Sunday Riley anti-aging kit

[Nicholabolla]

Hello, I am 37 yr old and usually don't wash my face (don't judge). I have never had any skin issues and never had acne, even when I was a teenager. I recently became very self-conscious of wrinkles. I am not trying to reverse time just slow it down some. So, I was looking for something super simple that was all-in-one with everything needed. Came across the anti-aging kit ( Sunday Riley Wake Up With Me Complete Morning Routine Kit Sunday Riley Go To Bed With Me Complete Anti-Aging Night Routine ). My issue is, the Good Genes makes my face burn like crazy. Is it supposed to? Is that normal?

[furbie]

Well @Nicholabolla at least you're making the effort to take care of your skin NOW. Some ppl never get around to proper skincare. Lol, I spent my teens and 20s thinking all I needed to do was wash my face with some exfoliant like St. Ives or Biore and run out of the door without using a moisturizer. We're all learning!

I have bought both of Sunday Riley's "Wake Up With Me" and "Go to Bed With Me" kits. No, your skin isn't supposed to burn. You should ease into using acids. I barely feel a tingle with Good Genes, but I've built up my tolerance to acids. I like the soy face cleanser from Fresh better than Sunday Riley's Ceramic Slip face wash. Fresh is super gentle and soothing. Try only using Good Genes once daily, instead of 2x, preferably at night.

I have only been using Sunday Riley's products for 4 months. I'm 38, but don't have any wrinkles or "11s" yet. So I cannot tell you if it is truly anti-aging. What I can say is my skin feels softer and my makeup goes on smoother. I'll take that for now and assume the line is doing something good!!!

[Chris38]

So my daily beauty routine is pretty much 90% Sunday Riley. They are great products, but you should never just dive right in when using “actives”, so Vitamin C, Retinoids, Niacinamide, and exfoliating products, like Good Genes. When you are just starting out, they recommend using it as a rinse off mask, blending it 1:1 with the Ceramic Slip cleanser, leaving it there for 15 minutes, then taking it off. 

Another way you can ease into them is diluting with a non-active product. When I first started with the CEO oil, I would just use one drop, combined with 2-3 drops of JUNO. That way it’s easier to spread evenly across your face. I did the same with Luna. With the serums, I would start with just a dab of Good Genes, or CEO, or A+, blended into a normal pump of Origins A Perfect World™ Age-Defense Skin Guardian with White Tea 1.7 oz/ 50 mL   I would also wait at least a week or more before increasing the dose, and also wouldn’t start them all simultaneously. Eventually you’ll be able to use them together… it just takes time. Good luck 🍀!

[WinglessOne]

Hi @Nicholabolla ! No, your face shouldn’t burn like crazy after using any skincare product. Good Genes is an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) exfoliant: it contains lactic acid, 5% if I recall correctly. Lactic acid’s one of the gentler AHAs, but you still shouldn’t use it daily. It’s better to use an AHA exfoliant just 1-3 times a week, and not twice on the same day. That way you’re less likely to irritate the heck outta your skin and damage your moisture barrier. 

Good Genes also contains lemongrass oil. Don’t know how much, but it’s possible your skin’s sensitive to that ingredient. Eh, you could be sensitive to pretty much any ingredient, but essential oils are known irritants. Some people’s skin tolerates them just fine, while others (like me) must avoid them. 

Whether it’s lactic acid overuse or lemongrass oil that’s hurt your skin, stop using Good Genes for a while and give your skin time to calm down. Might wanna temporarily stop using all active ingredients too: just use a gentle cleanser, basic moisturizer, and broad spectrum sunscreen (minimum SPF 30). Once your skin’s better, you can resume Good Genes—but be sure not to overuse it. 

[Nicholabolla]

Thank you for this. So, I have gone to using the daytime kit 1x a week and the nighttime kit once a week, which is usually midweek. The rest of the week I use Clinique. That has helped so much. I have also changed up some of the stuff. Instead of using the moisturizer that the kit came with, I use the moisturizer that I have along with my sunscreen and switched up how it is all applied, not the order that the box says to apply. I think in a few weeks, I will be able to increase the number of days I use the kits. 

[Westcoasty]

@Nicholabolla   I bought both those kits myself, some time back. I like the Good Genes product, but despite what the packaging says, I found I couldn't use it both morning and evening.

If your skin burns every time you use it, then you're reacting to it and should discontinue use. But if you were okay the first time you tried it, then perhaps you need to acclimatize your skin first, by using it maybe twice a week, and slowly build up your tolerance.

There's no product out there that works well for everyone, unfortunately. But there's enough chemical exfoliants that you definitely should be able to find one that suits your skin. 😊  Good luck!