Adapalene is the best retinoid Its strong yet totally tolerable! while tretinoin gave me dry, flaky, tight, dull skin from irritation Adapalene when used right, will make you glow and mattify your skin in a good way...
As a tenured differin user this review totally resonates with me! I had a very similar experience. I actually had combo to oily skin previous to starting differin but I now feel it's more combo to dry which I have learned the hard way with products esp in the northern winters! And I definitely sympathize with the purging. But as you said I'm soo glad I had faith and stuck it out. Just the other day I was complimented on how good my skin was and when I thought about it, I actually feel like differin has completely changed the severity of my acne, along with eliminating fragrance. A little while ago I attempted moving away from it and using other actives but it was just not enough. Idk if I will need it for the rest of my life but even so it would be so worth it. I told my bf I should invest in the differin stock 🤣
Hahaha sign me up for the differin stock!! 🤣😂 Yeah, I mean I definitely did a lot leading up to this to treat my acne, but this has been the missing puzzle piece for me. I still break out here or there, but it’s neither the intensity nor the number of breakouts - which is all I ever wanted! I can handle mild acne, that moderate+ (and cysts NOOooo) - it’s too much!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole Exactly! Before differin I just felt so overwhelmed by trying allll these acne products that didn't give me the results claimed and after each one being so frustrated cuz of the money spent. It does make sense with it being prescription only before that the results are above the norm. If only I had seen a dermatologist much earlier on but it wasn't accessible sadly
YAY 6 MONTHS ADAPALENE ANNIVERSARY!!! I am on about a year and three months if i remember correctly. Retinoids the best skincare ingredient point blank period, especially for us dry acne prone folks!!!!! Im glad you started layering it in between moisturizers- love that technique for me! G=What a wonderful video, just grinning from ear to ear hearing your experiences!! Speaking of spray toners- I think if you liked the cream skin mist you will LOVE the aestura ato mist!!! Aestura is a brand like illiyoon that focuses on pseudoceramides and includes a super large concentration- my holy grail barrier products! their mist is like the cream skin mist but even more soothing and repairing!
YUPPP I’m so glad I decided to go for it and stick it out. I mean, saying it was worth it feels like such an understatement!! Ah they’re even under the same corporation, right? I keep hearing more and more about that brand - will have to give them a try!
Yeeessss so many samely things thinking back to my first six months using differin. Including the wiping! I honestly get so much relaxation watching videos of your skin care routine because I love watching people who like skincare routines as much as I do lol.
Yeah the skin sensitivity aspect was a real surprise to me - it can feel intense some days!! Still…mega worth it. A bit of added sensitivity vs much worse acne? Give me the sensitivity any day lol!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole when I first braved up enough to try it on my neck, I started getting irritation from necklaces and my seatbelt!! That has thankfully eased up and my neck only gets sensitive once in a while.
@@kimberlykefalas9563 Wow! Thank you so much for sharing. I have been using differin for years and I never connected my neck irritation in the winter to my differin! I'll be more careful now. It's tough cuz in the summer I can get acne at the top of my neck so never thought about it.
@@amriddless Once I made the connection I started cutting back on my neck actives all-around, to just a couple of times a week. And I layered my retinoids on my neck between moisturizer for a longer time than on my face. But I got used to it! Now I can just slap it on there with impunity. 🤣🤣🤣
So excited to hear your thoughts! I am super happy, in general, with my adapalene progress. I see such a difference compared to otc retinols, and it's actually super affordable (especially when you have a ton of CVS discounts!!) I can see a marked improvement in my skin in general. The glass shards scars I have have definitely improved. If I'm honest with myself, my skin is pretty darn smooth for someone who had 64cm of scars on my face, and nurses picking out glass for months! And it is helping with anti aging!! Granted I use A LOT of various actives and products depending on my skin's mood, but yeah. It's worthwhile. And I love being able to focus more on K beauty type products and ingredients, and feeling like I am seeing far more results than pre-adapalene. My forehead lines are shallower, and the hereditary lines around my mouth have reduced by a good half at least. Using a thicker, moisturizing serum as my bottom slice of bread in my adapalene sandwich is just working so well. I use the adap every other night, but I'm going to use it more often and find out what happens... 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 I can always back off again... Doing my skincare while watching your videos caps off my skin care joy as much as the glass of wine 🍷 I find necessary lol You rock!! Thank you for always being honest for us!! ❤️
100%!! prior to starting this, I noticed just how over the moon others were with their long term results. Now I fully understand! I have been considering replacing the first moisturizer with the serum, so thank you for sharing that. And it still doesn’t up the irritation, I take it?
@@AliceintheRabbitHole it's worked just as well, but with less layers especially when using something thick and hydrating like the Cos de Baha Azalaic Acid serum... the thicker hydrating is what's important. I'll be interested to find out if others have the luck I do with that method. ☺️
I am noticing issues with my skin now, gosh I thought acne days were over but here I am 40 and have acne so I believe I am going to look into ACNEFREE Adapalene so THANK YOU for posting this video.
I'm a "sensitive to adapalene" person as well. Specifically, I tried differin and reacted to it: red, inflamed, miserable. However, I can use Rx tretintoin .025 (in the cream base) with no issues at all. I tried the encapsulated .04 gel but the capsules feel awful and I do get more dryness. The formulation and vehicle matter so much. I'm glad you found a way to make that retinoid work for you.
Same here. I wanted adapalene to work so badly. I stuck it out for a year, but it ultimately took tretinoin and an oral med for my acne to clear. But at least it did!
It’s so interesting how everyone’s experience is different! Thanks for sharing - I wholeheartedly agree that if someone isn’t succeeding with adapalene, I’d say to try tret before giving up on the retinoid family. The results from retinoids are so worth it! 💕
This is a great video for me. I just started adapalene last week. Only used it once and I felt that sensitivity you mentioned. So I decided to start with once a week and see how my skin does. I picked up some Cicaplast and tonight is actually my once a week night. I absolutely love that Tatcha cleanser too!
Cicaplast is such a nice moisturizer, but pair it with oil if you’re struggling with how it spreads (I’m not sure this experience will be universal though as some seem to love it). That was really the trick for me!
SO funny you said that about LED putting you in the sleep zone. So when I use mine, I wake up, reach over to my nightstand to pull it out of the basket, strap it on my face and fall back to sleep for the 10 min treatment. 😂 it’s so comforting!
11:48 im telling you Alice, you have to try the bepanthen diper rash cream for your lips, i swear it makes your lips look so glossy, its white on first application but it melts in your lips. And after two months of using it i started to see the insides of my lips turn brighter, more pink, but you wouldn’t have to use it for two months to see good results , one application and it lasts you all day and all night
I really like Dr. Sam’s 13 dot technique for applying retinoids: 3 dots each on the forehead and cheeks, and 2 dots on the nose and chin. She demos this on her UA-cam. Bonus product application tip: look up Caroline Hiron’s Therapist Hands. I use this method for thin products like toners and facial oils.
I'm so glad adapalene is working so well for you! I do think it is important when discussing prescription strength retinoids that you stress the "difficult, but worth it" part. Because I feel like a lot of people lose out when they start going through that tough phase, and end up quitting. I stuck with adapalene for a year or more before giving up on it. I really do wonder why tret works better for some, and adapalene better for others. But I do understand feeling like something is actually magic. I feel that way about spironolactone. It's been life changing, as hyperbolic as that may sound.
That question: why do some products work for some people and not others - it’s the biggest mystery to me in skincare. At times, it seems predictable. Ie, dry skin types are PROBABLY going to like heavier moisturizers. People with allergies/reactive skin are PROBABLY better minimizing fragrance. But at other times, it doesn’t make any sense at all. I do wonder if someday in the future, we will have a far better understanding of what factors are at play!
Hello! Very happy to learn it is going so well with Adapalene! I cannot get La Roche Poche here, but I am having success using Differin as I am up to every 2nd day and all is going well. :) Have a wonderful weekend too!
I tried retin-a for a couple of years. I thought I had adjusted, yet whenever I was in a place with really good lighting, I always noticed that I had flakey skin. So bye-bye retin-a. Thanks to your video, I decided to give the La Roche Posay Adapalene a try--should arrive tomorrow. Thanks Alice and thanks for the sandwiching tip.
Awesome!! I suspect it will be easier than tret, and yet it’s very much a high impact ingredient. I’m sticking with LRP too, because…it seems the difference vs Differin is price? I’ll save my extra $ and go for adding guac to my sandwiches instead 🤣
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I bought one tube of Tretinoin using a prescription ... and it was expensive. Then I went the route of ordering from a pharmacy in India. No prescription necessary and really inexpensive. I also bought a regular supply of Careprost--the generic Latisse. But eventually they changed the way payment was processed, and I don't know for sure whether there was a connection ... but suddenly my credit card was being used to purchase $10,000 air conditioners ... so I decided to try and keep things a little closer to home. lol
I too find doing moisturizer and then waiting to apply tretinoin helps so much. I usually wait about 90 min. When I put a lower strength on right after I was getting stinging burning and next day peeling. Skin felt taut. With the waiting it is much more comfortable
I've been using Differin since Feb , I'm normal/oily . It's powerful and me too it's the best ! I've noticed fine line reduction . I use it now everyday AM but don't take it near my eyes . I'm also using BoJ Ginseng and Retinal eye serum too ! I'm British and get Differin shipped from US . Top Tip will be just make sure your skin has dried down first . 👏😘❤🇬🇧🌈
Have you noticed any irritation with adding in the BOJ? I’m only using that one once a week, but my suspicion is that it’s probably gentle enough to up that one!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole none at all , I decided tonight that I could use every night 🌙 , I use Differin everyday AM so........I will keep you posted and updated . 👏😘❤🇬🇧🌈
Thank you so much for giving us the timeline. I just started Retinol this week and going through the same “maybe I should use more🙄”. Also needed advice on what kind of moisturizer to put over my Retinol.
So glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels sensitive to things since starting retinoid. Even a tissue to blot eyes drops away or wipe corners of mouth with washcloth after brushing feels scratchy & will sting, lack of better word for several minutes after. I used adapalene for 7 mo most nights no problem then agency tretinoin. Started.09 then.012 .017.035 just started.05 now can't use nightly only 4 x a week . I have a normal to dry sensitive skin
Adapalene never caused an issue for me. Neither did things I used in yrs prior like neutrogena rapid wrinkle etc. No issues with tretinoin at baby doses but was getting sensitive skin and some minor peeling at.035. I stopped doing everyday and instead once a week I do chemical exfoliation, one day extra barrier stuff I have just increased, a week ago, to.05. So far so good. I can't say if I'd never used adapalene daily prior how my skin would have reacted. I am fairly sensitive though
I’ve tried incorporating this into my routine a few times, the winter was miserable I never got over the dryness and gave up. Tried again during summer/quarantine and had less dryness as my skin is usually more normal/dry but I felt like I was missing my actives and just never got to a point where I felt comfortable adding them back in.
I hear ya. It really was so hard to start!! If you ever want to try it again, I’d say to start with 1x/week - because while that sounds like nothing, that WAS the right level for me to start with. But if it’s not for you, there are other products out there as well ☺️
Retinoids just do sooo much for improving texture and acne. I used Cerave Resurfacing retinol serum for a couple years and I started using Differin about 6 months ago. Typically I use it twice a week as well and my experience has been pretty similar. I've been wanting to get to 3 nights per week but I dread going through the dryness and my skin feeling tight.
They really, really do. I suspect I’ll get there in time, maybe even every other night! But I think what surprised me the most is that a mere once a week start still gave me results? I think that shows just how potent these ingredients are!
When you put the lip balm on after, I was thinking “is she not worried about getting the adapalene on her lips if there was still some on her fingers?” 😂 & then u said that lololol
I'm glad you've had this much success, but I'm curious about your selection of other products in the routine. For me I always try 1-2 actives that bring potency into a routine (like the peptides and ret/tret in the evening) but try to fill the rest with calming actives that would be helpful to protect/restore the skin barrier. If you're having sensitivity it feels like this would be even more helpful, but I'm not seeing those products. For example the CoQ-10 toner is mostly antioxidant focused, the moisturizer claims reparative functions but seems to do so with primarily coffee, tea and a bit of micro algae, and the mask mentions jujube and pomegranate extracts which feels like more antioxidants. For the record I'm not stating any of the above are bad products and you're more knowledgable than I am so they may work better, but what if you were to do a more calming routine. For example you could use this Missha double fermented mugwort first essence for calming, followed by HaruHaru or I'm From rice toners to achieve antioxidant effects along with the skin softening benefits and bit of hydrating body. You could follow this up with the buffet serum and then use Stratia Liquid Gold to provide ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids for the skin barrier recovery. That may be sufficient without another moisturizer with the mask, but you could use Midnight Blue Calming Cream (which has azulene and centella) if needed followed by the tret and Sulwhasoo sleeping mask to lock everything in. Any of these products are replaceable, and even simply adding Missha and Stratia could be very helpful as the Stratis gives your skin the tools necessary to complete the repairs inspired by the tret. It kind of feels like the benefit of ensuring you're well nourished before a hard workout, but am I overanalyzing it or missing a component of the skin sensitivity issues? Also, I feel like double cleansing with a luxurious cleansing balm (like Elemis) actually makes my skin feel more moisturized than a single cleanse. To me this feels like it would help with sensitivity, though I admit I don't have sensitive skin to know based on personal experience. I don't cleanse in the morning though and feel like water is enough.
You are 100% correct! I really should have included my other serums/barrier boosters (which is usually something like cosrx snail, cocokind barrier, Stratia liquid gold, etc). I’m not sure why I didn’t, as I do think they have been incredibly helpful! The cleansing situation has surprised me the most, I think. I suspect it’s one of the reasons why I’m loving the 2-in-1 cleansers (ie Skin1004’s cleansing oil), while in the past I have been such a big cleansing balm enthusiast. I feel like it really goes to show that our preferences in skincare are influenced by a LOT of different factors - and can change! In 2021, I did a huge cleansing balms video. I don’t foresee myself doing that this year due to this change 😳
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I should have included the cosrx snail since I use that nightly. I've been using the Stratia 2x daily as well. Your point on cleansers is well taken in that preference is huge and absolutely can change. I "should" be using a heavier moisturizer but the funny thing is I never used to do skincare and I think it was because as a guy I started with the super basics and never looked into them. I didn't like most medium/heavier moisturizers at the time and the experience turned me off using anything. Still don't like heavier moisturizers, but found I can use a heavier serum like stratia to compliment and an oil at night (don't love sleeping masks for the same reason I don't like heavier moisturizers).
It's hard to get adapalene products here. So I'm using the medik8 crystal retinal 6, and it's amazing. After all the trouble I had trying to use retinol products., I constantly had red skin and would have to back off. But retinal is so much easier to use. I just find it hard to incorporate my acids now. 🌻🐸
Interestingly, i do feel like this 0.1% adapalene is likely similar to retinaldehyde at the same level. I didn’t stick with the retinal long enough to say that with a TON of confidence, but I had this same increased sensitivity with the G&G A-Game 10. So…yeah, it might compare quite closely?
I had a similar ecperience with adapalene and find that using the sandwich method was a game changer too. However, i found i had success when i was using the niod modulating glucoside but since i ran out, i start using whatever moisurizer i had on hand and started to get dry/cracking around my nose/cheeks again. So doesnt look like i can use any moisurizer to sandwich, only certain kind but still not sure what the factor that is making the difference.
That’s interesting! I’ve been testing out a very wide variety (just due to having too much skincare LOL) - I’ll have to take note of whether that makes a significant difference for me as well. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the vid! After watching your content I've realized that I have negative sensitive skin 😂 I use adapalene every night! I never really had any sensitivity and minor purging so I wondered if the one I'm using is less potent somehow? I use the Acne Free .01 adapalene from Walmart, it's only $10 and i figured if the ingredient is the same, I don't need to splurge on something else. Is that true or am I getting a worse product?
Hmmmm well, I can tell you that formulation does have an impact, although I can’t personally tell you if that’s going on with the product you’re using I can give you a tip though! CVS is probably the best place to get LRP products, including this. I actually paid about $8 for my most recent tube. What I did is: I waited until I had stacking $4 off any LRP coupons in the app (push them on Saturdays then check back Sunday, sometimes CVS will double up!) Ulta is also a good option as they often do 40% off the brand without having to play coupon games. Alas, coupon games are worth it to me personally. I’m still not rich LOL! 🤣
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I know , I hate it especially when I absolutely love something then they make it for the worse not better.😭 Supposedly LAP is super proud of this reformulation say it works on contact?? They put probiotics in it also they said which is pro it's post ..lol
It’s like it’s every product lately! 😭 I will say I like the results, but whew it does not spark joy to apply lol. The oil helps a ton, but every time I forget to add oil, I am filled with regret!!
I’m surprised/curious that you use the red light mask in such close proximity to the adapalene, I’ve been using mine in the mornings to give my sweet face time between stressors. But maybe the red light isn’t a stressor?
I truly think it’s calming! I would avoid pretty much every other device (accidentally used the airshot before adapalene ONCE AND ONLY ONCE - yikes). But LED pairs well for me (after actives!)
greetings from sunny Mexico! yes I finally h e a break but with all of the firm. didn't bring actives. just hydration and even tho I was 3 sheets to the wind last night my Filagora eye filler cream wow. it's starting to show real promise. question. Elissa is on Apostrophe tret .5 with azalaic. I also got her zinc and then ordinary niacinamides with zinc. is there anything to calm down redness. the angry bumps. Thanks my friend and wishing you and Aura? or Auria. a lovely weekend.
Hmm I wonder how much azelaic is in the formula? That’s a great ingredient for calming redness, but perhaps it’s at a lower level? Could also try madecassoside/cica products!
I just ordered this when it was on sale at Ulta. Is this the only retinol you use? I currently use retinol every night (PTR) and can't imagine going down to 1-2 times a week.
Yes!! I cut all retinol out completely (although I finished off what I had on my body; waste not principle in action LOL). I don’t think you necessarily have to though, but I wanted to see what adapalene would do on its own It ended up feeling like it was the right call, at least on my sensitive skin. I didn’t miss the retinol at all!
I’m using it once a week (I’ve learned the importance of caution LOLLL) - so far no issues. But of course everyone has different experiences with products, so I don’t doubt you at all!
It’s only one conversion into retinoic acid (the active form) vs the two conversions of retinol. But as with all retinoids, it’s so difficult to speak on how strong they are in a relative sense. Definitely seems to be on an individual basis!
I did order the adapalene from Laroche Posay and I was wondering if I need to simplify my routine while using this? Do I need to stop using alpha arbutin , vitamin c , aha and BHA ? Thank you ! :)
I did not stop anything (took me too long to figure out what worked best for me LOL) buuut…I did reduce my frequency of application. I’d say to approach your actives as if they will work stronger for a bit. In time, that seems to mellow out ☺️
I am wondering if next year I will try tret. I turn 52 tomorrow! But I'm afraid. I finally can use differin every other day with retinaldehyde on the off day and I don't have the flakes etc anymore. But I wonder if I would get some additional anti-aging beneft if I tried tret, even though I would have to go back to twice a week, sandwiching, etc.
HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY!!! 🎂🥳🎉 and a Saturday birthday too - those are the good ones 😍🤣 Same for me with tret. I think I’m interested in eventually trying it (I mean, people swear by it with an even greater intensity than adapalene!!), but I suspect it will be a repeat of this journey. Which while worth it, not sure I’m ready for the game on expert mode hahaha 😝 How long did it take you to work up to every other day?
@@AliceintheRabbitHole Thank you!!! So, I wanna say about four months. But I was using like Olay retinol every night for three months before that. And then for another four months or so I was using No Actives on the off day. Those were just like snail products and emollients festivals. I really noticed my skin starting to get very comfortable with this routine about a year in, this past spring.
Mmhmm, I talked about that in my TO copper peptide routine! I decided not to repurchase the buffet with copper peptides, and have just reverted back to regular ol’ buffet. So much easier to work into a routine, and for me personally-not much difference
Adapalene is the best retinoid Its strong yet totally tolerable! while tretinoin gave me dry, flaky, tight, dull skin from irritation Adapalene when used right, will make you glow and mattify your skin in a good way...
Can you use it forever
@@Cutenlahblah yup
As a tenured differin user this review totally resonates with me! I had a very similar experience. I actually had combo to oily skin previous to starting differin but I now feel it's more combo to dry which I have learned the hard way with products esp in the northern winters! And I definitely sympathize with the purging. But as you said I'm soo glad I had faith and stuck it out. Just the other day I was complimented on how good my skin was and when I thought about it, I actually feel like differin has completely changed the severity of my acne, along with eliminating fragrance. A little while ago I attempted moving away from it and using other actives but it was just not enough. Idk if I will need it for the rest of my life but even so it would be so worth it. I told my bf I should invest in the differin stock 🤣
Hahaha sign me up for the differin stock!! 🤣😂
Yeah, I mean I definitely did a lot leading up to this to treat my acne, but this has been the missing puzzle piece for me. I still break out here or there, but it’s neither the intensity nor the number of breakouts - which is all I ever wanted! I can handle mild acne, that moderate+ (and cysts NOOooo) - it’s too much!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole Exactly! Before differin I just felt so overwhelmed by trying allll these acne products that didn't give me the results claimed and after each one being so frustrated cuz of the money spent. It does make sense with it being prescription only before that the results are above the norm. If only I had seen a dermatologist much earlier on but it wasn't accessible sadly
YAY 6 MONTHS ADAPALENE ANNIVERSARY!!! I am on about a year and three months if i remember correctly. Retinoids the best skincare ingredient point blank period, especially for us dry acne prone folks!!!!! Im glad you started layering it in between moisturizers- love that technique for me! G=What a wonderful video, just grinning from ear to ear hearing your experiences!! Speaking of spray toners- I think if you liked the cream skin mist you will LOVE the aestura ato mist!!! Aestura is a brand like illiyoon that focuses on pseudoceramides and includes a super large concentration- my holy grail barrier products! their mist is like the cream skin mist but even more soothing and repairing!
YUPPP I’m so glad I decided to go for it and stick it out. I mean, saying it was worth it feels like such an understatement!!
Ah they’re even under the same corporation, right? I keep hearing more and more about that brand - will have to give them a try!
My adapalene journey was not easy but 100% worth it. I don't have acne but I have noticed my complexion is so clear and bright.
Yeeessss so many samely things thinking back to my first six months using differin. Including the wiping! I honestly get so much relaxation watching videos of your skin care routine because I love watching people who like skincare routines as much as I do lol.
Yeah the skin sensitivity aspect was a real surprise to me - it can feel intense some days!! Still…mega worth it. A bit of added sensitivity vs much worse acne? Give me the sensitivity any day lol!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole when I first braved up enough to try it on my neck, I started getting irritation from necklaces and my seatbelt!! That has thankfully eased up and my neck only gets sensitive once in a while.
@@kimberlykefalas9563 Wow! Thank you so much for sharing. I have been using differin for years and I never connected my neck irritation in the winter to my differin! I'll be more careful now. It's tough cuz in the summer I can get acne at the top of my neck so never thought about it.
@@amriddless Once I made the connection I started cutting back on my neck actives all-around, to just a couple of times a week. And I layered my retinoids on my neck between moisturizer for a longer time than on my face. But I got used to it! Now I can just slap it on there with impunity. 🤣🤣🤣
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Arthur C Clarke.
That’s it!! It’s so true too. I think a lot about how our phones would seem like frightening black mirrors to people of past centuries 👀
@@AliceintheRabbitHole Brilliant perspective!
So excited to hear your thoughts! I am super happy, in general, with my adapalene progress. I see such a difference compared to otc retinols, and it's actually super affordable (especially when you have a ton of CVS discounts!!)
I can see a marked improvement in my skin in general. The glass shards scars I have have definitely improved. If I'm honest with myself, my skin is pretty darn smooth for someone who had 64cm of scars on my face, and nurses picking out glass for months! And it is helping with anti aging!!
Granted I use A LOT of various actives and products depending on my skin's mood, but yeah. It's worthwhile. And I love being able to focus more on K beauty type products and ingredients, and feeling like I am seeing far more results than pre-adapalene. My forehead lines are shallower, and the hereditary lines around my mouth have reduced by a good half at least.
Using a thicker, moisturizing serum as my bottom slice of bread in my adapalene sandwich is just working so well. I use the adap every other night, but I'm going to use it more often and find out what happens... 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻 I can always back off again...
Doing my skincare while watching your videos caps off my skin care joy as much as the glass of wine 🍷 I find necessary lol
You rock!! Thank you for always being honest for us!! ❤️
100%!! prior to starting this, I noticed just how over the moon others were with their long term results. Now I fully understand!
I have been considering replacing the first moisturizer with the serum, so thank you for sharing that. And it still doesn’t up the irritation, I take it?
@@AliceintheRabbitHole it's worked just as well, but with less layers especially when using something thick and hydrating like the Cos de Baha Azalaic Acid serum... the thicker hydrating is what's important. I'll be interested to find out if others have the luck I do with that method. ☺️
I am noticing issues with my skin now, gosh I thought acne days were over but here I am 40 and have acne so I believe I am going to look into ACNEFREE Adapalene so THANK YOU for posting this video.
Happy to help! Adapalene is a wonderful ingredient for acne! 😃
I'm a "sensitive to adapalene" person as well. Specifically, I tried differin and reacted to it: red, inflamed, miserable. However, I can use Rx tretintoin .025 (in the cream base) with no issues at all. I tried the encapsulated .04 gel but the capsules feel awful and I do get more dryness. The formulation and vehicle matter so much. I'm glad you found a way to make that retinoid work for you.
Same here. I wanted adapalene to work so badly. I stuck it out for a year, but it ultimately took tretinoin and an oral med for my acne to clear. But at least it did!
It’s so interesting how everyone’s experience is different! Thanks for sharing - I wholeheartedly agree that if someone isn’t succeeding with adapalene, I’d say to try tret before giving up on the retinoid family. The results from retinoids are so worth it! 💕
this video has a lot of rewatch potential for me. super helpful.
what did you do during those times when you dried your skin out?
Heavy moisturizer + aquaphor as the last step!
omg adapalene changed my LIFE. my skin finally cleared up, but boy are winters difficult for dryness now.
MMHMM, I feel ya!! Only sad I didn’t suffer through the struggles sooner LOL!!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole oh, same. same…
Can you use it forever ?
on 2 months of adapalene now. the purging was instant, but I really love it, and want to continue with it indefinitely.
This is a great video for me. I just started adapalene last week.
Only used it once and I felt that sensitivity you mentioned. So I decided to start with once a week and see how my skin does.
I picked up some Cicaplast and tonight is actually my once a week night.
I absolutely love that Tatcha cleanser too!
Cicaplast is such a nice moisturizer, but pair it with oil if you’re struggling with how it spreads (I’m not sure this experience will be universal though as some seem to love it). That was really the trick for me!
SO funny you said that about LED putting you in the sleep zone. So when I use mine, I wake up, reach over to my nightstand to pull it out of the basket, strap it on my face and fall back to sleep for the 10 min treatment. 😂 it’s so comforting!
RIGHT!? I was worried I’m alone in my thoughts there, so thank you for confirming! It’s such a nice added bonus 🤣
11:48 im telling you Alice, you have to try the bepanthen diper rash cream for your lips, i swear it makes your lips look so glossy, its white on first application but it melts in your lips. And after two months of using it i started to see the insides of my lips turn brighter, more pink, but you wouldn’t have to use it for two months to see good results , one application and it lasts you all day and all night
I really like Dr. Sam’s 13 dot technique for applying retinoids: 3 dots each on the forehead and cheeks, and 2 dots on the nose and chin. She demos this on her UA-cam.
Bonus product application tip: look up Caroline Hiron’s Therapist Hands. I use this method for thin products like toners and facial oils.
Dr. Sam Bunting? I haven’t watched her in a while, but she’s one of my OG favs! Thanks for the tips 🥰
I'm so glad adapalene is working so well for you! I do think it is important when discussing prescription strength retinoids that you stress the "difficult, but worth it" part. Because I feel like a lot of people lose out when they start going through that tough phase, and end up quitting. I stuck with adapalene for a year or more before giving up on it. I really do wonder why tret works better for some, and adapalene better for others. But I do understand feeling like something is actually magic. I feel that way about spironolactone. It's been life changing, as hyperbolic as that may sound.
That question: why do some products work for some people and not others - it’s the biggest mystery to me in skincare. At times, it seems predictable. Ie, dry skin types are PROBABLY going to like heavier moisturizers. People with allergies/reactive skin are PROBABLY better minimizing fragrance. But at other times, it doesn’t make any sense at all. I do wonder if someday in the future, we will have a far better understanding of what factors are at play!
Hello, Alice Soooo Happy to learn your having success with Adapalene, That's excellent. Enjoy your weekend also.
I’m so happy with it!! Thank you! 🥰
Tatcha rice wash is my favorite! Love that it's gentle.
This was really helpful! Thanks!
Hello! Very happy to learn it is going so well with Adapalene! I cannot get La Roche Poche here, but I am having success using Differin as I am up to every 2nd day and all is going well. :) Have a wonderful weekend too!
I can’t wait to get to every other day!! It seems to be such a high impact ingredient 😍
I tried retin-a for a couple of years. I thought I had adjusted, yet whenever I was in a place with really good lighting, I always noticed that I had flakey skin. So bye-bye retin-a. Thanks to your video, I decided to give the La Roche Posay Adapalene a try--should arrive tomorrow. Thanks Alice and thanks for the sandwiching tip.
Awesome!! I suspect it will be easier than tret, and yet it’s very much a high impact ingredient. I’m sticking with LRP too, because…it seems the difference vs Differin is price? I’ll save my extra $ and go for adding guac to my sandwiches instead 🤣
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I bought one tube of Tretinoin using a prescription ... and it was expensive. Then I went the route of ordering from a pharmacy in India. No prescription necessary and really inexpensive. I also bought a regular supply of Careprost--the generic Latisse. But eventually they changed the way payment was processed, and I don't know for sure whether there was a connection ... but suddenly my credit card was being used to purchase $10,000 air conditioners ... so I decided to try and keep things a little closer to home. lol
Oh noooo!! Glad you caught the charges. That has sadly happened to me as well, and it is deeply troubling 😳
I too find doing moisturizer and then waiting to apply tretinoin helps so much. I usually wait about 90 min. When I put a lower strength on right after I was getting stinging burning and next day peeling. Skin felt taut. With the waiting it is much more comfortable
I've been using Differin since Feb , I'm normal/oily . It's powerful and me too it's the best ! I've noticed fine line reduction . I use it now everyday AM but don't take it near my eyes . I'm also using BoJ Ginseng and Retinal eye serum too ! I'm British and get Differin shipped from US . Top Tip will be just make sure your skin has dried down first . 👏😘❤🇬🇧🌈
Have you noticed any irritation with adding in the BOJ? I’m only using that one once a week, but my suspicion is that it’s probably gentle enough to up that one!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole none at all , I decided tonight that I could use every night 🌙 , I use Differin everyday AM so........I will keep you posted and updated . 👏😘❤🇬🇧🌈
Try and build it up to 3×Week , and you can use it AM too . I concentrate on having a great barrier first then try Adapalene . Xx
Thank you so much for giving us the timeline. I just started Retinol this week and going through the same “maybe I should use more🙄”. Also needed advice on what kind of moisturizer to put over my Retinol.
Your skin is flawless
Thank you!
So glad to hear I'm not the only one who feels sensitive to things since starting retinoid. Even a tissue to blot eyes drops away or wipe corners of mouth with washcloth after brushing feels scratchy & will sting, lack of better word for several minutes after. I used adapalene for 7 mo most nights no problem then agency tretinoin. Started.09 then.012 .017.035 just started.05 now can't use nightly only 4 x a week . I have a normal to dry sensitive skin
How was the switch to tret? Did using the adapalene first make it any easier to transition?
Adapalene never caused an issue for me. Neither did things I used in yrs prior like neutrogena rapid wrinkle etc. No issues with tretinoin at baby doses but was getting sensitive skin and some minor peeling at.035. I stopped doing everyday and instead once a week I do chemical exfoliation, one day extra barrier stuff
I have just increased, a week ago, to.05. So far so good.
I can't say if I'd never used adapalene daily prior how my skin would have reacted. I am fairly sensitive though
Thank you for your review and especially the demo😊👍🏽
11:57 - That is me with SO much of skincare. I miss the most obvious of things (at least in hindsight lol).
I’ve tried incorporating this into my routine a few times, the winter was miserable I never got over the dryness and gave up. Tried again during summer/quarantine and had less dryness as my skin is usually more normal/dry but I felt like I was missing my actives and just never got to a point where I felt comfortable adding them back in.
I hear ya. It really was so hard to start!! If you ever want to try it again, I’d say to start with 1x/week - because while that sounds like nothing, that WAS the right level for me to start with. But if it’s not for you, there are other products out there as well ☺️
Alice have you tried Soo Good toner pads? When my skin turns red and irritated, this pad is a serious life saver!
Oh wow, I’ve heard this before too! Ok, going in the next order, thank you!!
Retinoids just do sooo much for improving texture and acne. I used Cerave Resurfacing retinol serum for a couple years and I started using Differin about 6 months ago. Typically I use it twice a week as well and my experience has been pretty similar. I've been wanting to get to 3 nights per week but I dread going through the dryness and my skin feeling tight.
They really, really do. I suspect I’ll get there in time, maybe even every other night! But I think what surprised me the most is that a mere once a week start still gave me results? I think that shows just how potent these ingredients are!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole yes, definitely!
When you put the lip balm on after, I was thinking “is she not worried about getting the adapalene on her lips if there was still some on her fingers?” 😂 & then u said that lololol
Hahaha right! As they say, better late than never 🤦♀️🤣💕
I'm glad you've had this much success, but I'm curious about your selection of other products in the routine. For me I always try 1-2 actives that bring potency into a routine (like the peptides and ret/tret in the evening) but try to fill the rest with calming actives that would be helpful to protect/restore the skin barrier. If you're having sensitivity it feels like this would be even more helpful, but I'm not seeing those products. For example the CoQ-10 toner is mostly antioxidant focused, the moisturizer claims reparative functions but seems to do so with primarily coffee, tea and a bit of micro algae, and the mask mentions jujube and pomegranate extracts which feels like more antioxidants.
For the record I'm not stating any of the above are bad products and you're more knowledgable than I am so they may work better, but what if you were to do a more calming routine. For example you could use this Missha double fermented mugwort first essence for calming, followed by HaruHaru or I'm From rice toners to achieve antioxidant effects along with the skin softening benefits and bit of hydrating body. You could follow this up with the buffet serum and then use Stratia Liquid Gold to provide ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids for the skin barrier recovery. That may be sufficient without another moisturizer with the mask, but you could use Midnight Blue Calming Cream (which has azulene and centella) if needed followed by the tret and Sulwhasoo sleeping mask to lock everything in. Any of these products are replaceable, and even simply adding Missha and Stratia could be very helpful as the Stratis gives your skin the tools necessary to complete the repairs inspired by the tret. It kind of feels like the benefit of ensuring you're well nourished before a hard workout, but am I overanalyzing it or missing a component of the skin sensitivity issues?
Also, I feel like double cleansing with a luxurious cleansing balm (like Elemis) actually makes my skin feel more moisturized than a single cleanse. To me this feels like it would help with sensitivity, though I admit I don't have sensitive skin to know based on personal experience. I don't cleanse in the morning though and feel like water is enough.
You are 100% correct! I really should have included my other serums/barrier boosters (which is usually something like cosrx snail, cocokind barrier, Stratia liquid gold, etc). I’m not sure why I didn’t, as I do think they have been incredibly helpful!
The cleansing situation has surprised me the most, I think. I suspect it’s one of the reasons why I’m loving the 2-in-1 cleansers (ie Skin1004’s cleansing oil), while in the past I have been such a big cleansing balm enthusiast. I feel like it really goes to show that our preferences in skincare are influenced by a LOT of different factors - and can change! In 2021, I did a huge cleansing balms video. I don’t foresee myself doing that this year due to this change 😳
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I should have included the cosrx snail since I use that nightly. I've been using the Stratia 2x daily as well.
Your point on cleansers is well taken in that preference is huge and absolutely can change. I "should" be using a heavier moisturizer but the funny thing is I never used to do skincare and I think it was because as a guy I started with the super basics and never looked into them. I didn't like most medium/heavier moisturizers at the time and the experience turned me off using anything. Still don't like heavier moisturizers, but found I can use a heavier serum like stratia to compliment and an oil at night (don't love sleeping masks for the same reason I don't like heavier moisturizers).
It's hard to get adapalene products here. So I'm using the medik8 crystal retinal 6, and it's amazing. After all the trouble I had trying to use retinol products., I constantly had red skin and would have to back off. But retinal is so much easier to use. I just find it hard to incorporate my acids now. 🌻🐸
Interestingly, i do feel like this 0.1% adapalene is likely similar to retinaldehyde at the same level. I didn’t stick with the retinal long enough to say that with a TON of confidence, but I had this same increased sensitivity with the G&G A-Game 10.
So…yeah, it might compare quite closely?
@@AliceintheRabbitHole oh good to know. I will step up to the 1% after I've finished with this one.
Hallo, thank you. Very informative and I think I can have my son try this. He has oily skin though. Thank you 💜
It will likely be easier for him as dryness is the main side effect (that still eases over time) ☺️
@@AliceintheRabbitHole thank you so much!
I do a lip scrub and lip mask every night. My lips are in great shape. I am glad it is working for you. Have a great weekend Alice ❌️ ⭕️
Which lip mask are you liking? I still use the Sara Happ scrub, even though I’ve said it’s overpriced 🙊🤣 - it’s worth it in those 50% off sales!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I am using the same, her scrub. I use Laniege lip mask. Take care
I had a similar ecperience with adapalene and find that using the sandwich method was a game changer too. However, i found i had success when i was using the niod modulating glucoside but since i ran out, i start using whatever moisurizer i had on hand and started to get dry/cracking around my nose/cheeks again. So doesnt look like i can use any moisurizer to sandwich, only certain kind but still not sure what the factor that is making the difference.
That’s interesting! I’ve been testing out a very wide variety (just due to having too much skincare LOL) - I’ll have to take note of whether that makes a significant difference for me as well. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the vid! After watching your content I've realized that I have negative sensitive skin 😂 I use adapalene every night! I never really had any sensitivity and minor purging so I wondered if the one I'm using is less potent somehow? I use the Acne Free .01 adapalene from Walmart, it's only $10 and i figured if the ingredient is the same, I don't need to splurge on something else. Is that true or am I getting a worse product?
Hmmmm well, I can tell you that formulation does have an impact, although I can’t personally tell you if that’s going on with the product you’re using
I can give you a tip though! CVS is probably the best place to get LRP products, including this. I actually paid about $8 for my most recent tube. What I did is: I waited until I had stacking $4 off any LRP coupons in the app (push them on Saturdays then check back Sunday, sometimes CVS will double up!) Ulta is also a good option as they often do 40% off the brand without having to play coupon games. Alas, coupon games are worth it to me personally. I’m still not rich LOL! 🤣
Love your video 🎉 ❤ xx
If I don't wear WR Spf , I only do a single cleanse . X
Wanted to let u know they reformulated the cicaplast balm by La Roche posay u probably got the new one that's why it's so hard to spread.
…I think reformulations are going to be the death of me 🪦
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I know , I hate it especially when I absolutely love something then they make it for the worse not better.😭 Supposedly LAP is super proud of this reformulation say it works on contact?? They put probiotics in it also they said which is pro it's post ..lol
It’s like it’s every product lately! 😭 I will say I like the results, but whew it does not spark joy to apply lol. The oil helps a ton, but every time I forget to add oil, I am filled with regret!!
I’m surprised/curious that you use the red light mask in such close proximity to the adapalene, I’ve been using mine in the mornings to give my sweet face time between stressors. But maybe the red light isn’t a stressor?
I truly think it’s calming! I would avoid pretty much every other device (accidentally used the airshot before adapalene ONCE AND ONLY ONCE - yikes). But LED pairs well for me (after actives!)
greetings from sunny Mexico! yes I finally h e a break but with all of the firm. didn't bring actives. just hydration and even tho I was 3 sheets to the wind last night my Filagora eye filler cream wow. it's starting to show real promise.
question. Elissa is on Apostrophe tret .5 with azalaic. I also got her zinc and then ordinary niacinamides with zinc. is there anything to calm down redness. the angry bumps. Thanks my friend and wishing you and Aura? or Auria. a lovely weekend.
Hmm I wonder how much azelaic is in the formula? That’s a great ingredient for calming redness, but perhaps it’s at a lower level? Could also try madecassoside/cica products!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole I'll check when I get home. What's the recommended percentage
She has cica and I'll double check that bottle too
I just ordered this when it was on sale at Ulta. Is this the only retinol you use? I currently use retinol every night (PTR) and can't imagine going down to 1-2 times a week.
Yes!! I cut all retinol out completely (although I finished off what I had on my body; waste not principle in action LOL). I don’t think you necessarily have to though, but I wanted to see what adapalene would do on its own
It ended up feeling like it was the right call, at least on my sensitive skin. I didn’t miss the retinol at all!
nice review...thank you
🥰
THE BOJ eye cream irritated my eyes. To strong maybe? Share with you think please. Am I the only one?
I’m using it once a week (I’ve learned the importance of caution LOLLL) - so far no issues. But of course everyone has different experiences with products, so I don’t doubt you at all!
@@AliceintheRabbitHole maybe everyday is to much. I didn't know anything about retinal. Is it that powerful?
It’s only one conversion into retinoic acid (the active form) vs the two conversions of retinol. But as with all retinoids, it’s so difficult to speak on how strong they are in a relative sense. Definitely seems to be on an individual basis!
I did order the adapalene from Laroche Posay and I was wondering if I need to simplify my routine while using this? Do I need to stop using alpha arbutin , vitamin c , aha and BHA ? Thank you ! :)
I did not stop anything (took me too long to figure out what worked best for me LOL) buuut…I did reduce my frequency of application. I’d say to approach your actives as if they will work stronger for a bit. In time, that seems to mellow out ☺️
@@AliceintheRabbitHole thank you for your answer ! 😍
💖. Curious about this.
I am wondering if next year I will try tret. I turn 52 tomorrow! But I'm afraid. I finally can use differin every other day with retinaldehyde on the off day and I don't have the flakes etc anymore. But I wonder if I would get some additional anti-aging beneft if I tried tret, even though I would have to go back to twice a week, sandwiching, etc.
HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY!!! 🎂🥳🎉 and a Saturday birthday too - those are the good ones 😍🤣
Same for me with tret. I think I’m interested in eventually trying it (I mean, people swear by it with an even greater intensity than adapalene!!), but I suspect it will be a repeat of this journey. Which while worth it, not sure I’m ready for the game on expert mode hahaha 😝
How long did it take you to work up to every other day?
@@AliceintheRabbitHole Thank you!!!
So, I wanna say about four months. But I was using like Olay retinol every night for three months before that. And then for another four months or so I was using No Actives on the off day. Those were just like snail products and emollients festivals. I really noticed my skin starting to get very comfortable with this routine about a year in, this past spring.
So I read you shouldn't use copper peptides with retinoids. Were you aware of that?
Mmhmm, I talked about that in my TO copper peptide routine! I decided not to repurchase the buffet with copper peptides, and have just reverted back to regular ol’ buffet. So much easier to work into a routine, and for me personally-not much difference
“Maybe I Need A Bit More”
Story Of My Life!
is the overnight mask an occlusive? does that increase dryness?
Oh the Sulwhasoo? Yes it’s occlusive! It is fantastic for fighting dryness (and while pricey, the price/oz is actually very reasonable!)
Pretty eyeshadow! What is it?
Thank you! PMG Bronze Seduction 😍
Hi..❌️⭕️
So that is how I got to be 70!! crap...