SOS! T.T Biossance Phyto Retinol Serum Reactions.

[HeyyKimc]

Hello everyone. 
so i bought a Biossance Phyto Retinol serum and have used it 2 times now. 

My skin back ground: I have a oily sensitive combination skin type and my skin is not tend to have acne that much except the week before my period then i have some white head pimples. 

I been using Paular Choice 2% BHA and it’s work perfect for my skin. But my stupid ass using it too much and too often so my skin become more dry and more sensitive to sun. 

! Last 2 week i tried the Lactic Acid 10% from Ordinary and idk if it too strong or im purging but after the second use i see under my face all the red dot and bumpy all my face. 

Then i take a break like 3-4 days and purchase the Biossance Phytol Retinol to try out because i heard it’s more gentle. I used it 2 nights and now my face look like this 😭😭😭

I can feel so many bumps under my skin and at night im so itchy and scratched like crazy. 

I searched on google and don’t know if it purging or allergy reaction 😭

#biossancephytoretinol

[Indy701]

@HeyyKimc You may want to try First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Instant Oatmeal Mask 2 oz/ 60 mL   The times I’ve accidentally used too much exfoliate, it has helped calm my skin.  Aveeno has a line of baby products with oatmeal too, just watch out the for versions with fragrance such as lavender. I have a lavender allergy so using anything with that won’t help plus it’s best to avoid as much unnecessary additives as you can while your skin heals. 

[heartsmyface]

@HeyyKimc   I’m sorry you’re going through this. That looks so raw and painful.  

If you ever suspect an allergy wash a product off immediately and take an antihistamine and if you clear up and stop itching you can assume it was an allergic reaction. 

It’s not a purge by the sounds of it.   I believe your skin barrier hadn’t had a chance to recover from the overuse/overdose of exfoliants yet before you added the retinol.  
It can take anywhere from two weeks to a month for your skin barrier to repair itself once stripped.

Retinol increases cell turnover but temporarily weakens your skin barrier by sloughing off more skin cells than it can initially turn over. That’s what the ‘purge’ and peeling normally is.   

Your skin barrier is compromised so baby it with non foaming cleanser,  vitamin E capsules to create a fake barrier and if it’s raw, polysporin ointment with lanocane is both soothing moisturizing and antibacterial and will keep inflammation down while your body repairs itself.  
Once the redness goes down you can slowly reintroduce an exfoliant twice a week and see how you tolerate it.  If an exfoliant stings your skin isn’t ready for that strength.  
you can also dilute your retinol (and exfoliating) products in other serums.  Starting out with a low percentage of retinol is reccomended to reduce the chances of a ‘purge’ at all.  A purge means too much too soon.  

[HeyyKimc]

Ohh and I tried the Cerave moisturizer cream and it’s calm my skin alot. It’s was burning and itchy after i wash my face and when i put the cream on it’s have a burning sensation (maybe because my skin is so irritated) but then i can feel my skin calming down and relax.

i still dont know which cleanser should i get as I hear Cerave cleanser is good for dryness but Centaphil is beter for sensitive. 😅

[heartsmyface]

@HeyyKimc   cerave and cetaphil are both nice no fragrance brands.  Cetaphil is more gentle than Cerave for ‘healthy’ skin but can be slightly more stripping so I would go with the Cerave for now since your skin is already stripped. 
A broken skin barrier is prone to dryness anyway and also because oily skin can be exasperated by dryness. 
Also, I didn’t mention, wash with lukewarm water to avoid stripping your skin more than necessary.  

[HeyyKimc]

Hello, omgg thank u so much for helping me out. It’s make me feel beter and so relief. Imma take a break from exfoliating now and just focus on cleanser toner and moisturizer. 
I still deciding between Cerave hydrating cleanser or Cetaphil cleanser. Which one should I get? 

[MvLL]

Do you @HeyyKimc. have an ultra-mild cleanser or soap (oatmeal, aloe Vera, or plain glycerine-type) so you can take a long pause from using Actives? Your skin looks like it needs mild, gentle, actives-free care at this time. Also: hydration takes on Extra importance. An Aloe Vera gel (zero Alcohol or fragrance!) could be a good as a calming moisturizer & it should also help to reduce itching. 

The Retinol was perhaps too much, after using the Lactic? Maybe skin's mantel or barrier was extra fragile after Lactic? It's good to patch-test any new product (on jaw, neck or upper chest). If Biossance has Squalane in it, that might be a culprit? I had a horrid zit (in a patch-test) from trying a Biossance Squalane sample once.

Hope this helps & your skin calms down soon!

[HeyyKimc]

Do u have any recommendations on cleanser? Im thinking between Cerave cleanser and Cetaphil. I tried the Cerave moisturizer cream and it’s calm my skin down alot. But I heard Cetaphil cleanser is better for sensitive skin. So I’m kinda not sure what to get 😅 thank u again for reply and help me out. Appreciate it alot 🥰

[MvLL]

The advice from @heartsmyface is very good, @HeyyKimc Get thru' this unfortunate reaction: heal your skin with CeraVe or Cetaphil for month or more, then perhaps add that Paula's BHA with reduced frequency- say 2 or 3x/week, but not Daily. Take things slow.

If a mild Cleanser &/or Moisturizer has been good for your skin previously- Just Stick With It. When we're tempted to switch it up, that's when (combo / sensitive) encounters problems, right?

I think both the liquid cleansers of Cetaphil and CeraVe are available in 30ml size. Cetaphil has a bar soap version. As for Oatmeal and AloeVera soap, look for basic 'natural' type found in a health food store. The fewer ingredients, the better- generally speaking. I adore Oat-AloeVera soaps when Summer's Humidity makes my t.zone feel heavy with excess oil.

I noticed the price of the Biossance culprit- arrgh! If it wasn't a Sample, hope you can (or did?) Return it.