facelift serum question

[Amy/L]

Hi,

I was just wondering, has anyone had any outbreaks caused by the facelift serum at all? I'm not 100% it's the serum to be honest, might be that time of the month, and my overall skin texture has got much smoother, but I've also had a lot of new spots too - is this purging? Or should I maybe stop using the serum?

Thanks girls!!

[Cupcake]

I'd wait for Karen's response as she knows best, but I'd doubt that it's the serum. There isn't anything in it that would cause spots and 'mechanically' block pores to form the acne. You can, of course, have a reaction to anything, but you'd usually experience that quite quickly upon first use.

Changing to a new routine can cause a 'purge' if there is a build-up from previously used products and your skin is liking the new product. If it struggled with the old product and the newer one suits it better, it re-directs the energy it was wasting in coping with the old product and uses it to restore full function by expelling or purging the gunk that it couldn't process before. It's a bit like changing the oil on an old engine, helps it run better once the muck is away and not blocking up the system, slowing it down and draining its energy.

Maybe try using it on a patch you can conceal for a few more days and meanwhile, use very basic skincare to be as gentle as possible on your face. Then re-introduce it if you feel confident to do so.

[karen]

It's possible that it could be a purge, change in the weather, stress, hormones or any of the other things...but really everyone has different triggers. With the serums I kept them as absolutely basic as I could- there's really nothing in them besides the actives, water, a little bit of thickener, and a preservative. It's always a possibility that something in it could be triggering you, but usually Vitamin C is really good for acne.

I'd back off on the serum for a little bit. Just go simple, and then work it back in maybe even just every other day until your skin gets used to it. Sometimes too much of a good thing is still too much.

[Kahani]

If it helps, I find that if my skin is purging (meaning if I stick it out things will get better) I get lots of lil white-capped pimples. The kind that pop up, and disappear with exfoliation within a day or so leaving no scars. I went through that when I switched to a new serum (not one of karen's) and a gel-moisturiser, and now my skin has never been clearer! And since Karen's OC serum has started kicking in I'm feel well on my way to my dream of great skin. I wake up every morning and gloat at myself in the mirror (yes I'm that pleased!).

I honestly don't believe cystic pimples, or red and raw ones are purging - I think they're angry skin. And they leave scars, so accepting them is definitely a no-no for me.

[zeebs]

I've heard it takes a month to tell the difference between purging and a bad reaction.

[packgal]

i'm hijacking this thread to ask another facelift serum question...
so i got a bottle of this for my mom, who's 53. i was really excited because right now she doesn't (and never has) used any sort of actives on her face, and of course she has some wrinkles and things. she tried it last night and said she had a horrible burning sensation, so she gave it back to me today
should i try something more soothing without actives, like the oatmeal or rose? or should i just give up? i thought this would be a nice, pretty gentle product that she could try and really see results, but now i don't know what to give her to try i think she has pretty normal skin, not dry/dehydrated or oily; just aging...

[Rhys]

LAA (the other kind of Vitamin C serum) used to sting like crazy. I dreaded using it, and it'd lose potency even before it started turning orange, no matter what you used to stabilise it, and that was usually ferrulic acid, propylene glycol, etc. The only way around it was to do up a new batch every week. I've never had a problem with MAP (the improved and far more stable version of Vitamin C), but it's possible it could be stingy for some folks.

Gluconolactone is a very mild AHA (it's found in honey, amongst other things, and even lactic acid, which is stronger, is in milk and that's used in a lot of hand-crafted soaps and high-end skincare), doesn't seem like it'd cause a reaction, but maybe?

Karen's the expert on the ingredients, but it could just be the serum doesn't agree with your mum. How about some gumballs of the hydrating serums to see if those work for her?

[karen]

Ooh boy it could be anything. That's kind of the first rule of formulating- pretty much anyone can be allergic to or get a pimple from something you're putting in a product at any time. There's nothing really stingish in the Facelift- so I'm guessing it's a reaction to something. The Vitamin C makes your skin feel tight- and if someone's never really used anything on their face before it could be a bit uncomfortable (personally I like the effect- it feels like it's doing something). Gluconoactone is the preservative- so it's in there at less than 1%- I don't think the weak acid would cause stinging, but it would if her skin didn't like it.

You could give her some of the Oatmeal, or the Simply C to try- but be careful- patch test it first.