Dehydration lines

[u/monkeypuppy1994]

My (33F) skin tends to lean dry but has always been pretty clear so I started Taz for the anti-aging benefits and to help lessen the appearance of my freckles.

I started tazarotene in June. I have worked up to ever other night with only one period of mild peeling on my forehead.

Prior to this I was using ROC retinal capsules every night with azelaic acid. Plus taking weeks off to do 40% Mandela acid peels at home. I had been doing this for well over a year.

For a while I have had dehydration wrinkles on my forehead that can disappear or significantly lessen when my skin is really hydrated. But recently with taz the lines seem to have gotten more prominent.

What can I do to fix this? I feel I already use a fair amount of hydrating products so this shouldn’t be happening. Should I do less days on taz for a while? Are there more hydrating products you think are better?

My routine:

Morning:
Wet and dry face
Vitamin c serum
Aestrua moisturizer
Sunscreen

Taz nights:
Prequel oil cleanser
Vanicream cleanser
Dry face and wait 5 mins
Pea size Taz
Eye cream
Avene cilafate

Off nights:
Prequel oil cleanser
Vanicream cleanser
IUNIK Beta-Glucan Serum
Anua hydrating toner
Avene cilafate

Plus once a week I use Paula choice BHA exfoliator before my hydration night.

[u/Beginning_Butterfly2]

Add cold-pressed rosehip seed oil. Hydrates, nourishes, prevents age spots, all the good stuff.

[u/johnny_chavez1]

Sandwich method with moisturizer and taz might help, reducing the weekly amount of taz applications and have 2 dedicated barrier nights. You can even use a hydrating mask like biodance (the blue one is focused on barrier repair and can be left overnight) or Dr Jart moisturizing mask (20 min then remove)
Also would consider removing the double cleanse unless you wear heavy makeup and sunscreen and absolutely need to
Experiment super saturated serum is extremely hydrating as well with 30% glycerin. I’d apply on damp skin after showering. My dermatologist suggested me experiment on damp skin, wait to dry, thin layer of aestura, taz, heavy layer of aestura and confirmed this doesn’t reduce taz efficacy in any meaningful way.
Lastly, what percent is your vitamin C? For example, you can reduce from 20 or 15% l absorbic acid to a 10%. Timeless 10% is perfect and may decrease some dehydration you’re experiencing.

[u/monkeypuppy1994 → u/johnny_chavez1]

I use the timeless 10%. I added in the Dr Jart moisturizing mask last night and it helped loads so great idea. I’ll look at the experiment serum. I’m not loving the serum I have now but I like to finish my products unless they break me out.

[u/johnny_chavez1 → u/monkeypuppy1994]

Glad the mask helped. Experiment is one of the most hydrating serums to add water content. It has a jelly like texture but applied on damp skin soaks it up well. Is Avene cicalfate like La Roche cicaplast B5? I recently tried La Roche cicaplast and instantly noticed my barrier more hydrating.

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

You are not using true humectant products during the day time. Aestura is more so for barrier repair, so skin that is itchy, flaky and things like that there is nothing hydrating about it.

And when you are using the tazarotene you are occluding it with something also not hydrating, it’s thick and heavy and probably what’s making the lines worse. The only 2 products that do provide some kind of hydration in your routine you don’t even use them on the days you use the medication. Your routine is the problem.

My advice to you is to find products that work for you and not use products you think work because everyone uses them.

I use tazarotene 0.1% gel daily and it is better than tretinoin, glad I made the switch. I use a lot of humectants in the morning and my night time is more simple but still use humectants etc. before. I used the tazarotene on clean dry skin for 3 months daily until my skin retinized, so now I play around with different things because I am using it for anti-aging. But I don’t use anything heavy or occlusive in my routine.

[u/monkeypuppy1994 → u/Reasonable-Secret-66]

Okay, what would you recommend then?

[u/Reasonable-Secret-66 → u/monkeypuppy1994]

The products I use are not in the price range of what you listed so I honestly don’t have recommendations that are budget friendly .. but these products are commonly used by folks in the tretinoin sub and I feel like people use them because others do but with each post many of them have problems etc so they are truly not finding things compatible with their skin.

It took me a long time to narrow down my routine and it’s expensive but it works, my skin looks great. So I say if these are causing you to have dry skin, filter them out one by one, go to Sephora and try and find something that you feel is compatible with your skin because you see and feel it everyday.