Comments on: Warning about glycolic acid peels AHA http://rosacea-support.org Where the rosacea community meets to support each other Wed, 23 May 2012 15:17:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Shelby http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-96854 Shelby Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:32:53 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-96854 Yes, when the face is irritated anything can cause it to get more irritated and even induce an allergy, including sunscreens. Like I said the first month and a half, I made my face so much worse by applying cetaphil, sunscreens, vinegar. INstead of sunscree, I use a pull up sock from coolibar, it actually looks pretty trendy. I wash my face with water. My face is starting to really heal itself, two months of doing this. The derm. says if you take care of your face like a baby it will still take you almost two years for complete skin healing. I am suprised that you can use any acid on your face; but awesome that you can see some improvement. Yes, when the face is irritated anything can cause it to get more irritated and even induce an allergy, including sunscreens. Like I said the first month and a half, I made my face so much worse by applying cetaphil, sunscreens, vinegar. INstead of sunscree, I use a pull up sock from coolibar, it actually looks pretty trendy.

I wash my face with water. My face is starting to really heal itself, two months of doing this. The derm. says if you take care of your face like a baby it will still take you almost two years for complete skin healing.

I am suprised that you can use any acid on your face; but awesome that you can see some improvement.

]]> By: Jon http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-96773 Jon Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:28:18 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-96773 I am a man 45, have rosacea for 20 years or more. My dermatologist has me on Finacea, have been using it for a number of years and its the only thing that keeps it under control. He recently put me on a 4.7% glycolic acid face wash twice daily, so far I think it has made my skin look much better. I work out and sweat heavily 5 days per week wich can wreak havoc with rosacea, the glycolic acid has cut down a lot of the blotchyness on my cheeks and has reduced some of the redness on my neck where I shave...so far so good. One other thing I will mention, not sure if any of the products mentioned thus far have sunblock in them. I found myself becoming allergic to zinc oxide sun block, this stuff caused me to have some of the issues decribed such as redness, peeling and burning. Took a while to figure it out. Just an FYI. I am a man 45, have rosacea for 20 years or more. My dermatologist has me on Finacea, have been using it for a number of years and its the only thing that keeps it under control. He recently put me on a 4.7% glycolic acid face wash twice daily, so far I think it has made my skin look much better. I work out and sweat heavily 5 days per week wich can wreak havoc with rosacea, the glycolic acid has cut down a lot of the blotchyness on my cheeks and has reduced some of the redness on my neck where I shave…so far so good.

One other thing I will mention, not sure if any of the products mentioned thus far have sunblock in them. I found myself becoming allergic to zinc oxide sun block, this stuff caused me to have some of the issues decribed such as redness, peeling and burning. Took a while to figure it out. Just an FYI.

]]> By: Rosacea or irritant dermatitis http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-93083 Rosacea or irritant dermatitis Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:53:21 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-93083 Rosacea simply means a red face. Irritant dermatitis is like rosacea the analogy is that they are both apples, but different shades. Irritant dermatitis can take up to 6 months to heal and that is if you treat your skin like a baby. I personally use nothing but water to clean my skin right now. I have become sensitized to everything. I think all of us at the beginning really screwed up by using too many products (sunscreen, moisturizers, maybe even sacylic acids.) I also came down with a bad case of dandruff and was putting anitdancruff shampoo on my hair. DId you know that shampoos can even effect your irritated face. NOw I use a bar of olive oil soap for my hair from Kiss My Face. Yes life sucks right now. I feel greasy, I want to move back in with my parents to take care of me.:( I am 35 and have been very successful up until three months ago. Now my house is a mess, my head is a mess.. Things will get better. By the way, went to Stanford a few weeks ago for yet another diagnosis. He says I have neuropathic rosacea. I still think I have irritant demratitis. Rosacea simply means a red face. Irritant dermatitis is like rosacea the analogy is that they are both apples, but different shades. Irritant dermatitis can take up to 6 months to heal and that is if you treat your skin like a baby. I personally use nothing but water to clean my skin right now. I have become sensitized to everything. I think all of us at the beginning really screwed up by using too many products (sunscreen, moisturizers, maybe even sacylic acids.) I also came down with a bad case of dandruff and was putting anitdancruff shampoo on my hair. DId you know that shampoos can even effect your irritated face. NOw I use a bar of olive oil soap for my hair from Kiss My Face. Yes life sucks right now. I feel greasy, I want to move back in with my parents to take care of me.:( I am 35 and have been very successful up until three months ago. Now my house is a mess, my head is a mess.. Things will get better. By the way, went to Stanford a few weeks ago for yet another diagnosis. He says I have neuropathic rosacea. I still think I have irritant demratitis.

]]> By: Beth http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-88523 Beth Thu, 26 Jan 2012 13:46:41 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-88523 Please read my experience before you even THINK of trying glycolic acid! At age 34, I tried a 10% glycolic acid gel made by Alpha Hydroxy. At first, I liked the results, but after a couple weeks, it began to cause red blotches, so I stopped using it. Four years later, I decided to give it another try after reading an article from a dermatologist. This time, I vowed I would simply use glycolic acid once or twice a week to exfoliate dry flakes. At the time, I had exceptionally clear porcelain skin with mild red blotches at the center of my cheeks. At first, I thought I had rediscovered a miracle product. The glycolic acid visibly minimized the red patches, exfoliated dry skin flakes and left my face feeling softer than a baby's behind. The third time I used the product, I developed raised red patches on my cheeks, chin and forehead. I also had clear pustules alongside my nose. I stopped using glycolic acid, but the problems didn't go away. I was suddenly sensitive to ALL OF THE PRODUCTS in my cosmetics arsenal, even those I'd been using for many years. I couldn't use any type of liquid foundation, face lotion or sunscreen. The dermatologist prescribed Metrogel, which dried out my complexion and made matters even worse! I went off Metrogel and began using a prescription sulfur treatment that caused the worst breakouts of my life. Ever heard the term pizza face? I was a walking embodiment of this term. For about six months, I avoided going out of the house! I came to a point where I didn't want to use ANY products at all. Even Neutrogena and Eucerin fragrance free lotion for sensitive skin hurt my face and caused breakouts! Through time and experimentation, I learned that LESS IS MORE. I now use a mild, fragrance free face wash without acne or anti-aging ingredients. When I need moisturizer under makeup, I use Olay Regenerist fragrance free moisturizer. For foundation, I use Covergirl Simply Ageless promoted by Ellen Degeneres. (It's the only product containing sunscreen that doesn't irritate me.) When red blotches appear, I treat them with a pure, premium aloe based formula. (I like Triderma Redness Repair.) On a typical day off, I try not to wear makeup at all, especially if I'm not planning to spend time outdoors. I am convinced that glycolic acid brought about my first serious incident of Rosacea. I think it burned my face to such a state that it couldn't recover without time and extra gentle care. I was only using it to slough off dry flakes, but I ended up with a chronic skin problem that caused great depression and changed my life. Thank God my skin is in balance now. When winter winds, mentrual cycles or poor diet cause redness, I cover it with aloe and try to forget about it. LESSONS LEARNED: 1.) Glycolic acids are not the cure for redness and irritation, they are the cause. If you need to exfoliate once in awhile, try a mild facial scrub with microbeads and absolutely no acids. 2.) Acne products containing salicylic acid are not designed or intended for Rosacea. They are made to dry out oily skin and kill bacteria within pores. Most Rosacea breakouts don't involve pore blockages and pimples. The red patches are caused by irritation from a variety of factors, including weather and acidic foods in your diet. 3.) Pure, hypoallergenic makeup with a high level of sunscreen is better that applying sunscreen plus makeup. Using multiple products at the same time is a formula for disaster! Please read my experience before you even THINK of trying glycolic acid! At age 34, I tried a 10% glycolic acid gel made by Alpha Hydroxy. At first, I liked the results, but after a couple weeks, it began to cause red blotches, so I stopped using it. Four years later, I decided to give it another try after reading an article from a dermatologist. This time, I vowed I would simply use glycolic acid once or twice a week to exfoliate dry flakes. At the time, I had exceptionally clear porcelain skin with mild red blotches at the center of my cheeks. At first, I thought I had rediscovered a miracle product. The glycolic acid visibly minimized the red patches, exfoliated dry skin flakes and left my face feeling softer than a baby’s behind. The third time I used the product, I developed raised red patches on my cheeks, chin and forehead. I also had clear pustules alongside my nose. I stopped using glycolic acid, but the problems didn’t go away. I was suddenly sensitive to ALL OF THE PRODUCTS in my cosmetics arsenal, even those I’d been using for many years. I couldn’t use any type of liquid foundation, face lotion or sunscreen. The dermatologist prescribed Metrogel, which dried out my complexion and made matters even worse! I went off Metrogel and began using a prescription sulfur treatment that caused the worst breakouts of my life. Ever heard the term pizza face? I was a walking embodiment of this term. For about six months, I avoided going out of the house! I came to a point where I didn’t want to use ANY products at all. Even Neutrogena and Eucerin fragrance free lotion for sensitive skin hurt my face and caused breakouts! Through time and experimentation, I learned that LESS IS MORE. I now use a mild, fragrance free face wash without acne or anti-aging ingredients. When I need moisturizer under makeup, I use Olay Regenerist fragrance free moisturizer. For foundation, I use Covergirl Simply Ageless promoted by Ellen Degeneres. (It’s the only product containing sunscreen that doesn’t irritate me.) When red blotches appear, I treat them with a pure, premium aloe based formula. (I like Triderma Redness Repair.) On a typical day off, I try not to wear makeup at all, especially if I’m not planning to spend time outdoors. I am convinced that glycolic acid brought about my first serious incident of Rosacea. I think it burned my face to such a state that it couldn’t recover without time and extra gentle care. I was only using it to slough off dry flakes, but I ended up with a chronic skin problem that caused great depression and changed my life. Thank God my skin is in balance now. When winter winds, mentrual cycles or poor diet cause redness, I cover it with aloe and try to forget about it. LESSONS LEARNED: 1.) Glycolic acids are not the cure for redness and irritation, they are the cause. If you need to exfoliate once in awhile, try a mild facial scrub with microbeads and absolutely no acids. 2.) Acne products containing salicylic acid are not designed or intended for Rosacea. They are made to dry out oily skin and kill bacteria within pores. Most Rosacea breakouts don’t involve pore blockages and pimples. The red patches are caused by irritation from a variety of factors, including weather and acidic foods in your diet. 3.) Pure, hypoallergenic makeup with a high level of sunscreen is better that applying sunscreen plus makeup. Using multiple products at the same time is a formula for disaster!

]]> By: Trish http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-77422 Trish Tue, 13 Dec 2011 22:20:19 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-77422 I just had a 10% glycolic acid peel done after doing several 10-20% TCA peels with horrible results (10% was sufferable, 20% I peeled for over a month). BUT the 10% glycolic was the worst of them all. I have been beet red, rashy and scaly all at the same time. I won't stop scaling. I got the rash under control after 4 days with Benedryl but even using aloe vera and 1% hydrocortizone, I'm still quite red and peeling. It's been 5 days since the peel which I got done during a facial. I did not ask for it, the aesthetician thought she was giving me a freebie, and infact spent the whole beginning of the facial telling her how bad the TCA peels had been. I hadn't been for a facial in 5 months because I peeled for so long after the last TCA peel. But I never got a rash or had redness like this from the TCA. I've even used low level glycolic acid in a face wash before. My face looks like I've experienced a 2nd degree burn around my mouth and on my chin. I had to cancel holiday plans, leave a party early and take a day off of work. I'm going to go back to fresh aloe but can someone tell me the problem with 1% hydrocortizone? I've been using that for the last few days and it seems like it was helping. I just had a 10% glycolic acid peel done after doing several 10-20% TCA peels with horrible results (10% was sufferable, 20% I peeled for over a month). BUT the 10% glycolic was the worst of them all. I have been beet red, rashy and scaly all at the same time. I won’t stop scaling. I got the rash under control after 4 days with Benedryl but even using aloe vera and 1% hydrocortizone, I’m still quite red and peeling. It’s been 5 days since the peel which I got done during a facial. I did not ask for it, the aesthetician thought she was giving me a freebie, and infact spent the whole beginning of the facial telling her how bad the TCA peels had been. I hadn’t been for a facial in 5 months because I peeled for so long after the last TCA peel. But I never got a rash or had redness like this from the TCA. I’ve even used low level glycolic acid in a face wash before. My face looks like I’ve experienced a 2nd degree burn around my mouth and on my chin. I had to cancel holiday plans, leave a party early and take a day off of work. I’m going to go back to fresh aloe but can someone tell me the problem with 1% hydrocortizone? I’ve been using that for the last few days and it seems like it was helping.

]]> By: adam http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-68115 adam Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:40:15 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-68115 Hi, at 17-18 i had beautiful skin at 19 i started to get spots that turned into acne, im a decent looking lad and my friends are all good looking so i wanted rid of this asap and feel like the lad before, i tried all sorts and nothing worked, i went to a dermatologist and got a prescription which didnt work, i eventually had roaccutane which after 5 months cleared all the acne up. I then had scarring and was desperate to get rid of it so i decided on a chemical peel i tried a tca peel first which did nothing then i went to a another place which said i needed a deep peel, i had it done and although it didnt clear alot of scarring it left with me rosacea which drives me round the twist, i now have a little scarring from acne which isnt bad and not much visible but in winter the rosacea drives me insane and i have IPL which does make it better and keeps it under control, if i could trun back the clocks i would never have had the peel, although my rosacea is very very mild it still knocks my confidence. Hi, at 17-18 i had beautiful skin at 19 i started to get spots that turned into acne, im a decent looking lad and my friends are all good looking so i wanted rid of this asap and feel like the lad before, i tried all sorts and nothing worked, i went to a dermatologist and got a prescription which didnt work, i eventually had roaccutane which after 5 months cleared all the acne up. I then had scarring and was desperate to get rid of it so i decided on a chemical peel i tried a tca peel first which did nothing then i went to a another place which said i needed a deep peel, i had it done and although it didnt clear alot of scarring it left with me rosacea which drives me round the twist, i now have a little scarring from acne which isnt bad and not much visible but in winter the rosacea drives me insane and i have IPL which does make it better and keeps it under control, if i could trun back the clocks i would never have had the peel, although my rosacea is very very mild it still knocks my confidence.

]]> By: dorri http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-64418 dorri Mon, 05 Sep 2011 06:09:27 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-64418 I'm sorry that you went through so much with your skin. Between using retin A and neo strata cream level 3 at different times (not both at the same time), I developed dry, red shiny burnt skin which took several months to heal and to regain even a little moisture back into my skin. At first even moisturizers burnt me and were next to no help. I felt very little relief. I also got oozing pimple like sores just down from the corners of my mouth (chin area) which were hard to heal. I haven't used either for a long long time yet my face has since developed red flushes that come and go for whatever reason I'm not sure. The lines and aged appearance increased, I am too embarrassed to show my face. My facial skin aged rapidly. Since then my face refuses to ex foliate dead skin and that concerns me. Before dead skin would roll off, now nothing? My facial skin also took on the appearance of hardness for several months. Does anyone know what I can use that will help ex foliate gently without causing a horrible reaction that will take me months to heal. The products that I used before no longer work and I get that dry and big pore look but nothing comes off. I don't believe that trying to make yourself happier or improve on your face or use preventative measures is considered vanity atleast I don't view it that way. I’m sorry that you went through so much with your skin.
Between using retin A and neo strata cream level 3 at different times (not both at the same time), I developed dry, red shiny burnt skin which took several months to heal and to regain even a little moisture back into my skin. At first even moisturizers burnt me and were next to no help. I felt very little relief. I also got oozing pimple like sores just down from the corners of my mouth (chin area) which were hard to heal. I haven’t used either for a long long time yet my face has since developed red flushes that come and go for whatever reason I’m not sure. The lines and aged appearance increased, I am too embarrassed to show my face. My facial skin aged rapidly. Since then my face refuses to ex foliate dead skin and that concerns me. Before dead skin would roll off, now nothing? My facial skin also took on the appearance of hardness for several months. Does anyone know what I can use that will help ex foliate gently without causing a horrible reaction that will take me months to heal. The products that I used before no longer work and I get that dry and big pore look but nothing comes off.
I don’t believe that trying to make yourself happier or improve on your face or use preventative measures is considered vanity atleast I don’t view it that way.

]]> By: kat http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-52975 kat Mon, 14 Mar 2011 20:56:26 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-52975 I'am so sorry to hear what has happened to your skin. I'am a qualified beauty therapist who has had, and used on clients, Glycolic peels over many years. Why your doctor prescribed you to use acid based products during your recovery time is beyond me. I have never had a client with a problem or have had myself, in fact my skin is amazing due to the peels every so often. If you ever have a peel you should use lots of sunblock SPF50 and should use a very good moisturiser that contains no acid what so ever. I’am so sorry to hear what has happened to your skin. I’am a qualified beauty therapist who has had, and used on clients, Glycolic peels over many years. Why your doctor prescribed you to use acid based products during your recovery time is beyond me. I have never had a client with a problem or have had myself, in fact my skin is amazing due to the peels every so often. If you ever have a peel you should use lots of sunblock SPF50 and should use a very good moisturiser that contains no acid what so ever.

]]> By: Lynn http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-52454 Lynn Mon, 07 Mar 2011 16:56:13 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-52454 Hey Rosie, I did a little research on that product and from what I read it looks like it would be a nice product. Got decent reviews, however I did read where one other person had claimed she had a bad experience as well. The ingredients look fine to me except for witch hazel. Don't get me wrong, witch hazel is suppose to be a great for a lot of people, but i found for me, it irritated my skin and dried it out, so I couldn't use it. Its so hard to say what could have caused your skin to react this way. I suppose its possible you may have an allergy to the glycolic or something else in there. Everyones skin is different, but Glycolic acid especially at a 10% shouldn't really cause any problems. I would say, especially since its been 6 wks, its a good idea to go to a dermatologist and bring the product with you so that they can take a look. Its really hard to say how your skin will react to products. For instance, like I've mentioned I've always done really well with Glycolic, however a few yrs back I tried Avon's glycolic peel pads and wow, it broke my face out so bad and it was red and in terrible shape! Took awhile to get it to calm down. I basically concluded there was something else in the product that my skin didn't care for. Have you ever looked at a site called Makeup Artist Choice? Thats where I get my Glycolic peels. I've been buying from them for yrs and they are great! They have so many different products designed for every skin type, especially Rosacea. Check them out when you get a chance. In the mean time though, I would use a gentle cleanser, like "Purpose," or something similar so you don't furthere irritate your skin and call and make an appt. with a dermatologist to be checked out. With Rosacea everyone has their "triggers," and it may just be you have overly sensitive skin and that product caused an outbreak for you. I would definately be curious as to what the doctor says. Keep me posted, and try not to worry to much, I'm sure your skin will calm down, just going to take time and a dematologist can prescribe something to help. Let me know when you have your appt. and what they say. :) Lynn Hey Rosie,

I did a little research on that product and from what I read it looks like it would be a nice product. Got decent reviews, however I did read where one other person had claimed she had a bad experience as well. The ingredients look fine to me except for witch hazel. Don’t get me wrong, witch hazel is suppose to be a great for a lot of people, but i found for me, it irritated my skin and dried it out, so I couldn’t use it. Its so hard to say what could have caused your skin to react this way. I suppose its possible you may have an allergy to the glycolic or something else in there. Everyones skin is different, but Glycolic acid especially at a 10% shouldn’t really cause any problems.

I would say, especially since its been 6 wks, its a good idea to go to a dermatologist and bring the product with you so that they can take a look. Its really hard to say how your skin will react to products. For instance, like I’ve mentioned I’ve always done really well with Glycolic, however a few yrs back I tried Avon’s glycolic peel pads and wow, it broke my face out so bad and it was red and in terrible shape! Took awhile to get it to calm down. I basically concluded there was something else in the product that my skin didn’t care for.

Have you ever looked at a site called Makeup Artist Choice? Thats where I get my Glycolic peels. I’ve been buying from them for yrs and they are great! They have so many different products designed for every skin type, especially Rosacea. Check them out when you get a chance. In the mean time though, I would use a gentle cleanser, like “Purpose,” or something similar so you don’t furthere irritate your skin and call and make an appt. with a dermatologist to be checked out.

With Rosacea everyone has their “triggers,” and it may just be you have overly sensitive skin and that product caused an outbreak for you. I would definately be curious as to what the doctor says.

Keep me posted, and try not to worry to much, I’m sure your skin will calm down, just going to take time and a dematologist can prescribe something to help. Let me know when you have your appt. and what they say. :)

Lynn

]]> By: Rosie http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha/comment-page-1#comment-52440 Rosie Mon, 07 Mar 2011 04:34:53 +0000 http://rosacea-support.org/warning-about-glycolic-acid-peels-aha#comment-52440 Hey Lynn- Sorry, I probably didn't make myself clear: I never had Rosacea, or Rosacea symptoms, before I used the Cane + Austin pads. That's why I was so surprised! Here is the full ingredients list: Water(Aqua), Glycolic Acid, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Polysorbate-20, Phospholipids, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ubiquinone, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Menthol, Acetone, Imidazolidinyl Urea. I suppose it could have been another ingredient, but the Glycolic Acid was the one that jumped out at me since it would seem to be the harshest? Do any of the other ingredients raise a red flag for you? Hey Lynn-

Sorry, I probably didn’t make myself clear: I never had Rosacea, or Rosacea symptoms, before I used the Cane + Austin pads. That’s why I was so surprised!

Here is the full ingredients list:
Water(Aqua), Glycolic Acid, Ammonium Hydroxide, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Polysorbate-20, Phospholipids, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ubiquinone, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Menthol, Acetone, Imidazolidinyl Urea.

I suppose it could have been another ingredient, but the Glycolic Acid was the one that jumped out at me since it would seem to be the harshest?

Do any of the other ingredients raise a red flag for you?

]]>