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Glad you are using the sun protection but there is only so much a sunblock can do, so some sun avoidance will be required as well especially as you plan on using retinoids. The sun and retin A = a big disaster.

The regime sounds good but personally for me 0.1% would tear my face off. I would start off lower like 0.05 or if you have sensitive skin 0.025%. 0.1% is really for those who have built up a tolerance to retin A. You also have to make sure that you stop using the RA a few days before the peels otherwise you risk over exfoliating. Carotein did not do much for me other than dry out my skin but you may find you like it. Please keep up the updates and Happy exfoliating !!!

Agreed I can only do 0.1% on my body and I have been using retin A for a while now. Unless you have skin as tough as old boots I would not start so high

After reading your advice I have been researching like mad for days.
Here's the new regimen I've come up with:
.025% RA and 2% HQ at night and vitamin c serum during the day and weekly 40% LA peels.
I will be avoiding the sun as much as possible(long sleeve white tops and hats will be my best mates this summer) and 50spf sunblock everyday rain or shine. After I reach my goal, I plan to use pure Alpha-arbutin and kojic acid serum for maintenance. How does this sound?

Sounds fine to me. What suncream & vitamin C product are you planning on using ?

rainbow wrote:Sounds fine to me. What suncream & vitamin C product are you planning on using ?

Ahh so good to know I'm going in the right direction!
I plan to make my own vitamin C Serum (I've seen some really easy recipes)at some point but for now I'll be using Avalon Organics Vitamin C Vitality Serum.
My sunblock is Garnier Ambre Solaire UV Sensitive Protection Spray SPF 50. It's not sticky and the whiteness fades quickly so I like it a lot for that.

is that a chemical sun cream? Does it have any zinc in it? I have found it difficult to get any decent blocks in the uk and tend to buy from abroad on line.


The regime sounds great. You will have to tell us how the serum works out when you try it.

Hi everyone, i am new to the site! I am dark skinned (nw50) and have used products such as palmers, ambi, and nadinola. I was unaware of the various regimens that could be used to accomplish a desired look. I have learned alot from just visiting the site! But i now feel ready to venture out and try some of the products mentioned in different posts, but i have a few questions....
1) With the glycolic peel 35%...would it be best to use this on just my face or can it be used on the entire body..as i am trying to lighten my shade by 3-4 shades....
2) Is it better to apply the retin-A to damp or dry skin?
3) Do you mix the retin-a with HQ or are they to be applied seperately?
4) Are there any particular sunblocks that you recommend?
5) Is the Caroteine nourishing and fairness cream to be used alone or with other products?
I apologize for all the questions, but who better to ask than the knowledgeable people from this site, lol. Its nice to find people with similar interests who dont judge you by the choices that you decide to make with your body! Thanks again everyone!!

Hi blackgirl, welcome to TSP


No worries about all the questions . We are all here to learn and share and hopefully achieve our goals.


With the peels, yes they can be used on the body too though you must make sure that your skin can tolerate that percentage. it may be quite high for some people to use straight off,especially on the face and if you have never done peels before. If you want to test it out you can do a test spot treatment on a small area like under the chin and then wait at least 24 hours to see how your skin has reacted.If there is no redness or soreness then you should be ok but even then take it carefully and follow all instructions to the letter, including aftercare. if you plan on using retin A then you must stop using it at least 3 days before and after the peel or you may over exfoliate and trigger post inflammotory pigmentation.



Some people think that applying retin A on wet skin can be a problem because damp skin tends to make the retin A absorb very quickly so may be irritating for some. You have to find out what works for you. Some can tolerate it, others can't.


Again it is entirely up to you whether you mix the hq and retin A just before application or whether you dceide to apply one and then wait before applying the other. Most tend to mix together just because it saves time. Remember retin A should not be used in the day and HQ should only be used in the day time if you are going to consciously avoid the sun and have a good sunblock on.


Good sunblocks are ones that have high levels of zinc oxide that act as physical block. Suggestions SOLEO, Devita, burnout.


I have not tried the carotene before so cannot make suggestions but maybe someone else can chime in with an answer.


And now a question for you. How did you find the products you have tried so far. Did you achieve any results and how long were you using them? Best of luck by the way !!!

I agree with the above^^. You have to work out what works best for you. An example is that a member here used adc hq and ra and saw fantastic lightening but I have yet to see anything on the same level. I am moving onto adding in obagi which I hope works better for me. For time sakes I always mix retin A and hq right before using it and seems to go ok. I have tried carotein but didn't see that it did very much for me. It may be a different story for you especially as you are planning on using peels so there should be less of a barrier as you continue along

my tip would be to invest in a big paint brush if you are going to be using the glycolic on the body.It cuts down the application time & often means you have less wastage than when you use cotton pads

Hey guys!! Sorry for the slow response, I had to work the past few days. But @angeleyes, I have tried just generalized skin lighteners and was always considering going stronger with the hydroquinine. But now that ive found some other solutions from this site, im going to try those methods first and see if i get better results. The results that i would get before would always be mininal and didnt seem to last long term.
@rainbow, thanks for that tip, i was wondering how i was gonna get it on in an appropriate amount of time, because even doing one limb at a time would have been time consuming with those cotton pads, lol!!
@ yogi...i was just reading about the obagi, I will certainly add it to my list of "things that may work". Thank you for the info...how many shades are you trying to lighten to, and what color range were you in before?

I would say I am medium brown complexion. I am not sure how light I would like to get and I have a feeling that it may be a changing goal over time. The best lightner that worked for me was fair and flawless but it thinned my skin and caused all sorts of problems so I would not recommend. It has powerful steroid so accounts for the quick lightening. I have seen a little lightening with adc hq and retin A but was hoping for a bit more at this stage. Enticing though has told me to be patient and it will work so I will continue and add in the obagi as well just as an added boost.

WOW.....I'm glad to have found this interesting site.

Hi everyone, just registered and wanted to introduce myself before posting any comments in the forum.

As a new member, I hope to fit in well, would like advice from others and would also contribute as I love experimenting with different products.

My goal is to find something that works for me, would really love to find a product that not only lightens but gives me a beautiful glow.

Thanks.

Hi citrus welcome to our friendly board !! I hope you attain your goals and I agree a beautiful glow can make all the difference

oh wow thanks angeleyes.

Welcome citrus

A warm welcome to the board citrus !!!

Pleased to have you on board citrus

Hello all!I am new to the forum even though i have posted once but i realized i have not introduced myself Am so delighted I found people with common interests!

Am from Nigeria and I have medium skin tone. I was fairer but due to the sun gone darker.

I have used a no of skin lotions. Fair and White worked for some time and stopped working. I used Makari and broke out all over. I have used Caro Light and a total disaster.

I havr just ordered Retin A from ADC and hydroquinone because I have tough dead skin on my toes. hope it works. I also got lactic acid from ebay.

I need help.

mamdee I hope it works for you but the ADC hq did absolutely nothing for me and I know I am not alone with that thought. I have found their retin A is fine, so that should help with your lightener penetration and exfoliation. Lactic acid should also help but make sure you go easy with it. Going too quickly with it by using a strength that is too strong or leaving it on for too long can make things worse for some people. And never never leave your house with out sunblock. God luck with it and keep posting how you get on

mamadee do you mind elaborating on what happend with the carolight. I know what you are saying about the makari. I had a bad break out with it myself and was left with scarring from spots that I had to sort out with retin A and ambi. It was a really awful time as I had to go through darkening and then trying to sort out the dark marks.

Your regime sounds good although some do say that the ADC hq may not be as strong as they make out. It is good that you are trying to remove some of the sun damage with the peels and that should help speed things along. Like yogi said don't overdo it though. Make sure to stop using the retin A at least 24 hours before and after the peel. Also a patch test is always advisable. Good luck with it. I think I mentioned in another thread that I have been applying an AHA product called DCL on my hands at night and then wearing gloves and it it is really evening my hands. So perhaps using your retin A and hq at night and then wearing socks should help with your toes. Best of luck with it and welcome on board

mamadee good luck with your routine. Curious to know whether you have heard of this Mega toner everyone is talking about as you are in Nigeria

Hi to all.

I'm new to this forum. But I am excited to have some talks. I enjoyed reading and I knew, I'll learn a lot from this forum regarding skin health and issues.

Hello everyone,
Newbie here. Id been looking around about skin care and came to drop by this site. But seems that forums now are inactive, though some of the information are helpful though. Looking forward for new messages.

Shunammite

hi everyone i'm kijanouye(creole meaning how are you)pronounced kee-zjown-oo-yay im african american/black & i love how diverse our world is i love learning new things about everyones culture we all are connected when you take time to see i like learning new languages and words reading writing & dancing.. what brought me to the website today is the currant status of my skin recent breakout,hyperpimentation all over body due to improper tanning bed usage........ im just looking to restore my skin back to normal color and texture and im really glad i found this sight thank creators and experienced users