did retin A cause this
EDS Skin Care Forums Forum Index » Skin Care and Makeup Forum

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:10 am

I've been using retin a for almost 3 months I put some on my neck the other night and the next day my neck was really red anyway I didn't use any last night because I was worried about the redness so I used rosehip oil which I have also been using for a while.

This morning when I put my vit c serum on my face stung a little bit anyway a few hours later at work my neck was redder than ever and my whole face became red/blotchy and bumpy all over my cheeks,jawline and near my eyes, noone at work knows I use these products and they all thought I was having some kind of allergic reaction but I know it can't be as I haven't eaten or done anything different whats going on?

Should I lay off the products for a few days or is this the time when I just work through it and carry on with things.

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:34 am

Heres a pic

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69403348@N04/

Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:40 am

Woah, that's some mighty irritation you've got there. It doesn't look like hives or an allergy to me, though, just like bad irritation.

I would definitely lay off the RA for at least a few days (I'm writing up a more comprehensive post on RA soon-ish) and the vitamin C too. Both are irritating and will only make it worse.

If possible, get some moisturizer that isn't too full of poisons and use that to cool it off for a bit. I'm assuming you already know to use sunscreen continuously with RA, but stay out of the sun as much as possible, too; your skin is likely to be extra vulnerable in that condition.

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 9:48 am

I know it looks and is really bad, could I use an oil like xtra virgin olive or I've got argan oil,coconut,rosehip or I've got nivea cream

Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:01 am

EVOO and coconut oil is a pretty good deal. Less refined than the Nivea, but much easier on the skin.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and since I was just thinking about it, if you have any honey handy, throw it in with your EVOO and coconut oil. That'd have you cleared up in no time.

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:14 am

Why is coconut oil or even EVOO better than the rosehip? Just curious

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 10:24 am

the one I've got is actually called rose otto super serum it has

rose otto oil, rosehip, argan, passionflower seed oil, geranium oil, clove flower oil, arnica flower oil, jojoba oil,vit E,cotton seed oil,rice bran oil, meadowfoam seed oil, calendula, sweet almond,soya bean,sunflower and vit c

I think I've read rosehip oil can be irritating to some people but most people can tolerate olive/coconut.

I will try anything to help my face but if I lay off the ret a and vit c too long won't I be taking a step back I've tolerated it with no problems for almost 3 months why has this happened to me now

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:28 pm

flgirl wrote:

Why is coconut oil or even EVOO better than the rosehip? Just curious

Coconut oil is a bit more emollient than the other two, so it could be a little bit more soothing to irritated skin. However, the more emollient something is, the more likely it can clog pores, so I'd start with the EVOO

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:53 pm

Interesting...not to change subjects but I was wondering because I just got some rosehip after hearing good things about it but I don't think I've ever had so many pimples between my eyes in my entire life since I started using this stuff Sad

I look like cyclops lol!! I thought it was ok for acne prone skin which I don't really have but I do get them at times.

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:34 pm

Unfortunately skin that is already irritated can react negatively to anything you apply thereafter. And you can suddenly become allergic to something you have used for years, it's more common than an extreme reaction to a novel product. My contact dermatitis never looks like urticaria (hives), just a load of tiny pimples annoyingly similar to breaching the acid mantle!

Rosehip is rich in a form of vitamin A which is a close cousin of Retin-A. Some research attributed to rosehip oil in this link, tho I would caution that the referencing is poor. http://mettamassagetherapy.com/reprints/rosehip_oil.pdf
To be fair the oil you used has seventeen ingredients so any one could have been the trigger: isn't clove oil irritant? Nobody can tell you why you have suddenly reacted, it's likely to be an accumulation of things that stressed your system or caused low grade irritation.

free skin care · Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:03 pm

^ I agree - I wouldn't put anything on for a while. Maybe something very light & pure, but don't experiment if you're not sure.

By the way the first/principle ingredient in your oil blend is an "essential oil", and although its one that people can normally use "neat" (or undiluted), its not one that I'd imagine would be used first for soothing inflamed skin. I'm not certain about that, but don't mess around - go with an undiluted oil, probably a carrier oil, which is recommended for that kind of thing.

And yeah, clove oil doesn't sound good for irritated skin at all - very heaty! I'm sure you've got a minute amount in there, but still.

When people recommended oils here, they're recommending the straight oil - not blended with many other ingredients. That could compromise the effectiveness of it, depending on what the others are.

Also, I'm fine with retin-a on my face, but I'm a little hesitant to use it on my neck. My skin seems more sensitive there so I have to be careful. And I've experienced an irritation on one part of my skin/body triggering a reaction elsewhere. Its not pleasant.
Good luck!

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 12:34 am

I didn't use anything last night but when I woke up my face still looks the same and feels dry so I'm gonna use some EVO/coconut and see what happens Sad

I think what triggered it was using on my neck but why it spread all over I don't know, guess the stinging I felt when putting the vit c on in the morning should have warned me at first I thought maybe it was "uglies" people talk about with retin a but it came on so suddenly.

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 1:13 am

Just to add I think applying the "super serum" with all the oils the night before could have reacted with the redness I already had on my neck causing this irritation.

Aeonios suggested I look at skin deep which I did and its a bit worrying that topical application of retinoids can lead to vitamin a toxicity in the body.

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 2:38 am

http://www.flickr.com/photos/69403348@N04/6311815608/in/photostream

I should mention that I have been using retin A every night for nearly six weeks will I still get full effects if I cut this down a bit, I know the studies regarding retin a and aging involved nightly use.

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:33 am

Those oils sound like good choices.

I feel like I've trained myself to be desensitized to how my skin feels after applying product. It probably would behoove me to become more aware.

I'm of the understanding that retin-a can be used every other day or even less often and still prove effective, but it might only be after a certain period of time that you can pull back. I don't use it (tretinoin) every night but I'm going on 1 year.

Yes, I used the word behoove. Neutral

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:14 am

flick24 wrote:

I didn't use anything last night but when I woke up my face still looks the same and feels dry so I'm gonna use some EVO/coconut and see what happens Sad

I think what triggered it was using on my neck but why it spread all over I don't know, guess the stinging I felt when putting the vit c on in the morning should have warned me at first I thought maybe it was "uglies" people talk about with retin a but it came on so suddenly.

Just to add I think applying the "super serum" with all the oils the night before could have reacted with the redness I already had on my neck causing this irritation.

Aeonios suggested I look at skin deep which I did and its a bit worrying that topical application of retinoids can lead to vitamin a toxicity in the body.

The rash could have spread from whatever product you had left on your hands when applying or on your cloth when washing. My elbow eczema flares from shampoo bubbles running down my arm - very very dilute and rinsed afterwards. The tiniest amount can trigger a reaction if your skin barrier is already breached. Alternatively it could be a minor infection from opportunistic bacteria already living on the skin: don't panic your body can fight them off without antibiotics. The dryness is your body sacrificing the top layer of epidermis to form a new protective stratus corneum. If it doesn't improve in a few days or worsens pop into a pharmacy and have a chat. Wink

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 9:18 am

Reading this thread I am now wondering if Retin A is causing my scaley patches just near my hairline

I have been using Retin A .025% for about 6 weeks, every second night but have just developed this scaley rash like condition just between my hairline and my eyebrows at the sides of my temples? Its strange.

It does look dry but I don't know what to put on it. I did try Infadolan (sp) which is really greasy (used for after derma rolling) and that does seem to be helping. I haven''t used my Retin A for about 3 days, I am a bit worried about using it again.

Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:32 pm

flick24 wrote:

I've been using retin a for almost 3 months I put some on my neck the other night and the next day my neck was really red anyway I didn't use any last night because I was worried about the redness so I used rosehip oil which I have also been using for a while.

This morning when I put my vit c serum on my face stung a little bit anyway a few hours later at work my neck was redder than ever and my whole face became red/blotchy and bumpy all over my cheeks,jawline and near my eyes, noone at work knows I use these products and they all thought I was having some kind of allergic reaction but I know it can't be as I haven't eaten or done anything different whats going on?

Should I lay off the products for a few days or is this the time when I just work through it and carry on with things.

This happend to me when I first started using Retin A especially on the neck area. I solved this by 'buffering' by applying Cerave moisturizer before applying the Retin A. I continued doing this for one month then slowly introduced the Retin A on its own every other day until I could tolerate it everyday.....this solved the issue and I can now use the Retin without any issues at all.

free skin care · Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:43 pm

I do want to keep using the retin a despite this happening I used some olive oil and it doesn't look as bad but feels a bit crusty and dry.

I want to slowly with using retin a again maybe just every other night and vit c on the other nights.

Definantly a good idea to buffer with the neck area I think not sure how long to wait till I start using again should I wait till my skin is completely back to normal, not sure if this is one of those times when I should keep going with it despite the current condition of my skin.

Sat Nov 05, 2011 11:15 am

I would intend to hold off for a few days (five should be sufficient)then start up again. I can remember just how frustrating it was in the beginning and how close I came to quitting (so happy I didn't)!

Hang in there and I promise you it will get better Smile

free skin care · Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:46 pm

ur skin is already irritated ,stop using the skincares and use rosehip oil for the whole face..gentally clean ur face.hope u will get well soon

free skin care · Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:27 am

I have been using .025% Retin A for a year. I haven't seen much improvent in my skin which is getting very dry. My next tube of RA is .05%.
My question is: can I apply a moisture cream over Retin A? And is there a waiting time?

free skin care · Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:33 am

Well I've just been using the olive oil for past few days my skin is feeling soft again and the irritation has gone down but I'm left with about 20 pimple like spots around my jawline some of them appear to have heads on them could these just now be pimples? if so could I start introducing the retin a or c could I have been purging?

free skin care · Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:36 am

Bellezza wrote:

I have been using .025% Retin A for a year. I haven't seen much improvent in my skin which is getting very dry. My next tube of RA is .05%.
My question is: can I apply a moisture cream over Retin A? And is there a waiting time?

Yes I'm sure you can apply moisturiser over retin a I would wait around 40 minutes if you can, I'm thinking now of using olive oil over the top.

free skin care · Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:58 am

flick24 wrote:

Well I've just been using the olive oil for past few days my skin is feeling soft again and the irritation has gone down but I'm left with about 20 pimple like spots around my jawline some of them appear to have heads on them could these just now be pimples? if so could I start introducing the retin a or c could I have been purging?

By damaging the protective acid mantle you allow weak opportunistic bacteria to take hold. This *may* have been exacerbated by the comodegenicity of the olive oil. Your skin is stressed and IMO needs to heal before you consider re-introducing irritants or exfoliants.

Automatic Message

If this is your first visit to the EDS Forums please take the time to register. Registration is required for you to post on the forums. Registration will also give you the ability to track messages of interest, send private messages to other users, participate in Gift Certificates draws and enjoy automatic discounts for shopping at our online store. Registration is free and takes just a few seconds to complete.

Click Here to join our community.

If you are already a registered member on the forums, please login to gain full access to the site.