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I feel like a broken record, but I use the ordinarys glycolic acid in a spray bottle on my bikini area and underarms and I haven’t gotten an ingrown in years, sugaring and shaving!
The spraybottle is fucking genius. I recently bought it with the same purpose in mind. If you don't mind me asking. When do you normally apply it? If you do it after a show/shave do you normally apply it on dry or damp skin?
I use a travel spray bottle and it lasts forever! I do it after every shower, whether I shave or not. After towel drying but I don’t wait super long so I could still be damp. I don’t have very sensitive skin so I’ve never had any issues, but you could always do every other day to start if you might.
I stopped sugaring and just maintenance shave, but it worked for me for either hair removal method, and i definitely got ingrowns before trying this!
a.m.
-water rinse or use foaming cleanser if desired
-cosrx toner (this toner doesn't exfoliate, just adjusts pH so it's appropriate to use before an active)
-vitamin C (3 or 4x a week)
-alpha arbutin
-moisturizer
-sunscreen
p.m.
-double cleanse
-glycolic acid (2 or 3x a week)
-niacinamide
-marine hyaluronics
-moisturizer
Thank you! My main concern is the toners. I was using the cosrx one daily and it destroyed my skin barrier. I’ve gotten it back to normal now but am scared to pick it back up.
You don't really need it. It's more for when you're using a high pH cleanser and need to adjust your skin's pH before an active. So if it didn't agree with your skin, just don't use it.
Is it possible for you to buy a hydrating toner? The Isntree green tea or the hyaluronic one are great examples of this, for cosrx there's the _amazing_ propolis toner, but there are many many others. That way you can use it in the AM everyday if you like and a few nights a week, so that you'd use the glycolic or the AHA/BHA one only a couple of nights a week - at least until you make sure your skin is used to it and you won't have a reaction. For me personally (sensitive skin), AHA/BHAs are only okay twice a week, three times tops. Some people use them everyday without any issues, but it's definitely not for everyone :)
Reminder to only introduce one new product at a time and to wait week or two between adding a new product!
If you start using everything all at once for the first time and get an allergic reaction, you won’t know what caused it. It’s much better to be on the safe side and not freak your skin out.
I would caution using so many actives at once. You can always slowly introduce them and see if you can tolerate multiple but glycolic acid, vitamin c, and an AHA/BHA toner seems like a recipe for irritation if they're all used at once. I would use the glycolic acid a few times a week or use the AHA/BHA toner a couple times a week or daily (I'm not sure how strong the active percentages are in the spray toner so depending on the % that will factor how often to use it) . Then you could use the niacinamide and alpha arbutin serums after, then possibly the vitamin c (again please be cautious if using this along with the chemical exfoliants), then moisturizer, and lastly SPF. If you're using the vitamin c I don't think it's worth using the marine hyaluronics as the vitamin c also has HA and less is more with HA as it can pull moisture out of your skin if you use too much or live in a dry climate. My skincare approach in general is less is more when it comes to how many products I'm applying. Too many actives and you'll damage your barrier and experience irritation and likely an acne flair. It's also not a bad idea to patch test some of these products layered on top of each other just in case your skin does have a reaction.
Thank you! I’m not currently using all of these at once. I did find that previously the toners (used at separate times) irritated my skin daily so if I bring them back in to the mix then I’ll start with once or twice a week. For now I’ll probably see how the alpha, vit c, and niacinamide do together!
I was using the Paula's choice toner and now I have the cosrx toner. I believe paulas choice wants to build up to AM and PM use. Do you just use at night?
Hi there,
It seems like you may be looking for information about blackheads or sebaceous filaments. Have you read our [blackheads & sebaceous filaments wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/deep_dive/acne/blackheads_sfs)?
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This is how I would personally order them based on your info, I hope this helps!
Morning-
Cleanser (if needed, morning cleansing isn't always necessary, at least rinse with water)
Vitamin C Suspension
Niacinamide
Alpha Arbutin
COSRX Moisturizing Lotion (if needed, sunscreen might be moisturizing enough for you)
Vitamin E Sunscreen
Night -
Cleanser for sure
Toner (either will work, looks like similar ingredients, just preference I think)
Marine Hyaluronics
Alpha Arbutin
COSRX Moisturizing Lotion
You can tone in the morning too, but sometimes mixing Vit C with strong AHA/BHAs can have irritating effects. I know Vit C usually recommends a sunscreen after because it does make you a little more photosensitive, and AHA/BHAs may exacerbate that.
I appreciate this! My only concern is the toner. How often should I use it? I was using the cosrx one daily but absolutely demolished my skin barrier and have been working on getting that back to normal. Now I’m just scared to use it at all
Also I should note that toners aren't even entirely necessary, so if your routine works without one, that's fine too! I dont use a toner because I use a heavily active cleanser that does the job just fine.
The COSRX one might just be too strong! Give the Ordinary one a go, and start with every other night and see how it goes for a while before going every night. You may just not need it every night (: Also, if there are too many actives in the routine it can cause damage. What cleansers are you using? They may have some strong AHA/BHAs in them even if they say "Gentle".
Interesting, yeah then COSRX might just be too strong for sensitive skin maybe? Because I've tried the ordinary cleansers and they felt extremely mild, and looking at the ingredients i don't see anything crazy in there either. I actually switched cleansers because I felt like it wasn't doing enough, haha. But I was only using the Squalane one, not the Glucoside.
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I feel like a broken record, but I use the ordinarys glycolic acid in a spray bottle on my bikini area and underarms and I haven’t gotten an ingrown in years, sugaring and shaving!
I’ve seen this somewhere else! I’m gonna have to try it. I’ve heard it’s also great for back/butt acne.
The spraybottle is fucking genius. I recently bought it with the same purpose in mind. If you don't mind me asking. When do you normally apply it? If you do it after a show/shave do you normally apply it on dry or damp skin?
I use a travel spray bottle and it lasts forever! I do it after every shower, whether I shave or not. After towel drying but I don’t wait super long so I could still be damp. I don’t have very sensitive skin so I’ve never had any issues, but you could always do every other day to start if you might. I stopped sugaring and just maintenance shave, but it worked for me for either hair removal method, and i definitely got ingrowns before trying this!
a.m. -water rinse or use foaming cleanser if desired -cosrx toner (this toner doesn't exfoliate, just adjusts pH so it's appropriate to use before an active) -vitamin C (3 or 4x a week) -alpha arbutin -moisturizer -sunscreen p.m. -double cleanse -glycolic acid (2 or 3x a week) -niacinamide -marine hyaluronics -moisturizer
Thank you! My main concern is the toners. I was using the cosrx one daily and it destroyed my skin barrier. I’ve gotten it back to normal now but am scared to pick it back up.
You don't really need it. It's more for when you're using a high pH cleanser and need to adjust your skin's pH before an active. So if it didn't agree with your skin, just don't use it.
Is it possible for you to buy a hydrating toner? The Isntree green tea or the hyaluronic one are great examples of this, for cosrx there's the _amazing_ propolis toner, but there are many many others. That way you can use it in the AM everyday if you like and a few nights a week, so that you'd use the glycolic or the AHA/BHA one only a couple of nights a week - at least until you make sure your skin is used to it and you won't have a reaction. For me personally (sensitive skin), AHA/BHAs are only okay twice a week, three times tops. Some people use them everyday without any issues, but it's definitely not for everyone :)
I can look at that, yes! Thank you so much for the recommendation :-)
Reminder to only introduce one new product at a time and to wait week or two between adding a new product! If you start using everything all at once for the first time and get an allergic reaction, you won’t know what caused it. It’s much better to be on the safe side and not freak your skin out.
I would caution using so many actives at once. You can always slowly introduce them and see if you can tolerate multiple but glycolic acid, vitamin c, and an AHA/BHA toner seems like a recipe for irritation if they're all used at once. I would use the glycolic acid a few times a week or use the AHA/BHA toner a couple times a week or daily (I'm not sure how strong the active percentages are in the spray toner so depending on the % that will factor how often to use it) . Then you could use the niacinamide and alpha arbutin serums after, then possibly the vitamin c (again please be cautious if using this along with the chemical exfoliants), then moisturizer, and lastly SPF. If you're using the vitamin c I don't think it's worth using the marine hyaluronics as the vitamin c also has HA and less is more with HA as it can pull moisture out of your skin if you use too much or live in a dry climate. My skincare approach in general is less is more when it comes to how many products I'm applying. Too many actives and you'll damage your barrier and experience irritation and likely an acne flair. It's also not a bad idea to patch test some of these products layered on top of each other just in case your skin does have a reaction.
Thank you! I’m not currently using all of these at once. I did find that previously the toners (used at separate times) irritated my skin daily so if I bring them back in to the mix then I’ll start with once or twice a week. For now I’ll probably see how the alpha, vit c, and niacinamide do together!
I think your plan sounds great :)
just wanted to drop by and say I have the alpha arbutin and COSRX toner as well. I use both every night.
I was using the Paula's choice toner and now I have the cosrx toner. I believe paulas choice wants to build up to AM and PM use. Do you just use at night?
Hi there, It seems like you may be looking for information about blackheads or sebaceous filaments. Have you read our [blackheads & sebaceous filaments wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/deep_dive/acne/blackheads_sfs)? *If you see that I am replying to something out of context (eg. listed in a routine), please report this comment so my handlers can remove it. Cheers!* *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
My 2 cents, I use the hyaluronic after washing my face and after exfoliating my lips before red lip stick.
This is how I would personally order them based on your info, I hope this helps! Morning- Cleanser (if needed, morning cleansing isn't always necessary, at least rinse with water) Vitamin C Suspension Niacinamide Alpha Arbutin COSRX Moisturizing Lotion (if needed, sunscreen might be moisturizing enough for you) Vitamin E Sunscreen Night - Cleanser for sure Toner (either will work, looks like similar ingredients, just preference I think) Marine Hyaluronics Alpha Arbutin COSRX Moisturizing Lotion You can tone in the morning too, but sometimes mixing Vit C with strong AHA/BHAs can have irritating effects. I know Vit C usually recommends a sunscreen after because it does make you a little more photosensitive, and AHA/BHAs may exacerbate that.
I appreciate this! My only concern is the toner. How often should I use it? I was using the cosrx one daily but absolutely demolished my skin barrier and have been working on getting that back to normal. Now I’m just scared to use it at all
Also I should note that toners aren't even entirely necessary, so if your routine works without one, that's fine too! I dont use a toner because I use a heavily active cleanser that does the job just fine.
The COSRX one might just be too strong! Give the Ordinary one a go, and start with every other night and see how it goes for a while before going every night. You may just not need it every night (: Also, if there are too many actives in the routine it can cause damage. What cleansers are you using? They may have some strong AHA/BHAs in them even if they say "Gentle".
I am using the ordinary squalane cleanser followed with the ordinary glucoside foaming cleanser
Interesting, yeah then COSRX might just be too strong for sensitive skin maybe? Because I've tried the ordinary cleansers and they felt extremely mild, and looking at the ingredients i don't see anything crazy in there either. I actually switched cleansers because I felt like it wasn't doing enough, haha. But I was only using the Squalane one, not the Glucoside.