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Thu Jul 01, 2004 2:59 am  |
Hi All
I really like this skin care forum  & am finding it very informative. I'm trying to find a regimen to lighten post-inflamatory hyperpigmentation on my face. Even as I read various posts & google for products & info., I think I have more questions than when I started out 
My questions:
1. What products do u recommend for my condition?
2. I heard Vit C w/ retinol or glycolic acid is good to lighten skin. I would like to know what brand ascorbic acid to buy (from the numerous available)  Any Vit C experts here 
3. Considering that ascorbic acid is not stable, do u preserve it in any special way? Or should I use the derivatives like calcium ascorbate, etc?
4. Also, where do I buy non-prescription retinol?
5. Does retinol peel ur skin or make it too dry?
Sorry to ask so many questions.....
I hope somebody can help 
Thanks a lot! |
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Angel |
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Thu Jul 01, 2004 7:56 am |
Vit C serum is a great choice for lightening hyperpigmentation. Skinceuticals also makes a vit C serum that has AHA in it, it is called C+AHA. Rather than adding a retinal to your lightening regime, you might consider a product like skinceuticals Phyto+. It does a great job at lightening hyperpigmentation.
Vit C and retinal do have the potential to dehydrate your skin. Another good product to add is a B5 serum. Your skin should NOT be red a peeling for it to be working correctly. Make sure to start slowly and hydrate your skin enough.
Liz |
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Thu Jul 01, 2004 9:27 am |
Angel, great idea for lightening your hyperpigmentation. I have successfully lightened my melasma along the sides of my face using Retin-A at night and Vitamin C serum during the day. Every once in a while, I'll sub an AHA cream for the Retin-A just for it's brightening effect.
It's great that you understand that l-ascorbic acid is the form of C that is best for topical use in terms of effectiveness. Unfortunately, it is difficult to stabilize. However, many companies have solved this problem and you have many choices. (Cellex-C, Skinceuticals are the big name brands. I use a small name brand called CellularSkinRx because it is a bit less expensive.)If you are into chemistry, you can also mix up your own using l-ascorbic acid powder or crystals and distilled water, glycol solution, etc. This will be very unstable though so anything you make yourself would need to be used quickly and then tossed within days.
Retin-A (tretenoin or retinoic acid) is somewhat difficult to get non-RX though there are pharmacies out of the country where you can buy it. (canadapharmacy.com, etc.) But generally even your family doc can write you a scrip for it. You don't need to see a derm to get a scrip for this. Retinol-based products can be gotten over the counter but they do not contain retinoic acid. Retinol is a far weaker version (vitamin A derivative) of retinoic acid. Their is a product called "green cream" by linda sy that is supposed to be a fairly strong retinol product but will definitely make your skin peel.
Hope some of this has been helpful. Good luck! |
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Thu Jul 01, 2004 5:04 pm |
You guys are so great  I think people on this forum are better at listening to my problem & providing good advice than my derm
have any of u tried mixing ascorbic acid powder/crystal form w/distilled water at home? I wish I had worked harder in chemistry class at high school Powdered Ascorbic acid is a lot cheaper & I believe more stable than liquid form
Wondering what to do now?  |
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Angel |
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Mabsy
Moderator
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Fri Jul 02, 2004 6:25 am |
 I'm terrible at chemistry so for now I'll just rely on Vivier/Skinceuticals to give my skin its daily dose of vit C Can't help you with mixing your own but I have read that it is possible. I'm not sure what how stable/effective it is.
I'm with Liz though in that vitamin C is the way to go and the Skinceuticals C+AHA would be a very good choice. There is also Skinceuticals Phyto+ which targets pigmentation specifically. Couldn't agree more on the B5 gel as well. Vitamin C dries out my skin (normal to combo) and I really do need to put a booster over it.
Mabsy |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 4:36 am |
Hi Betterat40:
I have been using ascorbic acid for a week now & feel it not only stings a bit, but also makes my skin dry and 'caused' a few fine lines around my chin. I mixed the C with some lactic acid 12% cream (to help with dry skin), but obviously it is not helping. What am I doing wrong? I know C helps with fine lines, in my case it seems to cause it
Note: I'm slightly prone to eczema on my chin; I'm trying to remove hyperpigmentation on my chin.
I also want to ask u the exact regimen u used for melasma. Considering my eczema, how much Retin A should I use? Should I apply some moisturizer over it? Should I wash off Retin A or leave it on like a cream? Any other considerations while using retin a & vit c? I hope u dont mind so many questions. Many thanks |
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Angel |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 7:10 am |
 If the C is already irritating your skin, putting lactic acid on it is only going to make it worse. You should cut back your C to every other day or drop down to a lower potency.
If you are using retin-A and C, they should not be used at the same time. Use the C in the morning and the retin-A at night. The retin-A is not supposed to be washed off, it stays on all night. If you are getting to much irritation from the retin-A you can go down to a lower strength or stop it for now.
Don't try to over do it. It will take some time to see results.
Liz |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:27 am |
Hi, Sweetangel,
I agree with Liz. Mixing ascorbic acid with lactic acid sounds like a recipe for drying your skin. I don't know your exact recipe for your c but it doesn't take much pure l-ascorbic acid to get up to a 10% solution (which is a good place to start). Also, it will take about 8 weeks to see results. I have never made my own C. I just didn't trust that it could be done at home and be effective and stable - and I'm lazy about that anyhow. (I'd have to make it every few days, if not every day due to stability problems.)I like my C+ and it's not very expensive (lasts about 10 weeks)but I understand if you like to make it yourself. Anyhow, my "routine" wasn't very complicated.
C Serum each AM followed by sunscreen. Retin-A each PM. Sometimes if the Retin-A was causing my skin to flake too much, I used an AHA cream instead. I could see a nice brightening, texture effect within about three weeks. The actual hyperpigmentation took closer to 8 weeks to actually disappear. If I am not diligent with the sunscreen, I can sometimes see where it used to be, too. So it's very much an ongoing sort of thing. |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:38 pm |
Hi everybody!
Many thanks for responding. If u need a perfect example of someone who makes their face worse by trial & error, u can use me Yeah, today (after a week of Vit C 25% from larachem) I have numerous fine lines around my chin, extreme dryness, & to top it all, increase in pigmentation Bummer!!! I think I made it worse by applying vit c directly on my skin. And I applied the lactic acid 12% because it says on the label "the best moisturiser for even the driest skin." Well, well, well, lessons learned. I really dont want to be making mistakes right now 'coz I'm a bridesmaid for 2 weddings next month. So, I'm kinda hasty in getting results.
Do u think I should dilute the Vit C a bit or mix it with some aloe/moisturiser? Or should I give up on Vit c totally? I have been using Eucerin (has alcohol) & was wondering if there is cocoa butter or moisturizer without alcohol? I think the b5 is a little too much for my budget.
Thanks a lot for ur advise. It really helps to have support & good advise especially when I'm so frustrated  |
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Angel |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 8:40 pm |
| Ohh, btw, I decided not to buy/use Retin A - once bitten, twice shy |
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Angel |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:35 pm |
Ok, here are some more affordable brands that you should be able to find at a store near you. You can read some reviews about them at drugstore.com. I think that you should continue with your vit C, but by all means do not use 25%!!! Anyway, anything over 20% isn't absorbed that well anyway. I would start at 10% and SLOWLY work my way up to 20%. But you need to first let your face heal. So don't do anything to it for a few days, then take it easy after that.
RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream
Burt's Bees Carrot Nutritive Day Creme
Our new lightweight Carrot Nutritive Day Creme offers all the moisturizing benefits of beta-carotene and carrot seed oil in a sheer, easily absorbed base. Repairs and revives sun damaged and aging skin...Naturally!
Burt's Bees Healthy Treatment Evening Primrose Overnight Creme
Evening Primrose Oil, pressed from the seeds of the Evening Primrose Flower, is a rich source of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids, which promote healthy skin by conditioning and restoring moisture to dry or rough areas.
The well known rejuvenating properties of Rosehip Seed Oil, an excellent source of Natural Vitamin A, rapidly penetrate facial skin and help repair and diminish early signs of aging
Liz |
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Wed Jul 14, 2004 10:38 pm |
| thanx abejita, I will look for Burt Bees products (like the ingredients a lot; carrot oil reminds me of carrot cake ) in local health stores so I can apply immediately. Drugstore is really a nice place to shop; they have tons of other stuff that look good like the jason natural labs sheanut butter. will keep u posted on progress (hopefully there is some ) |
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Angel |
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