I have used retin-A micro .04% (on the mild end of the spectrum); any of the stronger concentrations or other retinoids like tazorac are intolerable with the redness, stinging, peeling.
― quincie, Thursday, 8 August 2013 19:47 (ten years ago) link
But that is just me and I am a sensitive flower.
Oh! E, I'm glad you said something. You'd mentioned Retin-A before and I was wondering how it was going. I have a dermatologist appointment next week to get a spot looked at and I was going to ask about Retin-A, retinoids, etc. I tried Retin-A in the late 90s but I gave up at the first sign of trouble.
Like that NYT article mentioned, besides the benefits in appearance, it apparently repairs pre-cancerous skin cells? Sounds good to me.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Thursday, 8 August 2013 20:34 (ten years ago) link
i would read that jezebel article but it is so full of jokes that i can't find the relevant facts -- i think i might try retin-a/oids even if things get worse before they get better. it's better than being stuck with spotty bumpy face skin. i guess i'll see what the doc says.
― free your spirit pig (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 August 2013 20:38 (ten years ago) link
I'm going to the dermatologist for "age spots" I guess they're called. WTF are those? They're on my face. Probably sun damage? Until this year I'd worn sunscreen on my face exactly never.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Thursday, 8 August 2013 20:44 (ten years ago) link
LL it def could help just know it might get bumpier for a couple months. I'm definitely breaking out more than I normally do but I'm not giving up dammit!!!!!
One thing I've read that helps with the dryness and peeling is to wait 1/2 an hour after washing yr face before applying it thereby making sure your face is totally dry before it touches it. IDK why but supposedly this makes a difference and I think it's helped for me.
Jesse - I think it can help with age spots because of the rapid cell turnover etc.
I will keep updating! I think I've been using it regularly for about 5-6 weeks now.
― Airwrecka Bliptrap Blapmantis (ENBB), Thursday, 8 August 2013 20:52 (ten years ago) link
letting my face dry before moisturizing or applying makeup has helped me a lot with my rosacea. i think it's something about the dampness idk?
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 8 August 2013 20:54 (ten years ago) link
I want to try a chemical exfoliant, which is supposedly better for your skin than a scrub - that is something that might help with face bumpiness, LL.
― just1n3, Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:19 (ten years ago) link
I got a mad chin break out right after posting above that the retin-A hadn't been shitting up my skin. But I actually think it might be the fault of the sunscreen I started using.
― just1n3, Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:21 (ten years ago) link
I haven't experienced the initial breakout/purging thing with Retin-A. I get bumpy on my forehead the week before my period, which is perfectly in synch with when the DREADED CHIN HAIR (just one, but a pesky bastard) makes its appearance.
I have a pact with a girlfriend of mine that we will each make sure to pluck the DREADED CHIN HAIR for each other should either of us happen to fall into a coma.
― quincie, Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:31 (ten years ago) link
I've had the worst chin breakout in years but i think it's low-level stress :(
― kinder, Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:32 (ten years ago) link
Salicylic acid is a chemical exfoliant. I got on the SA wagon after reading an Ask Me Anything Reddit thread by a skin care chemist who just wouldn't shut up about it. She recommended Selsun Blue Naturals as face wash b/c it contains SA.
I bought 30% SA from Amazon and did some home chemical skin peels but I didn't follow through for very long b/c the peeling is kind of a pain in the ass. And for me there was about a day of hyperpigmentation before I peeled and it made me feel like hiding from society.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:37 (ten years ago) link
Testing products for breakouts is the biggest pain. I change a product, and then sometime later I get a breakout. Is it a) because of the product, b) because I'm premenstrual that week anyway, c) because I accidentally got hairspray on my skin while styling, c) because I need to change my pillowcase or sheets, d) because I wore a bike bag with a strap across my sternum and got it sweaty and now my neck is a Robin Cook novel. Seriously how am I ever supposed to know if it was the product?!??
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:41 (ten years ago) link
I did try chemical exfoliants for a while but the bumps and spots are not limited to pms times anymore, they're just there ALL THE TIME. I feel like I'm being a little vain about this but then I see people without bumps and feel like I deserve to not have bumps too.
― free your spirit pig (La Lechera), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:50 (ten years ago) link
idk, psychological peace of mind is not the same thing as vanity. sometimes skin stuff, especially on yr face, can just kind a make you feel a bit paranoid and/or set apart. seeking answers is fine!
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:53 (ten years ago) link
c) because I need to change my pillowcase or sheets
Frequently changing pillowcases is one of the most surprisingly valuable skin-care tips ever and I learned it from one of your posts.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:54 (ten years ago) link
I mean, it makes sense - Your head is oily and you don't want to lay your face on an oily, grimy surface for hours and hours at a time, but it never occurred to me.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:57 (ten years ago) link
It's true! I don't know how it first occurred to me, maybe I just over time noticed that my skin clearing up coincided w changing my sheets. The top flat sheet that I fold under my chin can be a problem too--I know when I start getting bumps under my jaw and on my upper neck that it's dirty. This doesn't necessarily coincide with the amt of time it's been on.
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Thursday, 8 August 2013 21:58 (ten years ago) link
hahaha, ENBB, you sound like me on this thread! Glad you are (finally) sticking with the retin-a!
― kate78, Thursday, 8 August 2013 22:53 (ten years ago) link
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Thursday, August 8, 2013 9:54 PM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
As someone who has been hassling you about changing your sheets more often for years, I feel like I should get some credit for at least laying the groundwork here.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Thursday, 8 August 2013 22:54 (ten years ago) link
I had my neck and chest dermapenned last week and then had straight retin-a applied immediately afterwards. Peeled like a motherfuckers all weekend but now I'm verrrry smoooooth.
― kate78, Thursday, 8 August 2013 22:54 (ten years ago) link
― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Thursday, August 8, 2013 9:53 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Also this is super true.
Also! The salon where I have been getting my hair cut since 2005 declared me one of their "top clients" and sent me a card good for a free facial! This is very exciting. I have had two facials in my life (one free because my roommate worked at a salon and one gift), but they are definitely things that I see as complete indulgences that I am unwilling to purchase myself. For once my skin isn't giving me any grief, too, so I feel like I can just go in for the relaxation aspect as opposed to the problem solving aspect.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Thursday, 8 August 2013 22:58 (ten years ago) link
Several years ago I was able to afford a facial every two weeks. The spa used Pevonia products and my skin looked amazing after four sessions. I remember friends telling me it was like I had a film removed and strangers at grocery stores and out and about would come up and compliment me or ask me if I was French. I miss facials! They are totally worth it. Of course finding the right esthetician can be tricky and products that agree with you.
― *tera, Friday, 9 August 2013 00:23 (ten years ago) link
I've never had a facial. I always thought they were excessive but I guess I was wrong!
― free your spirit pig (La Lechera), Friday, 9 August 2013 02:32 (ten years ago) link
I mean that 100% sincerely lest I sound flip. I really never knew they actually did anything.
― free your spirit pig (La Lechera), Friday, 9 August 2013 02:34 (ten years ago) link
I have oily skin and maybe that's why it made a noticeable difference. My skin really looked clean and smooth and more balanced.
― *tera, Friday, 9 August 2013 02:44 (ten years ago) link
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Thursday, August 8, 2013 5:54 PM (5 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Haha yes. It's just that I'd never realized that being less filthy could have tangible effects on my dermal wellness.
Re facials: what do they involve? Like LL, I'd always thought they were just about pampering and some snake oil (until recently I thought every hair and skin product beyond plain old soap, conditioner, and lotion was snake oil) and maybe some hardcore pore extraction.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Friday, 9 August 2013 04:45 (ten years ago) link
Just googled Pevonia and the first product I looked at says
An unsurpassed formula with micronized actives: Caviar (repairing)
CAVIAR! o_0
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Friday, 9 August 2013 04:48 (ten years ago) link
The facials I've had have involved the application of steam and like, a whole bunch of skin care products - masks, scrubs, peels - plus hardcore pore extraction and some moisturizing and face/neck/shoulder massage. I don't think it's snake oil, but like I said, it's def a pampering thing for me. I've never had them regularly though so who knows how amazing my skin could be.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Friday, 9 August 2013 12:11 (ten years ago) link
something i never knew: a regular t-shirt is like SPF 5
something else i never knew: either you are using SPF 50 or you are just fucking around
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 13:37 (ten years ago) link
Women's mag wisdom, at least from the last time I read women's magazines, was that anything over SPF 30 was a waste. That's been awhile, though.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:22 (ten years ago) link
keep up, GRANDMA!
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:26 (ten years ago) link
lol
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:33 (ten years ago) link
and if you do, you'll be such a sexy grandma. mmmmm sexy wrinkle-free grandma.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:35 (ten years ago) link
I bought a Marie Claire in the airport the other day but I only read the first ten pages or so before I got annoyed and stopped. I will revisit to determine the most expedient way to become sexy and wrinkle-free.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:42 (ten years ago) link
this looked like a good airport read for the ladies on this thread (if you speak french):
http://f.cl.ly/items/3A3A0l17283i0m1Q0p1m/ClouDrop%209%20Aug%202013%2016%3A48%3A56.png
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:50 (ten years ago) link
lol sorry, sorta confused this with the body positivity thread.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:51 (ten years ago) link
i.e. i have no idea if there are specific skin-care tips in there. though i wouldn't be surprised. there was a little fiction, some fashion stuff, some culture stuff.. like, basically a "woman's magazine" except not quite so in hock to the 5 conglomerates that own every product marketed to women.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 14:59 (ten years ago) link
Me too, but what I read was that anything over SPF 15 was a waste. Also quite awhile ago, so I guess I'm a grandma too.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:11 (ten years ago) link
I don't know that it's a "waste" but the protection increases only very incrementally above 30 or so--you only gain a few percentage points' more protection even when you make a big jump in SPF number. Considering that the UV blocking chemicals can irritate some skin etc etc, it just makes sense to find a balance somewhere in between and make sure to reapply.
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:28 (ten years ago) link
Also considering that in our lifetimes, sun protection has gone from "none" to "absolutely crucial, don't ever go outside" levels of alarm, I think we tend to put a lot of faith in sunscreens, esp ones that seem extreme (do they still make Bullfrog?), to give a level of protection that they can't deliver. Like, a strong sunscreen is not a magic bullet.
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:30 (ten years ago) link
I used to use Bullfrog on my face when I lifeguarded. But being a grandma, I have no idea whether it is still around.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:31 (ten years ago) link
I was going to say, I'm pretty sure it was marketed as the lifeguard's sunscreen! That's def how I thought of it, it had a certain cachet.
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:35 (ten years ago) link
i'm getting this from my wife, who talks to doctors about this stuff for a living. who knows, in 20 years things could change (and the definition of SPF numbers could change...), but that's what they're saying now.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:37 (ten years ago) link
Bullfrog on the face, Banana Boat SPF 15 everywhere else (this was the 80s so SPF 15 was some cutting edge shit). I have a crazy strong olfactory memory of Banana Boat to this day. I can smell it whenever I listen to Led Zeppelin III, which was on heavy rotation at the time, and if I actually smell Banana Boat I can totally smell chlorine and hear pool sounds.
― Lawyer... SUAVE... (carl agatha), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:49 (ten years ago) link
i see way more young people with umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun than i did even a few years ago. it's def a lot less greasy/comedogenic (do people still use this word?) than sunscreen.
― free your spirit pig (La Lechera), Friday, 9 August 2013 15:52 (ten years ago) link
I use that word.
― potatoes-in-law (Je55e), Friday, 9 August 2013 16:13 (ten years ago) link
I'd totally carry a parasol. But I never can find one!
― homosexual II, Friday, 9 August 2013 17:24 (ten years ago) link
Does anyone else have extreme fatigue after being in the sun? Even if I am out in direct sun (especially in summer) for like an hour, I feel like TOTAL SHIT the rest of the day. Like after a hangover.
― homosexual II, Friday, 9 August 2013 17:25 (ten years ago) link
I find a day in the sun tiring but also a day in the wind, or a day in the cold, or etc. Maybe it's just the extremes of stimulation as compared to being indoors in relatively static environments?
― Tottenham Heelspur (in orbit), Friday, 9 August 2013 17:32 (ten years ago) link