I have discovered how sensitive my skin was when I followed the recommedation in the book on DRPW.  Wow, I got dry, tight, itchy with some red spots.  My questionaire showed me as slightly resistant and when I re-did after my dry bout I was slightly sensitive, so I fugured I may be able to use the products in either category.... perhaps milder versions of what I was using   20% glycolic acid and 3X affirm retinol.  Thank goodness the skin store let me return these items as well as the vitimin C eye cream.

I am 50 years old and was also wondering if this icident was my age creeping up on me or was I using the products too quickly... changing my whole routine at once or were they just too strong.

What can you recommend for retinods and glycoylic acid products?

I have discovered how sensitive my skin was when I followed the recommedation in the book on DRPW.  Wow, I got dry, tight, itchy with some red spots.  My questionaire showed me as slightly resistant and when I re-did after my dry bout I was slightly sensitive, so I fugured I may be able to use the products in either category.... perhaps milder versions of what I was using   20% glycolic acid and 3X affirm retinol.  Thank goodness the skin store let me return these items as well as the vitimin C eye cream.

I am 50 years old and was also wondering if this icident was my age creeping up on me or was I using the products too quickly... changing my whole routine at once or were they just too strong.

What can you recommend for retinods and glycoylic acid products?

Hi SanPro,
I think so many of us are so desperate to improve our skin that we often try to hurry the process by changing our whole routine at once. I know I tried to do this. Believe me, that's the WRONG way to go about things! If you have a problem with a certain product, you won't know which product is causing the mayhem unless you progress gradually. For me, it seemed to take forever to find a skin cleanser I could use. After that, it was serum, then moisturizer, etc. You want to jump for joy when you finally find a product that works for you and that your skin can tolerate.
For me, the big issue at first was the idea of not using tap water on my face. But I stuck with it, and then did some sleuthing to find the right cleanser. It took 58 years to damage my skin, so it will take a long time to repair it. I am no longer in any big hurry. I just want my skin to feel comfortable. And that is happening, yippee! My advice -- take things slowly. Change one thing at a time. Hope this helps. Inky

I would definately start with one product at a time. Start with a cleanser, then after a week if there is no irritation, add another product... and so on.

-Kevin

Hi SanPro, I'm similar to you as I border on S/R. I treat myself as an S though and focus on my subtype which is occasional acne. I can use some stuff for the R types too, but found that my skin likes most S stuff better.

I would introduce one new product at a time, so you can see what the culprit is, in terms of the dryness and itchiness. Give it 7-10 days, then introduce the next product, etc.

The 20% glycolic cleanser is pretty strong. I would back off and use something very mild, like Cerave cleanser (not in the book, but many here love it - has those great ceramides for the dry types)  or the Eucerin Redness Relief until your skin calms down. Then slowly work yourself into your routine and introduce one product at a time. If you do go back to a glycolic cleanser, start out with one of the really mild ones, with a much lower percentage. Then you can build up gradually. Then if  you later add a retinol, do it every third night for a while, then evey other, etc, and build up slowly the way you would with retinoids. The Affirm 3x one is stronger, so try a milder one like the Neutrogena or the Affirm 2x, taking it slow.

It's so easy to jump right in and want to start everything at once.  I get like that too since I love trying new products. LOL! I always have to force myself to wait a week or two before moving on or up, etc.

Marcy

Afirm makes a 1X too, for those who have never tried retinols. I've read where one Derm recommends using the lowest strength of retinol for an entire year before upping the strength. This makes sense for really "slow learners" like me! <g> Actually, it's probably so you don't end up wasting the product. Inky