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Thu Jan 30, 2014 2:43 pm  |
Sometimes I have used products like Retin A, Vitamin C or Niaminicide I have read about how they work deep down in the dermis to promote healthy, youthful skin but you don't always see results, my skin isn't the way I want it to look. The other times I use something which may be a nice product and get good reviews but there isn't much in the way of scientific evidence to back it up such as the Liz Earle cleanser which I really like but there is nothing whizzy about it.
My instinct is that if my skin is looking nice, smooth and even not to dry or oily then that can only be a good thing in regards to ageing and the future i.e. if my skin is too dry it will be more prone to lines and wrinkles, if it is too oily it will become clogged and prone to ageing inflammation. However recently I have felt it looks best if I stay away from the proven actives and I worry that I don't use these products then my skin might look nice in the short term but get worse over time. My theory is that some of the things that do deep down good things for your skin in the long term are often a little harsh on the top layer or the skin which is what you see with the naked eye. While milder treatments are better for the top layer but don't do as much to shore up and preserve the under lying structure of the skin.
At the moment I am just using the actives a couple of times a week instead of daily so I hope I get some benefit still but I wonder what you all think, do you go by what you see in the mirror or do you always look to the the future and use the big guns?
Also if you can have both please tell me how! |
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Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:48 pm |
Environ C-Quence. The benefits of Vitamin A (in very high doses) without the ravaged outer layer of skin. It works, it's amazing, it's backed by science. (I'm not affiliated, although that line sounds like an ad jingle!  )
I absolutely understand what you're saying, too. Retin-A, for example, does make the outer layers of skin look bad, for a long while, and it does thin the outer layers of skin. Women who have used tretinoin for many years, to my eye, have a pallid, odd waxy texture to their skin. Also, skin care professionals often note that tretinoin users have thinned, overly delicate skin. This worries me, but on the other hand, I do know that Vitamin A is proven to improve skin. Environ C-Quence gives me the benefits without the feeling that I may be damaging some of my skin. |
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Thu Jan 30, 2014 5:58 pm |
| Thank you for your reply, I will check out the topical you mention. Yes I have that "pallid, odd waxy texture to their skin" if I am using my retin a every night. If I back off my skin normalises in a few days but I do wonder would it look so nice and unlined without regular use of the retin a? Judging by other women my age probably not. At the moment it seems better just using retin a few times a week but I am open to trying alternatives. |
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Thu Jan 30, 2014 11:35 pm |
This is a great topic. I'm in favor of both scientific evidence as well as visible results, and I think that the key in most cases is long-term, diligent use. An example is sunscreen. I wore it all through my 20s and 30s without seeing visible results but now I'm in my 40s and my skin is much less damaged than many others my age. I was really just trying to prevent skin cancer, which runs in my family.
I also used Retin-A from the age of 16 into my early 30s. It was for severe cystic acne and at the time, I hated it. Crusty, peely, burny--and it never did do much for my acne. Might actually have worsened it. But I do think that it was "programming" my lower layers of skin to be healthier and stronger.
Another example: think about hair products. Experts will tell you that hair cannot be repaired -- damage is damage. But haven't most of us used a product or two that seemed to miraculously change our hair for the better?
Of course there are compounds and ingredients that clearly produce results but haven't yet been studied thoroughly enough for us to know why they work.
I rarely see visible results that I can reasonably attribute to a single product, regardless of the science. The exception recently has been Lytera and I have had very positive results in general from niacinamide.
So I guess to answer your question: I am happy to experiment with stuff for immediate gratification, but I fit those things into a regimen that's focused on verifiable, repeatable science. One example is that I sometimes mix my vitamin C serum with an oil that smells and feels great but has never been proven to do anything for skin. Maybe the key is to find gentle, well formulated products that make the skin look good now and have proven long term benefits? |
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44, fair, hazel eyes, light brown hair; primary concerns: hormonal melasma, overall tone and texture, mild rosacea |
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havana8
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