Dear Dr Bailey,
I am 63 years of age and, upon advisement of my aesthetician, I learned that I should use both a 5% glycolic acid cream and a “retinol plus” product for age-intervention skin care. I began the retinol three months before she prescribed the glycolic. This is a little bit of worry issue for me.
Although, I have trusted her for many years, this combination causes me to worry about over-application of harsh products to my skin.
I personally chose to discontinued the retinol plus and began just the 5% glycolic acid product. Within three days, the results were amazing. So, please advise me, should I use one in the daytime and the other at night or just continue with the glycolic with these wonderful results?
Your advice would be very helpful.
Grace Y.
Hello Grace,
I have many patients who very successfully combine daytime use of professional strength glycolic acid home products (10% or higher) with a nighttime application of prescription tretinoin (the gold standard retinoid and not the same as retinol in over-the-counter products).
That said, I have even more patients whose skin will not tolerate this combination, as it can be very irritating. This combination of products is potentially harsh. People with sensitive skin may be well served by having this skin care routine supervised by a professional. That’s because irritation of the skin can lead to permanent skin discoloration called post inflammatory hyperpigmentation. This is especially a problem in darker skin types (type 4 or darker, which includes people of Asian, Hispanic, Southern Mediterranean and African descent). Irritation can also lead to permanent skin redness called post-inflammatory erythema.
It is also important to know that use of either of these great ant-aging ingredients will cause skin to be more sun sensitive and prone to sun damage. This means that it is a must to wear a trustworthy broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 or more every day. Wearing daily sunscreen goes a long way on its own for anti-aging skin care, so it’s a win-win. My sunscreen preference is mineral zinc oxide and this year we are seeing a great range of new products hitting the market. I have sunscreens for every skin type, budget and product preference on my site and I’m thrilled that now everyone can find the perfect sunscreen for their needs.
I hope that I have given you a lot to think about and discuss with your aesthetician. I have written previous posts with even more detailed information that might help you fill in the gaps and figure out how to best create the perfect anti-aging skin care routine for your skin. You can check them out below.
Check out my favorite, dermatologist-recommended mineral zinc oxide sunscreens.
Read more about the anti-aging benefits of glycolic acid.
See my dermatologist-recommended, professional-strength glycolic acid face creams and lotions.
Find out why I’m such a fan of tretinoin (Retin A) for anti-aging skin care.
Learn how I instruct my patients to combine glycolic and tretinoin for anti-aging skin care.
I hope that helps.
Warm Regards,
Cynthia Bailey MD, Dermatologist
If you have questions about skin care or skin health, please send them to me using the Contact Dr. Bailey button at the top of the page.
Disclaimer: Please realize that availing yourself of the opportunity to submit and receive answers to your questions from Dr. Bailey does not confer a doctor/patient relationship with Dr. Bailey. The information provided by Dr. Bailey is general health information inspired by your question. It should not be a substitute for obtaining medical advice from your physician and is not intended to diagnose or treat any specific medical problem (and is not an extension of the care Dr. Bailey has provided in her office for existing patients of her practice). Never ignore your own doctor’s advice because of something you read here; this information is for general informational purpose only.
Nice to have a healthy sunscreen option. I must admit I usually don’t bother with it but when you start needing the more aggressive skin treatments it sounds like it becomes more important. Sun sensitivity/overexposure could really mess up a person’s efforts to have younger looking skin.
I recently tried an at home peel that had 5% glycolic acid in it. Although there was some tingling, my skin really felt nice after using it. Guess it’s time to try that sunscreen
Dr. Bailey,
How would you suggest to change anti-aging skin care going into summer? I moderately use glycolic and tretinoin/sometimes retinol during non-summer months. With skin type 1/2, living in sunny climate and suspecting that I may have carelessly (not wearing sunscreen) compromised my skin in the past, I want to go extra careful. Should I go with just mild glycolic (and of course sun screen)? Will I lose benefits I gained from tretinoin use? Marvelous site you have with very nice education! Thank you.
Hi Dr. Bailey,
Love your blog. I am intrigued by the benefits of Clarisonic in your previous blog entry.
However, I am a bit confused. Is Clarisonic a ‘cleansing’ system or an ‘exfoliating’ system?
Also, I am on a nightly Retin-A regimen. I wear makeup and sunscreen during the day, so I can see myself at this point invest in a Clarisonic to ensure the residues are washed off.
Can Clarisonic be used at night prior to Retin-A application? I know there’s a delicate brush head, paired with La Roche Posay Gentle Cleanser option.
I am worried about the overly cleansing aspect of Clarisonic that could be too harsh for my sensitive skin and worse, cause hyperpigmentation.
Thanks.
Jennifer
Hello Jennifer,
Clarisonic is both a cleansing system and will provide exfoliation. The oscillation of the brush will exfoliate skin and the amount of exfoliation depends on the brush head and the power setting. A Buf Puf sponge does the same thing for a lot less money so that’s not what impresses me about the Clarisonic Cleansing System. What I love so much about the ‘super clean’ of the Clarisonic is that the high frequency oscillations pulse clean the pores while exfoliation and brushing away skin debris and old product. People’s skin looks so much clearer once they start using the Clarisonic. I was a hard sell because I’m highly skeptical of overinflated skin care product claims. It was during a patient’s skin exam that the Clarisonic actually got onto my radar. This patient purchased the system well before I began recommending Clarisonic and I could see that her skin looked better, pores were cleaner and her products were working better. I had other people try it with the same results, I tried it, my aestheticians tried it and we all had the same results. Across the board, everyone who uses the system in my practice improves the results of their skin care and their skin and pores are clearer. I love clean and tidy and I love results so that’s why I’m such a Clarisonic fan.
I use it with the Tolariane Dermo Cleanser at night before I apply my Retin-A and I have extremely sensitive skin pushed to its edge of its tolerance by tretinoin, CRS, occasional glycolic peels, microdermabraision treatments and Replenix Scrub. I use the lowest setting and the Sensitive or Delicate Brush Head. I wash first with the Toleriane and my fingers and rinse, then I do a second cleanse with the Clarisonic to get all my makeup and products off my skin. I followup immediately with Replenix CF Cream or Power of Three and a moisturizer, then wait 15 min and lastly I apply Tretinoin. My skin loves the Clarisonic and did not become more sensitive after I started using it. In fact, I can’t think of anyone whose sensitive skin got inflamed after adding a Clarisonic. There is, however, never a guarantee with sensitive skin so I can’t promise your skin will tolerate the system. I always recommend that sensitive skin types start with the lowest setting and the Delicate Brus and experiment with how often they can use the system. I hope that helps. Warm Regards, Cynthia Bailey MD
This is such a timely and good question that I’m going to make it an Ask Dr. Bailey question. Thanks Vera!
Hi Dr. Bailey,
Thank you very much for your detailed response on Clarisonic. I appreciate the tips!
Jennifer
Hi Dr. Bailey,
Do you have tips on how to properly initiate a Vitamin C serum like CRS while on Retin-A, besides using a gentle cleanser?
I used L-ascorbic Vitamin C serum twice a week before. Unfortunately, my skin didn’t tolerate it well.
I know that L-ascorbic is the only proven ingredient for anti-aging benefit. Is there a next best Vitamin C serum that is less irritating than L-ascorbic acid, while providing some antioxidant benefit?
Thank you.
Diane
Hello Diane,
Here is how I do it http://www.drbaileyskincare.com/blog/dermatologists-best-anti-wrinkle-cream/ That said, the acid pH of the L-ascorbic is irritating to sensitive skin. Not everyone can combine the two. I have people try to use it at least twice a week; since the half life in the skin of topical vita C is 4 days it doesn’t need to be applied everyday if it’s too irritating.
I was reading your nightly routine which now involves the clarisonic. I didn’t notice where you mentioned using the zinc bar. On previous blogs, I know you had mentioned that you always use the bar at night. So, by adding the clarisonic, would I eliminate the bar from my nightly routine?
Hi Angie,
In my skin care routines I let people decide whether they want to use the Clarisonic in the morning or the evening or both, and which cleanser best fits their skin. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ with either of these steps. Often seborrhea is less apt to be active in the summer and the zinc bar can be retired until the fall. That said, pityrosporum folliculitis is more active in hot or humid summer locations so the zinc bar would be of benefit. Rosacea benefits year round from the zinc, but it too worsens most in the winter, except of course if the sun sets it off. So…… customization based on each person’s skin’s needs dictates the answer. Great question!
Its Really an Amazing Option to combine Skin Care with Anti-Aging and to use only a Cream for the Treatments.
Dear Dr. Bailey,
Thank you so much for the information on Clarisonic. I hope I can always find anti aging info as good as the one you posted.
Regards,
How do you personally incorporate a Vitamin C serum, in this case, CRS to your current skin routine sucessfully without irritaion, besides what’s written in the antioxidant skincare kit? If I am not mistaken, you mentioned that you have a case of mild rosacea. If not, I apologize in advance.
I have mild rosacea and use Finacea gel a.m. and Retin-A p.m. plus Clarisonic. I have always heard that for reactive and sensitive skin like rosacea, it’s best to shun away from Vitamin C, especially L-Ascorbic acid products, or use low concentration like 5% L-Ascorbic.
I do hear great things about Replenix line of products great for Rosacea skin, though.
Thanks.
Yes I have mild rosacea. Replenix CF Cream or Power of Three are key to helping me sneak in the CRS. CRS, having an acid pH as all good vita C products must, is irritating to inflamed skin. Where the skin is not inflamed, it’s often tolerable. That would be sides of the face, upper forehead and often the crow’s feet and around the lip line for rosacea prone skin. When inflamed, no CRS. Plus, CRS, like all vita c, has a half life of 4 days in the skin so it’s possible to use it just 3 times a week and reap benefits. It’s theoretically possible to put Finacea where rosacea happens and CRS on the other parts of the face. I have my patients do things like that – mix and match products to maximize results by separating their facial skin into regions.