[ttee]

Not to take away from Ladonna's thread but I have noticed she hasn't returned for a long time after a few posts. I have also noticed a lot of people asking Ondine for sources of HQ4% and Retin-a which means a lot of people like myself have jumped on the bandwagon and are now using these products. So i thought it will be a good idea if those of us using these products will share our experiences and progress.

As for me, I started using both at the end of March and I have to say my skin has improved big time. All my blemishes, spots and scars are nearly gone and trust me, i had lots of them scattered all over my face and I will say i'm definitely one shade lighter. As i have described myself in another post, my pre retin-a & hq 4% color is identical to that of Alicia keys when she looks tan and my color now is her color when she looks light. No burns, no blotches, no uneven tones, just dryness from retin-a which gets resolved with carrier oils and ointments. I also use the st lika's papaya soap (thanks to Jose) and on days that i take a break from HQ, i use my DIY vitamin c serum.
I am very happy with results and will keep you posted.
Please if you are using the same, kindly post your results to encourage of LOL discourage others

 

[Clabbergirl]

I've just started using HQ4% (1 week), but am a long time user of Retin-A. I've used the .05% or .1% gel for over a year. It reduced acne breakouts to almost nothing, even cystic ones. I'm fair already, and it gave my skin a brighter appearance after about 6 months of nightly use. The drying affects have not been near as bad with the micro-gel version, by the way, but my skin is oily so Retin-A has made it 'normal'. Fine lines are lessened and bumps have been smoothed out. An old chicken pox scar is now almost completely gone!

I use sunscreen 30+ or better religiously now, but I've always been a freckler and my freckles and age spots have yet to really fade. I've started the HQ4% in the hopes that will take care of what's left. I have the kind of skin that without sunscreen, as soon as I step outside and walk to the car in the sun, freckles I never even had pop out. So I'm going for total sunblock now which I hate because I love the sun.

I'm interested in the likas soap now though as I've been doing some reading on here. But for those considering Retin-A, it's slow-going but if you stick with it you'll see results. A friend of mine who's 40 had a lot of acne scars and a good year of Retin-A use makes it very difficult to notice.

 

[ondine]

Retin A is a wonderdrug! I too use it 1x/day in the afternoon mixed with HQ4% for the exfoliating effect. I am thrilled with it. Clabbergirl, as someone with auburn hair, despite my med brown (before lightening) skin, I too have freckles! I just have to say the word SUN & they pop out across my nose . Sunscreen is so important for us retin A frecklers. Beginning this thread was a great idea.

 

[ttee]

Wonderdrug it truly is, I just convinced my 63 year old mum to start using it and amen, she likes it already.

 

[ttee]

Sunscreen, no kidding, you gotta learn to love it. I use the Avene 50+ spf on my face and neck and the neutregena heliplex spf 70 on my body. I used to love the sun but i guess i have to be careful now

 

[ondine]

I also live the sun. Just seeing it gives me a boost of energy. I am looking for a sunscreen that is stronger than the one I'm currently using BUT that won't turn me a weird shade of violet, blue or grey! The high SPF ones all seem to do this. THe one I'n using now is the Neutrogena 'dry touch' oil free 30 spf designed for the face. This one doesn't turn my face blue nor is it greasy. Any ideas out there?

 

[ttee]

I also live the sun. Just seeing it gives me a boost of energy. I am looking for a sunscreen that is stronger than the one I'm currently using BUT that won't turn me a weird shade of violet, blue or grey! The high SPF ones all seem to do this. THe one I'n using now is the Neutrogena 'dry touch' oil free 30 spf designed for the face. This one doesn't turn my face blue nor is it greasy. Any ideas out there?

Check this one out Ondine, you may like it. it doesn't turn you white if you're well moisturized Avene Emulsion, Bioderma Photoderma MAX - Highest UVA Protection -- BEST PRICES ANYWHERE!. I have to warn you though that on days when my skin is dry, it turns me white but that's before it absorbs deep into skin, takes like 20mins and color returns to normal.

 

[fawnie]

And here is yet another one!
BIODERMA PHOTODERM MAX SPF 50+ SPRAY INTOLERANT SKIN 200 ML

This goes on clear and will not leave a white cast. Periwinkle loves it (the smoking baby avatar....). This site is out of it, but I see some listed on eBay for $36USD.



Skin | care | talk

 

[periwinkle]

And here is yet another one!
BIODERMA PHOTODERM MAX SPF 50+ SPRAY INTOLERANT SKIN 200 ML

This goes on clear and will not leave a white cast. Periwinkle loves it (the smoking baby avatar....). This site is out of it, but I see some listed on eBay for $36USD.

Yes I do love it. Frenchcosmeticsforless has it in the 400ml size for around $50 shipped.
Free shipping. Hard to beat this price anywhere for the amount and quality of sunscreen. SPF100 PPD35

 

[moni09]

what's the active ingredients? My derm told me that zinc oxide offers the ultimate best protection, so I usually like to stick to high concentrations of that.

 

[fawnie]

what's the active ingredients? My derm told me that zinc oxide offers the ultimate best protection, so I usually like to stick to high concentrations of that.

That's good advice. ZnO and TiDo protect against infra-red radiation as well. Some of them leave a white cast though, but this one does not. It is pretty moisturizing, so probably not the best choice for oily/combo skin. It is 25% ZnO, which is much higher that most I've seen:

All Natural Sun Protection with ZinClear - New All Natural Sun Protection with ZinClear - Blocks 97% Of Both U...*-*NCN Professional Skincare - Anti Aging Skin Care Products That Makes Your Skin Look and Act Younger

She is wonderful in the CS department and will send samples.



Skin | care | talk

 

[ondine]

THanks, Fawnie! Somehow I'm not surprised by your knowledge in this area. You seem to be the 'go-to' person here for sunblock info.

 

[ufrasanki]

hi guys
i have melasma (on my checks,forehead and above a lips)plus i have acne scars.i want to use rein a 0,1 +HQ4% mix so i should use this mix just for my dark patches (where i have scars and melsma)or on my whole face ?i want to get even skin on my face.anyone can help? thanks

 

[ondine]

I don't understand what you need help with. You have identified your skin issue & you have identified a possible solution! First use ot to lighten your dark patches. Once your skin is even, then you can decide whether or not you want to go lighter. Many people here are using this blend so you can always find others to share experiences with. Please make sure to wait at least 20 mins after drying your skin before applying the retin A/HQ blend. Anything with high retin A must be applied to very dry skin only. Do not skip this step.

 

[banany]

Would this combination work just for correcting sun spots? I'm Chinese and have a fairly light complexion. In the last couple of years I've had freckles pop up even though I've been using sunscreen religiously for 5 years. I've noticed that in the last year my skin has become slightly darker overall...I used to be like a ghost.

In the past I used the cellex-c fade gel, but I didn't notice a difference. I also used the cellex-c high potency serum, but wasn't sure if both products would work since they're both liquids.

I use the SK-II facial cleanser and facial treatment essence. My boyfriend's sister swears by the facial essence and she doesn't have any spots even though she's older than me and doesn't wear sunscreen. I only moisturize at night and use a very light moisturizer. I try to exfoliate twice a week with dermanew.

I used to use retinol-A after buying it in Mexico while on vacation and used it around my eyes to prevent wrinkles (I didn't know it could be used for lightening skin), but stopped using it when my boyfriend freaked out (he's a doctor, but a surgeon and not a dermatologist). So I ended up throwing away the retinol-A cause he said it would make any babies I have weird (I'm not pregnant nor intend to become pregnant for a few years).

I'm interested in trying the HQ/retinol-A combination as it seems to have worked for people here, but I'm worried about making my skin tone uneven. Most of the spots are very light and other people don't notice them, but I have a few more prominent ones that bother me.

Thanks for any suggestions!

 

[Clabbergirl]

Retin-A topically applied can affect pregnancies, but if you are not pregnant, and do not become pregnant while you are using it, you and your unborn children are fine. Using Retin-A for a period of time will not affect future pregnancies as long as you stop using it before becoming pregnant.

Keep in mind everyone's skin is different and unique, and what works for one person may not work for you. Your boyfriend could write you an Rx for Retin-A and HQ4%.

 

[ttee]

Retin-A topically applied can affect pregnancies, but if you are not pregnant, and do not become pregnant while you are using it, you and your unborn children are fine. Using Retin-A for a period of time will not affect future pregnancies as long as you stop using it before becoming pregnant.

Keep in mind everyone's skin is different and unique, and what works for one person may not work for you. Your boyfriend could write you an Rx for Retin-A and HQ4%.

Good advice Clabbergirl but LOL, talking from experience those boyfriends and husbands hate writing scripts for their own especially if it's self pescribed by who they're writing it for, the guys are way too paranoid but i bet it's worth trying.

 

[Clabbergirl]

Ttee, good point. I'm sure there's some ethical stuff the consider there!

 

[banany]

I live in Canada so I could get both items without a prescription and yes, it would be highly inappropriate for him to write me a prescription. Usually if I ask him a medical question he tells me to go see my family doctor. He doesn't understand my skin care concerns. I tell him that if he doesn't wear sunscreen he'll end up looking like an old leather bag, but he doesn't care.

Does anyone use the combination just for spot correction or should I apply it to my whole face?

 

[ondine]

It works for spot correction but I forget who here is using it that way.