I have been trying to use Retin-A micro .04 for almost three months, following all the rules to avoid irritation and still, my skin is very upset with red scaly patches. I am fed up with the retin-a and just ordered your GHK serum and Emu-S oil. My skin is in an irritated state and I am wondering what protocol I should follow.
Thank you.

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Try using the Retin-A three times a week before the GHK Serum and the GHK Serum 7 times a week.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr. Pickart,

Hi Kalaflower ,

Are you using your Retin-A Micro in conjunction with CPs? The 2 work well together. The CPs help to reduce the irritation associated with Retin-A.

Micro is the easiest on the skin, so I would continue to use it a couple of times a week along with your GHK Serum & use Exfol -or- LacSal on the opposite end of the day as your exfoliator.

It takes TIME for the skin to adjust, but slowly you can move up to CP Serum & then beyond if you have a lot of damage.

Hi Stoney, Hi kalaflower

I used regular retin a with super Cop earlier and explosive " Dynamite" recipe had been very successful.I use now nothing but very diluted super cop now and then for maintenance and folingen spray for hair twice a week only.

Retin A micro gel is a good alternative for the regular one. But I hated any thing with synthetic silicone derivatives in it.

Yes, I switched to Retin-A .04% Micro from .05% Cream when 1st started using the beginning of this year. I had NO irritation with the Micro whatsoever.

I NOW have moved to 0.1% but in the regular gel form. I have found that consistently on the 3rd day after using, I wake up to slightly peeling skin (mostly on areas that I am working on), then by the end of the day my face all over completely & gently peels the dead outer layer.

It is ODD to me that this is occurring days after application. Day 1 & 2, no peeling or side effects whatsoever. On the 4th night I reapply. I will just keep using this interval until my skin adjusts. While it is a PAIN, the peeling does leave me with very nice, fresh exfoliated skin, but I do NOT understand why is takes days before the peeling occurs... ...

My hopes are that sloughing off of the dead skin becomes more even without such a drastic peel.

Also, When I 1st started using .05% Retin-A earlier this year, I experienced some wicked breakouts on my face...

These were "NEW but OLD" at the same time. The deeply buried scars are surrounded by an "oil field"... ... the Retin-A helped to purge the oil which resulted in a NEW breakout which, as they healed, were riddled with the OLD scar tissue.

There is a lot of sacrifice that goes along with scar removal, but knowing that the damage is being healed properly this time makes it all worth it.

The bummer is that the damage has to come out in order for the regneration to fully take place. But once the skin is remodeled, it is permanent & your skin will be better than ever... !

Thank you all for the responses. I quit the Retin-A Micro several weeks ago and have been doing the GHK serum for a couple of weeks every other night diluted with water.

I started out putting the GHK's over the emu oil and now am putting it on by itself. I read somewhere in the skinbiology literature that using the emu oil at the beginning inhibits good results so I quit using it for a few days and I'm not sure how long to stay off of it.

I have used Cerave skin cream instead of emu oil since then. And on the off days of the GHK (every other day) I have used a water-diluted 2% salicylic acid gel in the mornings followed by Cerave and then a glycolic gel cleanser at night that I leave on for 5mins and then wash off and then use cerave cream. I also use the Reviva labs DMAE serum.

I am considering getting back on the Retin-A Micro three times weekly as Dr. Pickart suggested. And was he saying to put the GHK serum over the Retin-A, say 45 mins after? And then could I follow those two with the emu oil or the cerave? My skin is on the very dry-side with some oil and sebum in T-zone, but I was getting such terrible dryness and irritation before that I think I need to add moisture on top of the Retin-A.

I guess I need to clarify what to use in what succession on the nights I use the Retin-A.

Thank you!

Put the Emu Oil on last. This way it helps push the others into the skin.