01-09-21, 10:44 AM | |
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
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Carol, thanks at least for the solidarity (re the white things); we can try to have motivation to leave them alone together.
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Beth aka Toaster (she/her) Follow me @YogiBethC YouTube|Instagram|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon. |
01-09-21, 10:56 AM | ||
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Arizona
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Quote:
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Sherry |
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01-09-21, 11:31 AM | |
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
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I've read so much about AHAs and BHAs but I'm still not sure what is best for me. I have a AHA (Alpha Essential Renewal Lotion, 10% glycolic acid) which I usually use in the mornings, although I admit that I am not consistent. Sometimes I also use a mattifying moisturizer in the a.m., not always. In the evenings, after I wash my face, I use Noxzema pads (a BHA), mostly to get rid of any makeup left behind.
I would love to hear any recommendations for how I should use the products I already have. In addition to the above, here's what I have right now: Differin gel (been using this occasionally on my chin), Clean & Clear salicylic acid gel (ditto), Pimecrolimus cream (was prescribed to me over the summer when the the area around my chin/nose became more inflamed), a a Vitamin C/retinol product from Dermedicine (have used sometimes in the evenings around my eyes/forehead; haven't noticed much either way), and another product from Dermedicine that has retinol, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, stem cells (?), collagen, hyaluronic acid, DMAE, peptides and CoQ10 (I haven't used this much). Oh, DH has a prescription for Azelaic Acid cream, and I've used that occasionally on my chin as well. I think you can see why I am confused - help! NOTE: The 2 Dermedicine products were gifts and are very pricey, so not something I would repurchase, but I have plenty of both so may as well use while I have!!!
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Beth aka Toaster (she/her) Follow me @YogiBethC YouTube|Instagram|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon. |
01-09-21, 11:40 AM | |
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
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Yes, I would be very confused with all that too, Beth. To oversimplify the BHA vs. AHA issue, BHA is best for exfoliating within the pores and AHA is best for exfoliating sun-damaged skin. My pores tend to get clogged, so I use BHA. But I prefer a gel formula for exfoliation, so if the only gel available to me was an AHA, I would use that. My sister uses both BHA and AHA, but not at the same time.
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Carol |
01-09-21, 11:59 AM | |
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Arizona
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I follow a dermatologist on IG, her account is ranellamd. She says to use exfoliants no more than once a week, or you could damage your skin. BHA if you have oily skin and breakouts, AHA for anti-aging.
I used to use Paula’s Choice 2% BHA every night with no problems. However, once I started tretinoin, I had to stop. It was too much for my skin. From what I’ve learned following skincare experts on IG and you tube is that less is more. If you use too many products, you can damage your skin barrier. If I were using Differin or retinol in the evenings, and wanted to use a BHA, I would use something gentle in the morning. Such as a 2% salicylic acid face wash. Zapzyt has a good one. CeraVe has one also. I wouldn’t use retinol or Differin together. You only need one retinoid at a time.I would use up the retinol, then go back to Differin. I think the Clean and Clear and noxzema are pretty strong? I wouldn’t use them with a retinol. I use my cleanser twice to make sure my makeup is off, then follow by gently wiping my face with a damp microfiber cloth. Some people do a double cleanse with an oil cleanser first. Having said all that, some people have tough skin and can use a lot of products. Everyone’s skin is different.
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Sherry Last edited by Leonana; 01-09-21 at 12:03 PM. Reason: I can’t spell! |
01-09-21, 12:51 PM | |
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
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I'm one of those people with tough skin and I can use 2% BHA twice a day with no issues. The only thing my skin has ever reacted to is 1% retinol. That made the skin under my eyes shrivel up like raisins. But I can 0.3% retinol right on top of the 2% BHA. However, I do limit the number of products I use to the minimum.
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Carol |
01-09-21, 01:00 PM | |
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Western NY
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Thanks Sherry & Carol for your thoughts! I haven't been using either of the retinol products - or at least I hadn't been since I started trying the Vitamin C one around my eyes. I use the Noxema pads (which are very low in salicylic acid) because I can NOT get all of the makeup residue off no matter what I try (cleansers, cleaning pads, etc) - and I don't wear a lot of makeup! I also only use the Clean & Clear (which is low in salicylic acid as well) when I have a specific breakout; I do notice that it is drying.
I wonder about using different things on different areas of my face. For example, I have dark undereye circles, blackheads on my nose, and the whiteheads on my chin/occasional breakouts in that area. I don't really have much sun damage (that I know of) - so does that mean I shouldn't use a AHA and/or retinol at all? Sherry, I have one follow-up question for you - I haven't sought out salicylic acid in cleansers because I've read that it's not effective in that formulation (ie, it just gets washed away). Have you heard differently about that?
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Beth aka Toaster (she/her) Follow me @YogiBethC YouTube|Instagram|Facebook And yes, I am Reviewer Dr. Beth on Amazon. |
01-09-21, 01:07 PM | |
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Chicago, IL
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AHA is a perfectly good exfoliant whether you have sun damaged skin or not. I think an exfoliant is an essential step; it's just a matter of finding what works for you. Sunscreen is the most important product for anti-aging. I'm very happy I found a retinol product that I can tolerate, but some people can't. I agree that exfoliating ingredients are not very effective in a cleanser, unless it's a physical exfoliant like a scrub. But I prefer the BHA gel, because I can use it around my eyes.
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Carol |
01-09-21, 01:23 PM | |
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Arizona
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I used to think exfoliating wasn’t effective in a cleanser. I think that’s what Paula’s Choice claims. However, some derms disagree. Dr Dray says it’s effective if you leave it on for a couple of minutes, as it can work in a short time. Oth, I think the PC 2% BHA products are more gentle, they add in soothing ingredients. The Clean and Clear does sound drying.
Regarding makeup removal, I’ve heard wonderful recommendations for the makeup eraser cloth. Apparently it just takes off makeup with water. I do okay with getting all my makeup off with a double cleanse and a microfiber cloth. I couldn’t use the Noxzema because of my fragrance allergy. Usually, acne prone skin is compromised skin and fragrance can irritate it. The Noxzema contains the most irritating fragrance ingredients and alcohol (Eugenol, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Cinnamal, Citral). Fragrance doesn’t bother everyone, but if I had breakouts, I’d avoid it to see if my skin improves. I know some people like a witch hazel toner for makeup removal. That might be another option. Or a gentle antioxidant toner. I agree with Carol, sunscreen is most important. Even indoors if you have windows with lots of sunlight. You don’t have to use retinol or Differin, but both have been shown to help with acne. When I used Differin, my face felt so smooth. I like retinoids, so I would use the Differin. Start slowly, once a week, then increasing it gradually. It’s effective even three or four times a week. I mentioned using the retinol because you said you wanted to use it up. But I think the retinol and Differin work better if used consistently and on the whole face.
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Sherry |
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