retinol routine

[pocketvenus]

I wanted to post here because BIC was so helpful in my retinol research, especially @naturalooks15 @greeneyedgirl107 ❤️

Anyway, I didn't touch the stuff because I'd seen and read the experiences others have had with purging and skin peeling and it all just sounded way too intense. What really scared me off were the stories of women who said they started off all

and then out of nowhere their skin was like

That put the terror in me. I know there are other retinoids I could have tried, but it's retinol that has the most research backing it up so I really was only interested in the hard OG stuff ha ha. For years, the idea of trying it never left despite the terror.

Then Ontario's second lockdown rolled around. I knew I was hardly going to go out or get any sun and had the benefit of not wearing makeup and being able to slather on moisturizer all day. So I was like,

I read a post by @eshoe about starting 1x/week for 2 weeks then moving to 2x/week and so on and that's the timeline I used. My skin tends not to be sensitive or reactive so I picked up a bottle of The Ordinary Retinol 0.5% in Squalane, Signs of Aging Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL instead of the 0.2% concentration. I cleansed as per usual, patted in my Missha essence and used one drop of TO's Retinol for my entire face ha ha. But then I got paranoid and was all

so I grabbed the closest facial oil I had and added a bunch on top. When there was no burning sensations [edit: sorry for the unclear writing here - I didn't feel burning at any point, I was just expecting it given everything I'd read], I mixed one drop of the retinol with three drops of rosehip oil and applied this to my neck and decollete. I followed this up with a richer moisturizer than I normally use, Pure + Simple's Skin Drink which has shea butter in it.

I'm on week four so the second week of 2x/week and so far, no peeling or purging though some nights and even the morning after, my skin has felt tender. But not so bad that it's stopped me from using a Vitamin C serum during the days. I always follow up the retinol on my undereye area with a drop of facial oil like argan or marula and everywhere else gets a liberal helping of Skin Drink. The only changes I've made are swapping out my normal moisturizer for Skin Drink, alternating my usual serum with Drunk Elephant B-Hydra™ Intensive Hydration Serum with Hyaluronic Acid 1.69 oz/50 ml  and ceasing all use of AHA/BHAs. Normally I use the acids to keep my skin smooth but post retinol my skin has never been smoother! 😮 And it feels stronger and bouncier. And maybe my pores seem a little smaller?? The effect also lasts half the week. It's like your favourite face mask that keeps on going. This stuff is seriously potent, and more efficacious than AHAs/BHAs ever were for me. I feel vindicated by science!!

Will update you all if anything changes but so far, so good! Listen to your skin and if you don't have sensitivities, don't be afraid. I hope sharing my new routine helps other newbies. Thank you to everyone who shared their retinol advice here on BIC xo 😘

[eshoe]

Yes why not go with less if that is what works, @pocketvenus 👍🏼 The best Bakuchiol I’ve tried (longest lasting results) has been Herbivore Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Smoothing Serum 1.0 oz/ 30 mL. they recently reformulated, but I’ve heard only positive words from those who have tried it. I will eventually. It reminds me of the CosRx Snail Mucin Essence in consistency; it’s a little stringy but I still see results the next morning🥰

[pocketvenus]

@eshoe That's the exact Bakuchiol sample I received! Yes, I read it got reformulated and people were super sad so I'm glad the new version has gotten good reviews and is still working out for you 🙂

I got the snail essence too, didn't mind the texture but didn't seem to do much for me. Thankfully CosRX isn't a huge investment!

[eshoe]

@pocketvenus the CosRx is good for immediate results but they definitely don’t last. I wish my skin would have responded better to retinol, but happy to hear it has worked for you👍🏼 

Your post still makes me laugh. Love the humor!

[pocketvenus]

@eshoe We'll see how it goes in the weeks ahead! Glad the post was entertaining 🙂