Restarting Tret & My First Week Experience

I was going to switch over to Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum after The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution didn’t work for me. If you missed out on my experience with The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, follow these links!

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

2 Weeks Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. My Results!

3 Weeks With The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + BP!

But, I moved in another direction. I was using benzoyl peroxide (which cleared up a ton of my acne!) when I decided to use tret again. It was so random. It was out of the blue. I thought, hey, let’s give this another try again. I’ve tried so many acne skin care products to get rid of my closed comedones and acne in general. I have acne-prone skin, so I need to keep my zits in check. I only have a select few closed comedones left on my forehead, upper lip, and chin area. They seem to be concentrated in these areas while my cheeks are extremely clear. I have no acne there. Benzoyl peroxide did a great job, but I needed to push it even further. Yes, I’m back to using tret. I’ve been on the lower strengths of tret for so long that I think it’s time to use the highest strength once again. I’ve had no results with the lower strengths. My acne did not budge. When I run my fingers over my facial skin, it feels bumpy. The bumps are not too visible to the naked eye, but I can feel them. I cringe every time I wash my face. I wish something as simple as 2% salicylic acid would work on my skin. Even a gentle salicylic acid face wash would be awesome. I’ve tried both of these and those darn closed comedones are still sticking around! So! Here I am using tret + benzoyl peroxide. I’m not using benzoyl peroxide at the same time as tret. I use it on my off days when necessary. If a pimple pops up or if I feel that need to use benzoyl peroxide all over, that’s what I’m going to do. I really do think benzoyl peroxide will always be a staple to treat my acne. It helps. But it seems like a combination of treatments would work better.

My Experience – 1st Application

I started using tret at the end of last week. I applied it directly to my skin and moisturized with Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. I woke up the next morning with flaky skin. Skin looked a bit red. My face didn’t burn. Yay! No crazy signs of irritation. Then bam! The next day, my skin started to burn, itch, it looked darker compared to the rest of my neck/body. Ugh! It’s a tret burn! I knew I should’ve sandwiched! My skin burned when I applied Vanicream Facial Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin or any other skin care products to my face. None soothed my red, irritated, burned skin besides CeraVe Healing Ointment. I used this product to heal my skin. I didn’t use it to slug. I used it more like a face mask. This worked to help diminish some redness, itchiness, irritated skin. My skin softened, looked silky smooth after I removed the CeraVe Healing Ointment from my skin (when using it as a face mask). It took about 3-4 days for my skin to heal. I gave my skin a rest for 4 days before starting tret again. My skin started to peel and shed during the rest days. I noticed new pimples popping up in my acne-prone areas. Tret gave me a big nodule on my chin. It’s the biggest pimple I have had in a long time. It’s red, swollen, and hurts upon touch. 😭 When will it go away? Who knows, lol. At night, I stuck to using La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin. It’s not the most moisturizing moisturizer. I eventually had to add Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to add moisture to my skin. La Roche Posay Matte Face Moisturizer works better as an occlusive rather than a moisturizer. It dried my face out at times when used alone. With all that has happened after the first application, there’s good news. Tret removed all of the closed comedones on my forehead and most of the closed comedones on my upper lip and chin area. My skin looks so clear with some blemishes that will purge soon enough.

My Experience – 2nd Application

After 4 days of giving my skin a rest, I started using tret again. This time, I sandwiched. I used Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence and Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin before applying tret. After applying tret, I applied Cosrx Snail Mucin and Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin once more. This application seemed like a good idea at first, but with this method, I didn’t notice any changes in my skin like I did with the first application besides some redness and tenderness in my skin. No peeling. I took 3 days off for my skin to settle down even though my skin felt fine the next day. I’m pretty disappointed in the sandwich method because I just didn’t see an improvement in my acne at all. I actually noticed more acne (not from purging). I noticed random blackheads (on other parts of my face and nose) and more sebaceous filaments on my nose. Could it be the Snail Mucin Essence or Vanicream that’s breaking me out? Possibly. My skin didn’t look better or feel better after using these moisturizers with tret. I might try the Vanicream moisturizer alone or try out another moisturizer. I need to move on from this Vanicream crap, lol. These products (Snail Mucin Essence and Vanicream) may be messing up my skin. I also stopped using La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin. It’s not moisturizing. I didn’t see the point in using this product anymore. Terrible product if you’re looking for a moisturizer that actually moisturizes. I’m done with it for now once again, lol. I tried to make it work, but I’m left disappointed each time. It just doesn’t do anything for my skin. I rather just not using anything on my skin if it doesn’t improve my skin and doesn’t provide any moisture. It even dried out my skin. I really think it’s time for a new moisturizer after this experience. My skin’s just really picky when it comes to moisturizers, which makes it very difficult to find one. Hmmm, what to do… 🤔

That’s my first week experience! Stay tuned for next week to see what happens! 🙂

3 Weeks With The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + BP!

It’s the 3rd week using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. I’ve only used it once this week. This product really makes my skin glow. I love it for that, but I think it’s time for me to move on to other skin care products for my acne. This toner isn’t cutting it. As I said, it helps to brighten my skin. I just haven’t noticed a drastic difference in my acne. It helped to unclog some pores, but I think it has created more pimples. Every time I use it, I feel like I get new pimples (not from purging). My skin isn’t liking an ingredient or ingredients in this toner. I love liquid-based skin care products. I love that it’s affordable and feels very nice when applied to the skin. It helps to remove excess sebum and debris too when used with a cotton pad. This glycolic acid toner just isn’t working for me. I’m not going to drag it on using it when I don’t feel like it’s right for me. Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum seems to work better on my skin. It’s soft, gentle, and doesn’t clog my pores or irritate my skin. I’ll try this serum out by itself instead. It’s a higher percentage of glycolic acid, but it hasn’t caused my skin issues like The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. Maybe my skin just doesn’t like The Ordinary skin care products. They seem to work better on my body though! Just not my facial skin. It’s time to switch things up!

I added benzoyl peroxide in the 2nd week. I needed an acne product that’s anti-bacterial. Yes, I’m back to using benzoyl peroxide. I used it once during the first week. During the second week, I used it as often as possible. I’m still trying to transition my skin into using benzoyl peroxide. Currently using moisturizer first then applying benzoyl peroxide. The results have been pretty good. After this week, using it more often compared to the first week, my skin has improved drastically. My acne (mainly closed comedones) are not completely gone, but my skin has changed for the better. I’m getting results very quick. I wish I could use it in the morning to get faster results. It’s just too difficult to apply benzoyl peroxide, let it dry on the skin, and apply other skin care products afterwards in my morning routine. I don’t have the time to let it dry on the skin. I just can’t. Since I need an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial in the morning to help with acne, I started using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid again. I know! It’s back! I don’t use it every morning. I’ve only used it twice this week. This has been working for me so much better. I might’ve been using too many salicylic acid products before (face wash and a leave-on product). This is working for me right now. Just a few times a week to help unclog pores and for its anti-bacterial properties. Let’s see what happens in the upcoming weeks!

I tried some moisturizing skin care products this week too!

My Thoughts on Moisturizers…

La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin:

This is a lightweight, mattifying moisturizer. It’s not the most moisturizing moisturizer. It moisturizes a little bit. It doesn’t keep the skin moisturized throughout the day. I’ve been using it for nearly a month now, and I’m not too impressed. It should work on my skin because I have oily skin. But, it’s not doing much for my skin. I need something that actually moisturizes my skin a little bit more. After I stopped using this moisturizer, I noticed some breakouts vanished. I wonder if it’s breaking me out? 🤔 I’ll try it again when I’m ready.

Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence:

I tried using Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Essence for extra moisture this week. I didn’t think it was moisturizing enough for my skin. It lightly hydrates the skin, but the hydration doesn’t last. My skin started to feel drier throughout the day. Honestly, I think it caused my skin to dry out more. I noticed more gunk in my pores too while using it. I stopped using it on my facial skin because of this.

Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence:

I wasn’t going to use the Cosrx Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence on my skin again, but I have a few bottles of this left. I’ve been using it on my body to use it up. I thought I would try it again on my facial skin just to see if it’ll work or not. This essence (like the Snail Mucin Essence) ended up drying my skin out. I used the Hyaluronic Acid Hydra Power Essence on damp skin too. It just didn’t work. It made my skin look worse. I noticed my pores filling up too. Clogging my pores? I guess it doesn’t work on my skin. Back to using it on my body.

Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin:

I was in need of a moisturizer that moisturizes my skin that I started to use Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin again. This moisturizer left my skin feeling moisturized and soothed my skin. It helps with dryness and skin irritations. I stopped using my other moisturizers and just stuck with this one after trying the other moisturizers. I prefer to keep my routine as minimal as possible instead of using a bunch of moisturizers all at once, lol. And this moisturizer did a better job at moisturizing. I’m currently just using Vanicream (once again) as my moisturizer. I don’t use it every day though. Only when my skin needs to be moisturized. Hopefully it works this time around since I’m using benzoyl peroxide, which is helping a ton with my acne.

Catch up on what happened right here:

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

2 Weeks Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. My Results!

2 Weeks Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. My Results!

It’s been 2 weeks using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution! This week, I used glycolic acid products and benzoyl peroxide (more on this in a bit!). So, I started off the week using only glycolic acid products. Just this toner and another glycolic acid serum (read more about it by going to that link!). Glycolic acid has helped improve my skin. But, I can tell that it’s not going to clear up my skin fully. While using glycolic acid, I noticed smoother, brighter skin, and some closed comedones moving up to the surface, but it’s not getting to the source. It’s not going to be the miracle cure for my acne. I stopped using it every day. Now I’m only using it only a few times a week for exfoliation. Hopefully it’ll help with acne marks with continued use. It’s a nice product to have in my routine. I haven’t had any issues using it. No redness, itchiness, or burning. The stinging sensation has diminished over time too. My skin is getting used to it real fast. Now on to my experience with benzoyl peroxide…

I decided to use benzoyl peroxide last minute (at the end of the week). It’s because I didn’t see much results with glycolic acid acne-wise. I know it’s only been 2 weeks, but that’s more than enough time for me to see if it works for my acne or not. I just don’t think it’s working. I noticed inflamed acne popping up, and it looks like it’s going to get worse if I didn’t do anything about it. Glycolic acid alone just isn’t going to cut it. At least for the products I was using. I’m using benzoyl peroxide now. I didn’t expect to use it again, but here I am, using it again, haha. Let’s see if it works this time around. It has worked plenty of times before. I just ended up venturing out to other ingredients/products to help with my acne. I guess, to no avail. Here’s my experience using benzoyl peroxide for the first time again.

So before applying benzoyl peroxide to my skin, I applied my moisturizer (La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin) first. I might re-add Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence to increase moisture in my skin. I removed it because I didn’t need it anymore. But, more moisture right now wouldn’t be a bad thing while using benzoyl peroxide. Moisturizing the skin helps to prevent skin dryness and any other skin irritations. After applying moisturizer, I applied benzoyl peroxide all over my face! I’m not using it as a spot treatment. Just not yet until my skin is clear. The results the next morning was pretty amazing. I noticed a decrease in sebum, clearer skin, less closed comedones, and my overall complexion just looked less inflamed. I had some inflamed pimples the night before. They have diminished in redness and in size. I also notice some clogged pores making an appearance. That didn’t bother me much. I’m trying to unclog my pores for a smoother feel anyways. My skin has been super clogged for a long time. I can feel this gross bumpy texture to my skin when I move my fingers over my skin. It doesn’t look bad visually, but I can feel it when I wash my face. That’s been bothering me a lot. Hopefully benzoyl peroxide works this time.

Here’s my current skin care routine + benzoyl peroxide added last minute. Stay tuned for my results next week. I’m constantly changing up my skin care routine and trying to figure out what works.

Products I’m Experimenting With…

Alpha Skin Care Intensive Renewal Serum:

I really like this glycolic acid serum. It’s a higher percentage (14%) and leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and exfoliated. My skin is tolerating it pretty well. When applied to the skin, it stings a little bit. That stinging sensation eventually disappears. I tried using it every day and didn’t have any issues using it every day. But, I don’t think it’s necessary to exfoliate the skin that much. I’m only using this serum once or twice a week whenever I feel like it. The higher percentage of glycolic acid has helped blemishes move up to the surface even faster than the glycolic acid toner. My skin looks brighter and so much smoother. I’m really liking what I’m seeing so far. Hopefully it’ll continue to make a difference in my skin.

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ Clear:

I tried the Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ Clear this week. It was a last minute kind of thing. I haven’t let this product touch my face in ages. I still have a few bottles left, so I thought I would give it another try, lol. Hopefully it doesn’t clog my pores like last time. My skin care routine is pretty minimal right now so I’ll know if it’s breaking me out or not. The sunscreen felt really nice when applied to the skin. It’s lightweight, gel-like. It absorbs easily into the skin and leaves the skin feeling and looking matte. I didn’t experience a sheen on my skin like I used to. The sunscreen does soak up oils on the skin. I used a moisturizer before applying this sunscreen. From my past experience with this sunscreen, it doesn’t protect my skin well. I noticed some skin darkening when I used it. But, I’m not going to use it alone. I’ll use my usual, daily sunscreen on top. This is a good way to use up a sunscreen that I won’t purchase again. I kind of miss the gel texture. It feels amazing on my oily skin.

Altruist Sunscreen SPF 50:

I stopped using this sunscreen, but I started using it again. Since my routine is shorter, why not give it another chance? Also, I finished my first bottle of this sunscreen this week! It took forever! So this sunscreen is still moisturizing and leaves the skin looking greasy on the surface of the skin. It burns the eyes if any gets in there. I really do love how protective this sunscreen is. It has a high SPF and high UVA. I hope it doesn’t clog my pores, but we’ll see as I continue to use it. I bought quite a few. I don’t want to waste them.

If you missed out on my updates…

Update: The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA & La Roche-Posay Anthelios Body & Face Mineral Sunscreen Gentle Lotion SPF 50

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

My Skin Care Routine 🙂

Here’s my skin care routine! 🙂 Let’s start…

Face Wash: Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel with Hyaluronic Acid Fragrance Free

The face wash I’m using is Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel (the fragrance free one). I’ve tried other cleansers in the past weeks, and I didn’t like them as much as this face wash. The Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel feels soft, soothing, and gentle on the skin. It slightly foams up, cleanses the skin, doesn’t leave my skin feeling dry, and refreshes my skin. It doesn’t contain any acne fighting ingredients. I prefer facial cleansers without them. I’ve tried cleansers that contain salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide before in the past, and they didn’t do anything for my acne. I didn’t see the point in using them anymore. I’ll just stick to a plain, boring face wash that cleanses without stripping the skin. This one has been working for me.

Acne Treatments: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

It took me a while to settle on products for my acne. I think this is it for now. I’m only using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution to help unclog my pores and to help prevent future breakouts (if it works that way, lol). I love how this product is a liquid. It absorbs quickly into the skin and leaves my skin feeling very clean. It doesn’t feel sticky or tacky on my skin. Let’s see if this works or not. I’ve only been using it for 2 weeks. Check out my experience/results below (first week).

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

Moisturizer: La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin

It took me forever to find a moisturizer that works on my skin. In other words, moisturizes and doesn’t cause breakouts. This moisturizer isn’t the most moisturizing. It’s also not the best at absorbing excess sebum (like it claims to do). I still have excess sebum seeping through the moisturizer afterwards. But, it’s good enough for now. It somewhat moisturizes, and I haven’t noticed any breakouts. It also contains niacinamide, but I haven’t noticed a brightening effect or any other improvements with this ingredient. I’ll stick to this moisturizer until I find another moisturizer that’s better for my skin (if there’s one). My skin doesn’t seem to like moisturizers too much. I’ve gone through life not bothering with moisturizers due them clogging my pores.

Sunscreen: CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Face Sheer Tint

I have a few more sunscreens, but the one sunscreen that I’ve been using the most is the CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30. It’s a mineral and tinted. Contains SPF 30. The tint in this sunscreen product makes it easy to reapply throughout the day. The tint is a tad dark on my skin. At first, it didn’t bother me. But now, it makes my skin appear a little dull. The shade isn’t a perfect match for my skin. It blends into the skin, but I can still see that my face is darker than the rest of my body when using this product. Oh well, haha. I’ll use it for the time being. I haven’t experienced breakouts from it after going through 3 bottles. I’m on my 4th! So with the tint, there’s no white cast, obviously. It’s moisturizing and simply just very easy to use. It’s currently winter with less sun. I’m mostly indoors, so that’s why I’ve been using this SPF more often over the other sunscreens I have. This will change when spring and summer arrives. I will need a higher SPF.

In the morning, I use a lip balm with SPF too. You can check out my lip care routine right here!

So what else should I add? I’m only using 4 products (face). 😂

My Experience After 1 Week Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution + Other Skin Care Updates

My Experience Using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution:

I’m mainly going to talk about my experience with The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. I used tret a few times this week. I’m debating if I should keep using it or just move on to this glycolic acid product. My results with the glycolic acid toner has been pretty good. I used it every day at night. The instructions of this product says ~ Use ideally in the PM, no more frequently than once per day. After cleaning, saturate a cotton pad with the formula and sweep across face and neck. That’s what I did. I prefer using a cotton pad too. It helps to remove whatever is left on my skin. Sometimes I can see stuff on the cotton pad. It’s another nice treatment + cleansing step (even if it’s not a cleansing product).

When using this product, there’s a stinging sensation that fades away. I didn’t experience any other irritation other than that. It’s pretty normal for a glycolic acid product to sting upon application unless it persists. After applying the toner, I move on to my other skin care products, and I always end my routine with my moisturizers. I’m currently using La Roche Posay Toleriane Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer for Oily Skin and Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. Both are lightweight moisturizers. One being a hydrating product and the other moisturizing. I apply the Cosrx Snail Mucin Essence first then follow up with La Roche Posay Double Repair Matte Face Moisturizer. This combination has worked for me so far. I wake up the next morning with no redness, itchy skin, or any other signs of irritation. I tried other moisturizing products this week too. Read more about them here.

After 1 week of using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, my skin improved. It’s working. Something is finally working to unclog those closed comedones that I’ve been suffering with for so long! I had closed comedones on my forehead, upper lip area (ouch!), chin, and jawline area. I noticed these closed comedones unclogging within the first few days. It was my forehead and chin area where I noticed improvements first. Now it’s the rest of my face by the end of this week. It’s only been 1 week, and I’ve already seen tons of improvements in my skin. It’s freaking amazing. I haven’t experienced any major irritation either. No dryness, itchy skin, redness, or burning. Just soft, smooth, clearer skin. And this was done all by glycolic acid. It made me question if I should keep using tret. 🤔 I’m loving the results with this glycolic acid toner!

Products I Stopped Using:

I stopped using Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid again. From months to years of using this product, it’s not working on my skin anymore. It helps a little bit with sebaceous filaments and blackheads, but it hasn’t done anything for my closed comedones. I’ve been using it to unclog my pores to no avail. The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution has done a better job at unclogging closed comedones and getting rid of whiteheads and blackheads. Along with all of that acne, it has also decreased sebaceous filaments, especially on my nose. I’ve been having issues with that for a long time. Finally, something that works! I guess if a product just doesn’t work, it just doesn’t work. So what to do with it now? I have a few bottles left. 😭 I couldn’t even finish what I was using, lol. Salicylic acid doesn’t seem to work on my skin as I thought. But I kept on trying, haha.

Moisturizers I Tried This Week:

I tried hydrating/moisturizing skin care products this week. I needed to add at least a hydrating serum or essence. I ended up picking Cosrx Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. It’s the only one that didn’t break me out. Well, I hope it doesn’t. Let’s get into the other products I tried. I honestly can’t believe I gave them a try again. First up! Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum…

Purito Centella Green Level Buffet Serum:

This serum contains 49% centella asiatica extract, niacinamide, arginine, panthenol, green tea leaf extract, adenosine, ceramide np, asiatic acid, peptides, and so much more! I thought I would give it a try again. After 2 days of using it, I noticed blackheads and more breakouts. My pores were clogged once in again. Once I eliminated this product, the breakouts diminished. Now, it makes me wonder if this serum has been clogging my skin the WHOLE TIME! Wow! I’ve been using it for so long and have gone through bottles of it!

Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin:

I tried the Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin for a few days but ended up weaning off of it. It felt moisturizing and helps to protect my skin, but I couldn’t continue to use it due to my past experience with it. It seals in too much moisture. I know I will end up with a clogged up nose if I keep using it. If my skin barrier ever gets impaired, this is a good moisturizer to go to even though it burns upon application, lol! I wish they would make it without squalane. My skin doesn’t like squalane.

Check out my thoughts on CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser:

I Finally Tried CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser! Here’s My 1 Week Experience!

2 Weeks Experience with CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser!