I would like to know what your routine is in general, but I’m also specifically curious about what products you use, if you use them, and what the rationale is behind each product.
My routine:
Morning
- Rinse face with warm water.
- Scrub face and neck with warm, wet washcloth.
- Apply facial moisturizer with SPF (I use CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30) to face, neck, and hands.
Evening
- Shower.
- While in shower, scrub entire body with an exfoliating mitt (ie this one).
- Apply a retinol (I use Retin-A (tretinoin 0.05%)) to face, neck, and hands.
- Apply facial moisturizer (I use CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion) to face, neck, and hands
- Apply body lotion (I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream) to whole body, excluding hands and face.
I have used, and considered continuing using a BHA (also AHA?) liquid exfoliant (I have read that it shouldn’t be used at the same time as retinol due to PH requirements, ie use it in the morning and retinol in the evening) (I previously used Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, but I no longer because I have lost trust in Paula’s Choice overall due to their borderline false advertising regarding their retinol product [1]), but I am unsure of what a good product would be, and the rationale behind it. I have also heard about Vitamin E, though I’ve never used it.
References
- “[Research] Study: The Ordinary and Paula’s Choice retinols are unstable”. toa20. r/SkincareAddiction. Reddit. Published: 2023-01-26T17:49:01.223Z. Accessed: 2024-10-29T05:16Z. https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/10lxshy/research_study_the_ordinary_and_paulas_choice/.
The liver stores vitamin A for years and vitamin D for months so you don’t need to supplement daily but adjust the dose.
Do note that there is a difference between dietary/systemic vitamin A, and topical vitamin A (there are also different types of vitamin A [2]) — one is ingested, and, thus, metabolized in the gut, and the other is absorbed directly into the skin. Dietary vitamin A, is used by the body for the skin [1.1], but topical retinol provides a greater concentration (more targeted) to the skin cells [1.2], and allows one more control over the dosage [1.3].
References
- “Could eating vitamin A-rich foods be better than applying retinol to your skin? Here’s what the experts say”. Laura Alario Avery. Published: ca. 2023-02-03. Accessed: 2024-10-29T03:53Z. https://www.stylist.co.uk/fitness-health/nutrition/eating-vitamin-a-foods-retinol/755982.
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Vitamin A through food is very important for skin healing, as it helps modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation. It also comes with a lot of antioxidants that target free radicals and protect the skin from damage, which is why it’s an essential vitamin to have in your diet.
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It’s a targeted solution that can help reduce pigmentation, boost skin hydration, and support cellular turnover.
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[…] you have more control over the dosage [of Vitamin A applied to the skin].
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- WebSurge. “Can I replace Retinol by Vitamin A?”. Published: 2024-08-23. Accessed: 2024-19-29T04:00Z. https://www.quora.com/Can-I-replace-Retinol-by-Vitamin-A.
Vitamin A, as a broader term, encompasses a family of compounds known as retinoids, including retinol, retinaldehyde, and retinoic acid. Each of these has different strengths and modes of action on the skin. Therefore, replacing retinol with another form of vitamin A may not yield the same results.
