Re: i bought the lactic acid....
Hey Paheli, since you're here a quick Q.
What do you think I should get for my sister (from your experience with diff products)? She has brown hyperpigmentation from acne.
Night cream with 15% GLA - for everyday
Lactic Acid 30% - for once every 1-2 weeks
or GLA 30% - for once every 1-2 weeks
Bearing in mind that we don't want fast results... as gentle as possible but still effective. I'd want to go for the night cream but perhaps it won't be effective? Or will it be more effective than 30% Lactic acid, in which case it seems like a good compromise.
I'd say get all 3....b/c at one point in my routine....I used 12% glygolic cream along with both lactic & glycolic peels (the only thing I've cut out right now is the cream).
This is what I would do if I were your sister:
1) Get the 15% GA cream and start using that every other night. If the skin seems to handle it well after the 1st week (ie. not much dryness, irritation etc.), then start using it every night.
2) After 2-3 weeks of using the GA cream....I'd start with the lactic acid peels. On a side note....30% is really gentle. Unless your sister has super sensitive skin....I'd recommend you bump that upto 40% as a "starter". Do the lactic peel 1x/week for 2-3 weeks (along with using the GA cream each night). ** In the beginning while she's "learning" her skin....she may want to STOP using the GA cream 1-2 days BEFORE the lactic peel to avoid any possible irritation.
3) After 2-3 lactic peels.....introduce glycolic peels into the routine. Now if her skin handles the 15% GA cream and the 40% lactic peels fine during those weeks.....then instead of 30%....I think she can start with 40% glycolic peel.
At this point....she can develop a schedule where she's doing 1 peel every week....alternating between the glycolic and lactic. And using the GA cream in between. Based on how her skin reacts....she may need to stop using the GA cream 2-3 days BEFORE the glycolic peel. Either way....I'd recommend not using the GA cream at least 2-3 days after peels (glycolic and lactic). I know for me personally, I only use oil to moisturize and Vitamin C serum for 3 days after peels. In my opinion, this gives the skin a chance to heal from the peel without adding more acid to it immediately.
After a few months....or whenever her skin gets to a point where she's relatively happy with the look....she can decrease the peels to once every 2 weeks (while continuing to use the GA cream). Of course, make sure she uses sunscreen. BTW, tell her to not to ignore the neck area. I've put GA cream, and done 40% glycolic and 55% lactic peels on my neck/upper chest area with no issues.
** I've made the mistake of introducing multiple items to my skin before. And when I experienced irritation...it was a huge hassle trying to figure out which specific product caused it. That's why these days, I stick with introducing one product at a time. After using that one product for 2-3 weeks....then I add in another product. This way, if the skin breaks out or gets irritated in some way...you immediately know which exact product caused it. :)
That’s when I realized that ignoring my neck/upper chest area was stupid. So yea…since then…whatever I use on my face also gets put on my neck/upper chest. Also keep in mind Nadz, I also use Retin A and do Glycolic peels…so my results will most likely be different than yours.