Hi TheFountain,
Your regimen looks good to me, although I might suggest a more gentle cleanser than your glycerin soap. Eucerin for Sensitive Skin "Gentle Hydrating Cleanser" comes to mind; it is very basic and unscented, also budget friendly. Any of the Avene cleansers that suit your skintype would be a good option as well.
For sunscreen, especially if your skin is irritated, I would suggest you look into Glycolix Elite spf30. Very soothing as well as protective:
Active ingredient Zinc Oxide 17%. Also contains Purified Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cyclomethicone, Laurylmethicone Copolyol C13-14, Isoparrafin, Polyacrylamide, Cersin,Dimethicone,Green Tea Extract, Phospholipids, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Coenzyme Q-10, Ascorbyl Glucosamine, Superoxide Dismutase, Laureth-7, Sodium Cloride, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Diazolidnyl Urea.
I've tried your Nivea Sun light feeling spf50 and found it much too emollient for my skin. I also couldn't handle the heavy fragrance.
Unless your Dermatologist recommends otherwise, I would say stay the course and ride out the ugliness and discomfort. My two (2) cents, of course.
Thank you for your kind words ~ Sincerely, MK
Mia what is bothering me is that I've been using it for 5 and a half months and thus far the effect it has had is the complete opposite of what everyone tauts it as. It is making me look older by causing my skin to go through the following.
1-Dehydration.
2-Mottling (discoloration all over my face)
3-Circles under my eyes with veins showing through
4-Making my neck look defatted and sunken in, thus my adams apple look bigger
5-Extreme dryness (expected but adding to the aged look
Why is it causing my skin to be discolored? Shouldn't it be having SOME positive effect after almost 6 months?
Why is it making my eyes look sunken and veiny?
Why is it causing furrows and shadows all over my face?
Why is it making my cheek bones more visible and white and boney looking?
I had none of these things prior to using Tretinoin!
It is depressing me so badly. I have not been out in weeks, I will not allow anyone to see me, none of my friends, no one. The last time I have seen a friend they told me I looked like I haven't slept in 2 years.
And before anyone gets into sun exposure I want to say I religiously avoid the sun and put on a mexoryl based sun block whenever I am outside, even in the early morning hours when it is still dark out. I sleep with my windows 99% covered and whatever light comes in is not direct sunlight so it isn't that either. It can't be.
The kind of tretinoin I am using is from alldaychemist. Johnson & johnson.
Edited by TheFountain, 21 August 2009 - 10:52 PM.