T.L.C Baby Facial and Retinols

[CynthieLu]

Hi you guys!

Backstory: I am a sensitive skinned individual with a little excema and rosacea and I've been having really good luck improving my skin barrier. No big flare ups in a few years,  just the odd tiny one. 

I thought my skin was in a great place to try more powerful exfoliators.

I do SPF everyday

I know this product is not for sensitive skinned folks, so I took a risk

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ AHA + BHA Mask 1.69 oz/ 50 mL  

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial™ AHA + BHA Mask Mini 0.5 oz/ 15 mL  

It's been great,  I started off a 5 minutes and I've been building it up slowly, and only using it once a week. 

My question is,  how do you use this with other actives in your routine?

I've abandoned retinols atm

I'm just taking it easy on my skin but I'm looking to balance them togeather, maybe separating them by a few days?

Or do these just plain not work and I should try one week with one and one week with the other?

Any advice is appreciated 🙏 💕

[WinglessOne]

@CynthieLu  I don't use Babyfacial but I do use Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 25% AHA + 2% BHA Exfoliant Peel 1 oz/ 30 mL  (and sometimes alternate it with The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Resurfacing + Exfoliating Peeling Solution 1 oz/ 30 mL  ) while also using retinaldehyde (retinal) in my routine. I use retinal each night. I use those 2 AHA peels* just once or twice a month so as not to over-exfoliate my skin. The week I use one of those 2 peels, I don't use any other AHA exfoliant. (I normally use Paula's Choice RESIST Advanced Smoothing Treatment 10% AHA 1-3 times a week.) 

A couple safe ways you could reintroduce retinol to your routine while also using Babyfacial: 

1. Alternate time of day: use Babyfacial in the morning and retinol at night. Or reverse that if you want, especially if your retinol product is formulated to photostabilize the retinol it contains. 
   
   
2. Alternate days: on a day (or night) you use Babyfacial, don't use retinol at all. Depending on your skin sensitivity, maybe don't use retinol for the next 24-48 hours after using Babyfacial. 

You're already limiting Babyfacial to once a week, which is good. (I've seen people use Babyfacial daily or every other day and seriously regret their life choices a few days later.) When reintroducing retinol to the party, your skin might prefer Babyfacial once every 2 weeks for a while. 

When in doubt, patch test. 🙂 

*EDIT because I forgot to include my planned footnote for "peels": when I think of "chemical peel" or "exfoliating peel," I think of the 50+% AHA (often glycolic acid) exfoliating solutions used in medical spas and clinics. Those exfoliants are strong enough to make skin literally peel off your face over time, and you have to follow a special skincare routine during that time, and you end up using scissors to trim away any big loose dead skin flakes, and your skin's itchy the whole time. All good reasons why I've never gotten a professional in-clinic peel done. I lack the patience. 😂 Anyway, these OTC peels at 25 and 30% aren't really what I personally consider to be true peels since they don't make my face shed like a reptile. But a year or 2 ago, I made myself get over the "peel" marketing label used by The Ordinary and Paula's Choice. I'm still annoyed that Dr. Dennis Gross calls his exfoliating pads "peels" though. 

[CynthieLu]

@WinglessOne I greatly appreciate your thoughts on this 🙏 you should make a The What's Up from Wingless One Thread, and we'll flood it with skin care questions 😅 

But seriously thank you so much ❤️  My heart did think reintroducing slowly or separate weeks for each but I was being stubborn and I've loved the bright happy skin I've been sporting lately. Even my The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL  I've taken a break from, I'm just nervous about getting red. I have great information now to make a good choice. Thank you again 💓 

[WinglessOne]

@CynthieLu  Glad I could help! Heh, I always feel obligated to add an "I'm not a dermatologist" to my skincare posts, mostly to nudge folks to speak with a doctor about their skin issues if they can since I sure as heck can't diagnose anyone's skin. 😄 I'd LOVE to see a derm and/or a cosmetic chemist join BIC to help answer various questions. They'd definitely get flooded with questions though, at least from me. 🤣 

About Buffet + Copper Peptides: normally I'd say that serum should be fine to use right away with something like Babyfacial. I mean, if it performs like the original Buffet—err, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum for Facial Wrinkles 1 oz / 30 mL  , then it's a great hydrating serum. But for very sensitive and finicky skin, consider reintroducing that serum first, then bringing retinol back into the mix. Basically, reintroduce products one by one, using each one a few days before bringing back another product. A slow and steady approach will hopefully convince your skin to not throw tantrums. Good luck with ramping your skincare routine back up to normal! 

[CynthieLu]

I'm on a lucky skin care streak, I don't want to mess it up lol. But .... I do like to use those actives 😅

Thank you! I think I'll reintroduce them very slowly and days apart and hope for the best. Oh okay.  If they're was a dermatologist on here,  you know I'd have sooo many questions too @WinglessOne.

I'd be reading everyone's posts trying to absorb as much as I could 🧽 

Thank you for taking the time to chat about it 🥰🙏

[dimesandnichols]

@CynthieLu you might be able to incorporate Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil 35 mL  at least once a week. It's so gentle and moisturizing.

[CynthieLu]

Thank you @dimesandnichols ooh mousturizers mixed with retinol, that's such a good idea!  I've tried sandwiching with my retinols (layering moisturizers with it). But my skin is very dry in its natural state, I love the idea of this.

Can i ask, How do you use it? Every couple days? No side effects?

[dimesandnichols]

I'm a bit of a retinol addict, @CynthieLu . I have three retinol products that I alternate depending on how my skin is feeling. If it's dry and irritated, I'll use the Luna Retinol alternating days with a BHA (i.e. I don't use them on the same day). On the days I don't use a retinol, I'll use either a strong moisturizer (like LANEIGE Mini Water Bank Blue Hyaluronic Cream Moisturizer .67 oz/ 20 mL ) or some other anti-aging product (like Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Multi-Recovery Complex Serum with Hyaluronic Acid  ) . If my skin is not overly dry or sensitive, I switch out the Luna for Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Firming & Smoothing Serum with Hyaluronic Acid  or Reversa Retin(A)list Cream 0.3% pure retinol. When I use either of those two, I still slather a moisturizer over top. Never enough moisture!

[CynthieLu]

I hear that! My skin wants all the moisture it can get,  especially using any actives. 

I try to work in the retinols 2-3 times a week but I haven't found one I really enjoy yet. I've tried sooo many 😅

I appreciate your thoughts on them 🙏 

I am deeply considering that oil with the sale looming and getting a great discount on it 🤩 @dimesandnichols 

I was trolling the reviews for a bit there  🫖 😉

[Kim888]

@CynthieLu That is one of my favorite masks as well! It's so good! 

I don't use the mask on the same day I use retinol, but I have never had irritation when using retinol the next day. I wouldn't describe my skin (other than eye area) a super sensitive though. As long as I wait 24 hours it's been a non issue for me. 

[CynthieLu]

Thank you so much for your reply @Kim888 It's a little scary, with sensitive skin, to take risks so I value your input. 

🙏