The Ordinary products- how to use

[debie60]

I have acne prone skin with clogged pores and in my mid 40’s. I recently ordered a bunch of The Ordinary Products: Glycolic toner AHA & BHA perking solution Granactive Retnoid Lactic Acidosis 10% + 2% HA salicylic acid Oh and not an Ordinary product but just ordered the Inkey List BHA Just wondering how to use the above products for the best effect. TIA!

[quspork]

That's a LOT of exfoliating products, @debie60! Have you used chemical exfoliators before? Also, do you already have a moisturizer and separate sunscreen for daily use? You'll need those before starting actives, if you don't already. 🙂

[debie60]

Yes it is! Lol. 

I have used chemical peels in the past. Glycolic facials etc. My skin is quite used to salicylic acid as well. I do have sunscreen, and have a moisturizer as well. 

[quspork]

Ok, @debie60! Just wanted to make sure before you dove in, haha. A lot will really depend on how your skin reacts. For some people, it's too much to use chemical exfoliators daily, for others it's not a problem. I'd recommend starting slowly and only introducing one product at a time so you can determine if you have any negative reactions to anything. 

On the nights that you use the the peeling solution and the retinoid, I'd recommend not using any additional active ingredients, since those are pretty powerful in their own right. The peeling solution is something you don't want to use more than twice a week. With the retinoid, you may want to work up to every other night with the alternate nights using other acids. 

Since both the toner and the lactic acid are AHAs, I would use those separately. Some people are able to tolerate using BHAs in the same routine as AHAs, but again that's highly dependent on your own skin. If you do choose to use the BHA on the same night as one of the AHAs, the BHA should come first after cleansing. Then the AHA followed by the rest of your routine. 

So, after starting slowly on the introductions of the products and assuming your skin is ok with it, you may end up with something that looks like this:

Sun:  retinoid

Mon: bha, glycolic toner

Tues:  retinoid

Wed: bha, lactic

Thurs: retinoid

Fri: bha, glycolic toner

Sat: Peeling Solution

[debie60]

Any suggestions for a cleanser? Low-mid range price.

[quspork]

If you haven't tried it, I highly recommend the double cleansing technique. It really helps with taking off sunscreen (and makeup if you wear it) and keeping your pores cleaned out since you mentioned acne/clogged pores being an issue.

Start with an oil-based cleanser to remove sunscreen and makeup. My favorite is Shiseido's Perfect Cleansing Oil, but Clinique makes a decent one too. And if you're open to a Korean product, I've had good luck with The Face Shop's Rice Water Bright Light Cleansing Oil. It's a little runny (read messier lol), but cheaper. Massage the oil onto dry skin and then rinse completely with water. After rinsing, go in with a gentle cream cleanser like Philosophy Purity, First Aid Beauty Facial Cleanser, or Fresh Soy Cleanser. Rinse that, and you're good to go for the rest of your routine! 

I honestly credit a big chunk of the clearing of my acne to double cleansing, so it might be worth a try. @debie60 

[debie60]

Ok great! I will look into those products. 

[debie60]

Awesome! Thanks so much.