The Retin-A Diaries
Two weeks ago, I started using Retin-A, in the hopes of both keeping my acne-prone skin clear and ridding myself of ever-deepening fine lines. Now, I’m only 27 and am hardly in the market for a face-lift, but since I was in my early teens I’ve been firmly in the “ounce of prevention, pound of cure” camp and figure this is simply the next stage in my fight against friendly engagement with aging. The two years I spent living in Palm Beach wrecked havoc on my skin and aged me several years (Why did I not wear stronger sunscreen? Why??), so now I’m frantically trying to reverse a little of the sun damage. Retin-A users are advised to start slow, so I’ve been using it three times a week, and am trying to let my skin acclimate before upping my usage. As it is, my complexion is already molting, to the point that friends have started to comment. (”What’s with all this?” they asked confusedly, pointing to my flaking chin. Sexy.) I spent a week applying moisturizing masks at night, trying to balance out the dryness, until Dr. Solieman explained that this sort of resistance was not only futile, but actually counterproductive—he advised me to just bite the bullet and get over the initial “Oh my god, my face is falling off!” hump. (My words, not his.) Since Retin-A makes your skin especially sensitive to the sun, I’m using the kick-ass Obagi Nu Derm Healthy Skin SPF 35 sunscreen, which I heartily recommend for all skin-types. It sinks in quickly, works well under makeup, and provides excellent broad-spectrum protection. (My new hobby is checking out product listings on the Skin Deep website to evaluate toxicity; I still haven’t quite figured out how to use the database, but here’s the Obagi sunscreen listing, with great scores.) As far as my Retin-A journey, I’ll keep you updated!
May 12th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
My friend and I have been obsessively checking things on Skin Deep! :oP
May 12th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Jolie! When is your big beauty fundraiser in LA?
May 12th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I’ve used Retin-A in the past and (even though your derm has already mentioned it) you’ve gotta let the initial peel happen. Keep the long-term goal in mind
Does it still have the medicinal smell? That was one of the few things I disliked about it.
May 13th, 2008 at 12:38 am
Where are you purchasing your Retin-A from?
It is by prescription through your derm or somewhere on-line?
Thanks for your help :o)
May 13th, 2008 at 11:21 am
The fundraiser will be June 1st! Email me at nadine@jolienadine.com if you’re interested in coming!
Chloe, I purchased my Retin-A from my doctors. You *can* get it online, but I don’t recommend it as you need to have your skin evaluated beforehand.
May 13th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
I’ve used Retin-A in the past. To combat a particular flaky and red day, I mixed in a drop of hydrocortizone with my moisturizer. This really helped to sooth my skin. I’m no doctor; so you may want to check with yours first; but this was a quick and effective temp fix. Have fun in LA, Anne will be our ambassador!
May 13th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Use LaRoche Posay sunscreen spf 60. It probably offers better protection
May 14th, 2008 at 4:33 am
Thanks Nadine for your reply!
I thought it best to see a derm direct for it instead of buying it cheap from some slightly suspect website that I came across which ships it from Mexico….!! ;o)