Retinol q

[marissap]

Hi everyone - I’ve used the Paula’s choice retinol serum for a while and I just never felt like I saw any improvement or changes. I was considering trying the new drunk elephant one. Has anyone tried it? The reviews seem pretty good overall and I use and like two of their other products.

[mrsukyankee]

What level retinol have you been using and for how long? It usually takes between 6 months to a year of constant use for people to see any wrinkle reduction.

[marissap]

Jan 15, 2019 10:35:11 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

What level retinol have you been using and for how long? It usually takes between 6 months to a year of constant use for people to see any wrinkle reduction.

I’m on my second bottle of PC resist serum. It doesn’t list a % on it. I’ve been using it 2-3x a week for quite some time. Maybe I just haven’t noticed because the changes are slight? I dunno. I didn’t take pics before and after.

[mrsukyankee]

Jan 15, 2019 20:31:30 GMT -5 marissap said:

Jan 15, 2019 10:35:11 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

What level retinol have you been using and for how long? It usually takes between 6 months to a year of constant use for people to see any wrinkle reduction.

I’m on my second bottle of PC resist serum. It doesn’t list a % on it. I’ve been using it 2-3x a week for quite some time. Maybe I just haven’t noticed because the changes are slight? I dunno. I didn’t take pics before and after.

I'd say that you probably want to go higher in levels of retinol. If it's one of the concentrate serums with retinol, the level is at .01%.  Super low. If it's the intensive wrinkle repair serum, it has .1% retinol which is a good level for people to start with and who have very, very sensitive skin or who just want a bit of skin texture change (get a tiny bit smoother). You won't see huge changes with it - if you had taken skin pics originally and then now, you might notice some very slight changes. If your skin is handling it well, you have a few choices:

1. Start using it nightly and see if you'll see a change

2. Move up to a higher level of retinol - you can find some good ones with .5% or 1% (start off slowly again)
- SkinCeuticals has a good one
- PC 1% booster or Clinical 1% retinol solution
- The Ordinary .5%  or 1% in Squalane 

[rubysoh0]

The drunk elephant is NO JOKE and about a million times better than Paula’s choice. That said, use it verrrrry sparingly at first.

[beetea]

Jan 17, 2019 22:22:42 GMT -5 rubysoh0 said:

The drunk elephant is NO JOKE and about a million times better than Paula’s choice. That said, use it verrrrry sparingly at first.

This. I'm on week two of using the tiniest bit every other night. I thought I could jump right in and use it nightly but my chin got very red and angry looking. Now that I've backed down, my skin looks better than it ever has. I feel like this is a life changing products for me.

[marissap]

Thanks. I went to the mall last night and swung by Sephora and just couldn’t resist. I used it last night as so far ok but I’ll only use it once a week for a few weeks.

[pantsparty]

You might want to consider Curology, too. I used them in the past and am probably going to start again soon. Their formulations are very effective - as good as anything you'd get from a dermatologist.

[Alps79]

This is prob a really stupid question, but what’s the diff between a retinol cream and Retin A, prescribed by a derm. Other than getting the ‘script why would you use an OTC retinol cream when you could get the real deal? And isn’t Retin A probably a better bang for the buck?
I feel like I’m missing something regarding this

[mrsukyankee]

Alps79, level of retinol may be more in a prescription than your face can handle, the cream may have other properties that you want, it may be less expensive, you may not want to go see a derm or can't afford it.

For example - I'd have to pay out of pocket to see a derm. I have very sensitive skin so I've tried out retinol and retinoid products in the past. They don't work with my skin even at the lower levels. If I did want a retinol, I could get one for a lot cheaper than if I paid for the derm appointment and the prescription - there are a ton of very, very good products that work exactly the same way as prescription retin A.

[Alps79]

mrsukyankee,

That makes a lot of sense. I got the script when I was at a routine derm appointment so it didn't cost me any more.

I'm going to ask a f/u question if anyone wants to answer. Any thoughts on getting Retin A/Tretinoin or Tri-Luma from Mexico or similar? My husband recently traveled to Columbia and many of his co-works (male and female) went to what he felt was a reputable pharmacy and picked up Tri-Luma for about 20USD. It's sitting in my frig. I haven't used it because I use Retin A. Any reason not to give it a try? My skin is not sensitive. I'm really pushing 40 (like next week lol) and am throwing all the anti-aging I can at my face.

[mrsukyankee]

Alps79, I'd try it in a small area as a test for about a week. See how your skin reacts. If it's fine, then why not?