Skincare S.O.S.
What to do when you overdo it?
It happens to the best of us - a little retinol serum here, a salicylic acid clay mask there, add on a new glycolic acid based cleanser and BOOM! You’re greeted with red, irritated, sensitized skin that feels tender to the touch. I am still traumatized from when I started using Differin (a retinoid) all guns blazing instead of gradually incorporating it into my routine. I destroyed my skin barrier and my skin was so irritated at one point that even water hurt to put on my face. I’ve since learned my lesson and wanted to share some tips and tricks that have helped me along the way.
Keep Up With Your Actives
Active ingredients add up, and it’s important to be aware of what’s in your products and how it interacts with your skin.
Whenever you’re introducing a more powerful ingredient such as tretinoin, retinol, AHAs or BHAs into your routine, it’s best to cut back on other actives and gradually build up your skin’s resilience over time. Last year when I wanted to start using tretinoin I cut out all exfoliating acids from my skincare routine. This meant no fun masks, no peels, no lactic acid cleansers, no salicylic acid serums, nothing. I let tretinoin be the only active ingredient in my routine, and I started by just using it twice a week at night. The rest of the products I was using were loaded with soothing ingredients to help maintain my skin’s moisture barrier. This meant things like glycerin, ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide were at the forefront. After a month, I bumped it up to three times a week, then four, then five. Once my skin was acclimated and tolerating it well, I started playing with exfoliating acids again - once or twice a week on the nights I wasn’t using my tretinoin. Other than the typical side effects of flaky skin, I experienced zero irritation and zero sensitivity this time. I had learned my lesson!
Helpful Healers
We all make mistakes; so what products can help alleviate the stinging and irritation? Once you realize that you have messed up your skin barrier, it’s important to switch to a bare bones routine that is focused on gently supporting your skin in its recovery. Patience and moisture will be key here. After 1-2 weeks you can slowly start incorporating your stronger active ingredient products again. Here are the products that I love for helping my skin get back up on its feet:
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser - an extremely gentle cleanser that doesn’t foam up.
La Roche Posay Toleriane Gentle Facial Cleanser - another cleansing option that I love and that I’ve used for many years.
La Roche Posay Toleriane Ultra Lotion - an excellent lightweight moisturizer for oilier skin types.
La Roche Posay Cicaplast B5 Baume or Gel - if you’re more dry, go for the balm. If you’re oily, do the gel. This is a great product to layer on your skin at night to aid with recovery. Also great to keep on hand post-procedure if you get any laser treatments or peels done at a medical spa.
Avene Cicalfate+ Cream - similar to the Cicaplast above, but in a cream texture. Suitable for normal to dry skin types.
Bioderma Cicabio Cream - similar to the La Roche Posay and Avene products but with a texture more friendly for oilier skin types. This is great layered over moisturizer during the day.
Bioderma Matricium - a liquid serum type of product that is sadly hard to buy in North America (I ask my friend in Germany to buy and send to me) but it’s incredibly nourishing and efficient. It applies like a hydrating serum, morning and night.
Rejuvi Healing Gel - an aloe vera based gel that works great morning and night on skin after cleansing. Just another helpful layer to have on hand. I use this regularly even when my skin isn’t compromised. I can mix it into masks to make them more gentle or I can use it instead of moisturizer in the summer if I’m super oily.
Rejuvi Flavonoid Complex - a thicker oily serum that works wonders at reducing redness and feeding your skin nutrients. Works best applied in the evening after cleansing.
Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum - similar to the Rejuvi serum. Loaded with lipids and has an oilier texture.
Indeed Labs In Circadian Night Mask - a velvety moisturizing mask that helps lock in hydration.
Indeed Labs Hydration Booster - hydration and niacinamide to help your skin get back on its feet. Can be applied alone of mixed with other serums.
