SC Retinol .5 — peeling skin!!!
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Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:13 am Quote

I bought some SC 0.5 upon the advice of some members of the forum - it was quite expensice but I thought it was worth the cash for younger looking skin!

I used it on Thursday and have not used it again yet, but yesterday and today my skin has started to peel off in patches. Where it has come off it is quite red and a bit sensitive. Is this supposed to happen? I look quite blotchy today and I am a little embarrased sat here at work!

Should I continue with it or not?
thanks

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 6:37 am Quote

My skin got very flakey (not peeling though) and a little sensitive when I first started too. I would suggest you continue with it, but here are a couple of things that helped me:

- use it every couple days to give your skin time to become used to it, working up to every night use.

- use a gentle exfoliant (I used Dermalogica Microfoliant) on the days you don't use retinol. It will help get rid of the loose skin quicker.

- moisturize on the nights you don't use retinol.

I started out using Skinceuticals Retinol .5 every other day for about 3 weeks. Just recently, I started using it 2 nights in a row and taking one night off.

It took about a week for the "flakies" to go away (for me). Now my skin looks so good, I can't imagine ever NOT using this product.

After 3 months, I will move up to SkinceuticalsRetinol 1.0. I'll use that for 3 months and then take 3 months off, and then start over again. I've heard that taking some time off from retinol is important to skin renewal.

Anyway, I'd stick with it, if I were you. The week or two of "icky" skin is worth the end result in my opinion.

Lori

Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:03 am Quote

Thanks

My skin feels quite uncomfortable at the moment - there's also a patch on my left cheek that has puffed up and is very red. I find it really strange that it has taken 4 days for this to happen following my first use. Do you think I should wait a few days for my skin to calm down before using it again? Question

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:16 am Quote

weaholt wrote:

Thanks

My skin feels quite uncomfortable at the moment - there's also a patch on my left cheek that has puffed up and is very red. I find it really strange that it has taken 4 days for this to happen following my first use. Do you think I should wait a few days for my skin to calm down before using it again? Question

Definitely wait! Never apply it while your skin is still irriated. If it's peeling and not red/irritated then it's fine. The additional retinol can help with the peeling part, but it will just make irritation worse. I would suggest using it once per week and see how that goes. You may still need to back off even more if this is your first time with a retinol product. And PLEASE make sure to always wear sunscreen while using retinol! Very Happy

Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:29 am Quote

I do actually think I've made he irritation worse by usin too harsh an exfoliant, I should hve used something milder! At least I'll remember for next time!

Will I need to use a separate sunscreen or will my moisturiser which has SPF 15 be ok? If I do use a separate sunscreen, should it go on before or after my moisturiser?

thanks again!
Maria[/quote]

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:02 am Quote

I would suggest adding a sunscreen. The one in your moisturizer probably isn't enough. And I add mine over my moisturizer, but some people don't need both. While you're using retinol, I'd back away from anything else that exfoliates until you know how your skin will adjust to it. I will use a mild AHA cleanser on the days that I have peelies to help get rid of them, but more than that is usually too much right at first. Unfortunately it takes a lot of trial and error to figure out how your skin will take to different products. Believe me I know first hand! Laughing

Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:13 am Quote

thanks for your help - can you recommend an AHA cleanser to me at all?

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:36 am Quote

Hiya

my skin got flakey too after too much AHA from a peel, and it got red and patchy and sensitive.

If you have Hyaluronic Acid, apply it!!! I have Hydra-cool of IS Clinical (just a sample thanks to EDS!) and it got ok after just over night Smile

then also have vitamin c serum over it, coz it speeds up healing, if you have vitamin c for the eyes (like Active Eyes of LRP) apply it over the patchy red area, so that the vitamin c would not be too drying. And use sunblock, like what they've said Smile

In the ofc, I kept re-applying the Active Eyes to the red area and by the end of the day my skin normalized Smile

I think any Eye Cream with vitamin C that you have should do!

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 9:37 am Quote

I really can't recommend one personally. The one I'm currently using is by La Therapie and although it's nice, I won't be buying it again since it's kind of a pain to get and there are so many other ones out there. I suggest doing a search on this forum for one. Just type in AHA cleanser or something like that. Very Happy

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 12:05 pm Quote

My skin got irritated two months ago when I started Retinol. Now my skin is tolerant of it.

When you are using Retinol you can't use the skincare product which contains ALCOHOL the same time ,this is very important.

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 4:59 pm Quote

I just started using SC Retin-A .05 for a week, pretty conservatively applying it every other day. My skin is not sensitive and I haven’t had any irritations yet, no peeling or redness. Perhaps this means that I need to increase my dosage to a higher retinoid. However, on the alternating days when I apply my Decleor Essential Balm, I get a ball up. Does anyone know if this is due to the dead skin sloughing off?

enjoys freebies · Mon Apr 03, 2006 7:43 pm Quote

Hi weaholt - I just stopped using SC Retinol .5% close to 2 weeks ago. I'd used it since last summer, but during winter, it was just too drying and irritating if I used it 3 or more times a week. So now I've switched to something much milder (Avene Ystheal Emulsion and Contour Des Yeux). I still use the SC once a week, though.

If you have extreme redness and peeling, I wouldn't use any other acid products or abrasives until your skin clears up, as they will probably aggravate the condition. Once you've healed, start the retinol again but apply less of it, and maybe one time a week. Then in between nights at bedtime (if you don't experience the same reaction you had initially), you may want to use an AHA cream or lotion, which will help exfoliate the dry skin from the retinol. All of this is rather drying but is more tolerable in summer when the skin is oilier. If your skin is always dry, you may have a hard time with the SkinCeuticals Retinol -- it's powerful! I always follow-up with a Vit.C serum in the AM (SC CE+Ferulic), and sunscreen (which is oily). These help my skin recover from the irritation caused by various acids, and besides, provide the added protection I need because of using exfoliating products.

And power1080, when I first started using SC .5% Retinol, my skin handled it well and I thought it would be no time before I could graduate to the 1%.! I haven't opened it yet because after a while, the .5% started (finally) irritating my skin when used too often. For me, a milder retinoid applied almost nightly with the occasional use of a stronger one is working better.

Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:19 am Quote

Thank you all for all of your help and suggestions. My skin is feeling much better now - although it is still a bit flakey in plces.

I am going to invest in an AHA cleanser as suggested and as soon as I get my hands on some brown bottles I will be able to make my own vit c serum! Very Happy

Sun May 24, 2009 4:46 am Quote

Can anyone advice if this product is safe to use during pregancy? Many thanks

enjoys freebies · Sun May 24, 2009 9:43 am Quote

I know the oral accutane is definitely prohibited. With this is the type of product it is practically impossible to do human studies. When pregnancy is involved, if there is any question, it is better to err on the side of caution, until you get approval from your doctor.

Sun May 24, 2009 9:46 am Quote

Welcome to EDS, ukfefe. wave

I'm sure others will chime in but in the meantime, these two links have some helpful info regarding pregnancy retinoids:

Safe skin care during pregnancy

Retinoids

These powerful substances, found in some antiaging moisturizers, are lauded for helping reduce wrinkles and improve skin tone. Retinoids are a type of vitamin A that speeds up cell division (quickening your skin's renewal) and prevent skin collagen from breaking down.

But retinoids are one of the skin-care ingredients that experts, including Baumann, recommend that expectant moms stay away from. Some studies have shown that high doses of vitamin A during pregnancy can be harmful to an unborn child. And oral retinoids, such as isotretinoin (Accutane, an acne treatment), are known to cause birth defects.

If you've been using a skin cream that contains a retinoid, don't panic. Retinoids have not been shown to cause problems in their topical form in pregnant women.

"There is no data to show these retinoids ingredients are harmful when used on the skin — doctors are just being extra cautious," explains Baumann.

On the label:
Differin (adapelene)
Retin-A, Renova (tretinoin)
Retinoic acid
Retinol
Retinyl linoleate
Retinyl palmitate
Tazorac and avage (Tazarotene)

Bottom line:
Best to avoid

excerpted from http://www.babycenter.com/0_safe-skin-care-during-pregnancy_1490031.bc#articlesection1

----

Skin Care Ingredients and Supplements Pregnant or Nursing Women Should Not Use
http://www.futurederm.com/2007/11/03/skin-care-ingredients-and-supplements-pregnant-or-nursing-women-should-not-use/

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