScrew]

Sorry, I'm not sure what you're asking?
With product application, apply enough to cover what you need but don't make your face feel like an oil slick. But I'm not sure how taking time vs doing it quickly would factor in?
You can always add more product if you need to.

Is more product superior to less?
I understand we are to use as little retin-a as possible when covering our face.

 

[benignice]

Is more product superior to less?
I understand we are to use as little retin-a as possible when covering our face.

No. Almost always anyway.