I have rosacea and I just graduated to .5% retinol!!!

sarahf

I am so excited. I have worked up to this exceedingly gradually.  My secret is I use metrogel every single day, always use only pure mineral sunscreen, and add a drop of licorice extract (an anti-irritant) to my retinol products.  I started with a retinol moisturizer (at .01% retinol) and even then I could only use it every third day.  Then I went to every other day, and finally, to every day.  Then I started layering over that a retinol serum (at .1% retinol), starting with every other day and going to daily.  I am finally able to layer a .5% retinol product over my retinol moisturizer and my skin is perfectly clear, no redness, no irritation, and no papules!  I am psyched!!

RandyS

Congrats!

rj135

Congrats! Was just wondering what sunscreen you use? Are the mineral compounds nano-sized?

sarahf

I don't know if they are nano, but I don't think so--also, I'm not sure the nano thing is really a problem.  I use Elta MD UV Physical.  It is tinted.

rj135

Looks like a great sunscreen, thanks for the recommendation! And I agree Sarah, from my own research it seems that there's not much to fear from nano particles, especially in comparison to chemical sunscreens which seem much more dubious.

sarahf

You're welcome!  I love it.  I actually use it as my makeup as it is reasonably opaque and tinted.  Just a light dusting of powder and I'm good to go.