Silk Naturals

Hi! I ordered a bunch of samples about a week ago. I was really excited about the Super Serum. I've used it maybe 5 times and I find my face gets kind of splotchy and stays that way for maybe 15 minutes after I apply it. I get some of my moisturizer (CeraVe lotion) at the tops of my fingers, mix 1 drop of the serum by rubbing my fingers together and then I pat the mix on my face. I was wondering if the redness is normal or if that means it's not right for me. I really like it aside from the initial splotchy face. My face is smoother and softer. It seems to help everything I'm concerned with - acne, anti-aging, skin barrier repair, healing, brightening, maybe a little lightening, softening. It seems like a great serum to use because I use tretinoin cream every other night for acne (I make sure not to use them at the same time). I really want this to work for me, but should I stop using it? Thank you!!!

I almost wonder if there is something in your cleanser. Or which CeraVe Moisturizer do you use? If it is the Renewing version, the Super Serum is likely reacting with the salycilic acid in it. Super Serum has niacinimide which does react with AHA (glycolic acid, lactic acid, mandelic acid, and sometimes even citric acid) and sometimes BHA (salycilic acid) to cause a flushing of the skin.

If it is the regular lotion, it is up to you what you decide to do. I would skip anything that made my face splotchy.

Hi! I too was wondering about the AHA-niacinamide reaction. Does niacinamide react with other acids too? Should we be cautious with any other ingredients in our moisturiser (some of them are acids, but you can't always tell from the name) or does the overall pH matter? Our skin surface pH is around 5,5 (I think), so I guess acidity by itself is probably not the issue...

I listed the main acids in skincare products it reacts with. They have to be an alpha hydroxy acid or sometimes a beta hydroxy acid....meaning it has to have a certain molecular shape. And most other acids, you would never consider putting on your skin. pH in the range of skincare use is not relevant.

i've waited to reply so that i can give an update. i backed off the serum for a few days and tentatively tried again. i still got some redness, but i persisted (which might not have been the best decision, but i'm stubborn) and i think my skin has finally adjusted. there's no more redness when i apply. it's made the nicest difference so far and i'm glad i got it. i hope when my sample runs out i'll still want to order a full bottle. i'm actually really excited about how my skin is improving. i'm trying not to rave and put lots of exclamation points. i think the combo of this + tretinoin in my regiment is going to keep my acne under control and my skin looking like an angel kissed it.

jen, my cleanser is the cerave hydrating one and i use the regular cerave lotion. i think the problem was that maybe my skin needed to adjust to the serum or maybe it was a bad time to introduce a new product. i like the serum so much that i want to buy everything else. i'm going to get so carried away ordering things. thank you for your help! i don't use anything with those acids, but it's definitely really good information to know. this might become my favorite brand of skincare. i want to hug you

Posts like yours really make me smile! I am happy to help whenever I can.