YT YouTube2Text

YouTube2Text → Transcripts → The ONLY azelaic.acid + retinoid routine video you'll ever need to watch

The ONLY azelaic.acid + retinoid routine video you'll ever need to watch — Transcript

by Natalie O'Neill · 10,518 words · 1,473 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

Open in transcriber Summarize with AI Download SRT/VTT

Full transcript

0:00There are a lot of people on the
0:01internet lately telling you how to
0:02combine azelaic acid with a retinoid
0:04because azelaic acid is trending and
0:06more specifically using the two together
0:08in a routine is trending. But those
0:09people have suspiciously never mentioned
0:12that combo before in their lives. I
0:14don't like to toot my own horn, but I
0:15have had somebody say that I put azelaic
0:17acid on the map. I'm not saying I came
0:19up with it. Obviously, I did not invent
0:21azelaic acid. I'm going to tell you who
0:22put me on to it 3 years ago, but I have
0:24actually been using them as a combo for
0:273 years now, retinoids for 6 years,
0:28azelaic acid prescription strength for 3
0:30years. So, I feel very qualified to tell
0:32you all of the ins and outs of how to
0:34use them together. And I'm going to put
0:36all of that in this video so you don't
0:37need to watch any other videos because
0:39it's going to be that comprehensive. So,
0:41the way that I've planned this video,
0:42there are seven parts to it. Allow me to
0:44read them to you so you know exactly
0:45what you're going to get. Firstly,
0:46you're going to know how each of them
0:48work. You're not just going to know how
0:49to use them together, but you need to
0:50understand, and I think it's important
0:52to understand in order to get results,
0:54how a retinoid works and how azelaic
0:55acid works. It's going to be just enough
0:57detail so you truly understand it
0:58without it being boring. Secondly, how
1:00to introduce each of them. It's all well
1:02and good saying like, "Yeah, just use
1:04azelaic acid and retinoid together."
1:05That can go very wrong if you don't know
1:07how to introduce them. Which one would
1:08you ideally introduce first? How do you
1:10do that? Then when do you add the second
1:12one in? And how do you use them together
1:14and at what frequency? So, all of the
1:15detail on how you introduce them and use
1:17them together. Thirdly, how to use them
1:19in a routine. What does a skin care
1:20routine look like with both of them in
1:22it? Fourthly, what's normal and what's
1:23not. There are a lot of people who use
1:24azelaic acid, get a particular reaction,
1:27and think it's a reaction they stop
1:28using it when actually it's just a side
1:30effect that's very, very normal and not
1:31something to be alarmed by. Fifth, all
1:33of the do's and don'ts. Not just what
1:35people on the internet saying, but what
1:36I've actually experienced from doing
1:38things wrong and then doing them
1:39correctly to eventually see results. The
1:41sixth chapter, all the best products.
1:43And lastly, I'm going to touch on
1:44something very niche and relevant right
1:46now, which is what is happening in the
1:48Korean beauty space, specifically with
1:49those watery azelaic acid serums like
1:52the Anua serum. They've probably seen
1:53everywhere. If you didn't know, there is
1:55a lot of talk about those lately and
1:57whether or not they are actually
1:58effective because of one specific
1:59element. So, I'm going to give you my
2:00running commentary on that. Everything
2:02we know so far about that situation so
2:04you can decide whether that is the right
2:05product for you or whether you'd rather
2:07use something more traditional. So,
2:08let's get into it and before I start, I
2:10have made a free downloadable retinoid
2:12guide that I'll put in the link in the
2:14comments. It's completely free to
2:15download as I said. It gives you
2:17everything you need to know about how to
2:18introduce a retinoid. We will be going
2:20over it in this video, but if you want
2:21something to download and take away with
2:23you, then there is that. And I also make
2:25very detailed guides on Instagram that
2:27are detailed and informative but not
2:29horrible to look at so they're easily
2:31digestible. I'll put some on the screen.
2:32Those are just my little plugs. I have
2:34that free retinoid guide and I also make
2:35content like this on Instagram if you
2:37want to see it as you scroll in the feed
2:39without watching like a 30-minute
2:40YouTube video. Just leaving that there.
2:43So, let's get into how retinoids and
2:44azelaic acid work. If you've never come
2:46across me before, I'm not saying this to
2:48be like only get your retinoid advice
2:50from me. I'm just giving the context. I
2:52started using a retinoid in 2020 after I
2:54had loads of closed comedones on my
2:55face. I tried loads of things to get rid
2:57of them. I'd also, even before I'd had
2:59that massive flare-up which came
3:01specifically from one moisturizer, even
3:03before that, I just always had this like
3:05on-again, off-again acne. Like it would
3:07get better for like a few months, then
3:08it would get worse. When I didn't have
3:10inflamed pimples, I'd have these
3:11annoying flesh-colored bumps that would
3:13just be so stubborn and never go away.
3:15And when I started using a retinoid and
3:17understanding how retinoid worked, it
3:19really did change my life. I know people
3:20say that a lot, they throw it around a
3:22lot. It changed my life and now I'm so
3:24passionate about them. And I also
3:25recently have been diagnosed with autism
3:26so maybe this is my hyperfixation. I'm
3:28so passionate about retinoids because
3:29they work, in my eyes, in a much
3:31superior way compared to everything else
3:33available. Salicylic acid, alpha hydroxy
3:35acid, any of the BHAs, AHAs, PHAs, in my
3:38eyes, retinoids work so much better. I'm
3:40going to tell you why. The way retinoids
3:42work is they speed up the skin cell
3:43turnover. So, for example, if you think
3:45about salicylic acid, it's an acid that
3:46goes into the pores, it breaks up the
3:48sebum and the skin cells, and then it
3:50effectively like evacuates the pore in a
3:52way, and you get breakouts as a sort of
3:55purge on the way out. That's a very
3:57reactive way to treat acne. It's not
3:59proactive like a retinoid. A retinoid is
4:00like putting your skin on a fast track.
4:03It's like a travelator at the airport.
4:05When everyone else using chemical
4:06exfoliants are just walking by, being on
4:08a retinoid is like being on a travelator
4:10because from the inside out, your skin
4:12is just producing new fresh baby skin
4:15much faster than if you weren't using
4:17it. And what happens as a result of that
4:19is all of these like impurities under
4:21the skin that are going to go on to
4:22later cause you acne, acne that's
4:24already formed but hasn't come to the
4:25surface yet, is just pushed out. So,
4:27yes, you do get a bit of a purge, and it
4:29can be very unenjoyable to go through,
4:31but that is kind of the same with
4:32salicylic acid or any kind of acid. If
4:33you have any impurities in your skin,
4:35you're probably going to have a purge
4:36because it must come out before the
4:38active can keep it clear from the start.
4:40But, retinoids work in a way that
4:42everything else doesn't. It puts your
4:44skin cell turnover on fast track, and
4:45that results in more collagen synthesis,
4:48so it's one of the only proven ways to
4:50induce synthesis. So, all these people
4:52buying collagen serums, that is not
4:54proven. In fact, it's disproven to cause
4:56your skin to produce more collagen. The
4:58only way to make your skin produce more
4:59collagen, effectively scientifically
5:01proven over decades, is to use a
5:02retinoid. So, yes, your skin will look
5:04plumper, more even, fine lines can be
5:06softened, not always necessarily gotten
5:08rid of but be softened. Retinoids are
5:10the gold standard for acne. If you go to
5:11any dermatologist, they might put you on
5:13adapalene or tretinoin or tazarotene or
5:15even Epiduo. They are all retinoids.
5:17That is why I love retinoids. You don't
5:19see dermatologists prescribing glycolic
5:21acid toners. You see them prescribing
5:23retinoids. So, you get less acne, less
5:25texture, smoother skin, skin that
5:26reflects the light, plumper skin, less
5:28fine lines. Need I say more? Like,
5:30nothing else does that, and that's why I
5:31like them so much. And then we have the
5:33azelaic acid. And a lot of people think
5:34that because they see them together that
5:36they are the same thing or they work
5:37similarly. They actually don't. They are
5:39very synergistic. Like, they're two
5:41different things. It's like salt and
5:42pepper. Salt and pepper are two very
5:44different things, but they work really
5:46well together. You can't compare them
5:47though. Azelaic acid takes a completely
5:49different approach and it's why it's
5:51often not prescribed for acne on its own
5:53cuz it can be really helpful for acne
5:55alongside a retinoid, but it's typically
5:57not going to completely solve somebody's
5:59acne in the way that a retinoid would.
6:01So for example, azelaic acid does a few
6:03things. First thing it does, it helps
6:04reduce C acne bacteria. C acne bacteria
6:07is cutie bacterium. It is the bacteria
6:09that lives on your skin that feeds on
6:11the oil in your skin and causes
6:12inflammation in the form of pimples. So
6:14if you have less bacteria there's less
6:15things on your skin to feed on the oil.
6:17If you didn't know, that is pretty much
6:19summed up the life cycle of acne. You
6:20need oil and you need bacteria. Bacteria
6:22feeds on oil. That's why people with
6:24oily skin have more acne typically
6:26because if they have bacteria, there is
6:28more food for the bacteria. Some people
6:30have a lot of this bacteria and not a
6:32lot of oil, they have less acne. Some
6:33people have not much of this bacteria
6:35and a lot of oil, they have less acne.
6:36Some people don't have many of either.
6:38But those are the two core elements of
6:39traditional acne. I was getting confused
6:41for a second cuz my next video that I'm
6:42going to film is about hormonal acne. So
6:44if you want a deep dive on that, that's
6:46coming too. Azelaic acid reduces C acne
6:48bacteria on the skin. Always a good
6:50thing. It also helps normalize
6:51keratinization. So does retinoid,
6:53they're both keratolytic which basically
6:55just means like the process of skin cell
6:57shedding can sometimes go wrong. It's
6:59where your skin cells like whilst they
7:01are having their life cycle on your
7:02face, they go from like being alive to
7:04being dead and then clumping together.
7:06Sometimes it can go wrong and you start
7:08getting like clogged pores or like
7:10irregularities, but both retinoids and
7:12azelaic acid are great for breaking
7:14those down and normalizing the skin cell
7:16shedding process which results in less
7:18irregularities on the skin, less acne,
7:20less texture overall. So both of these
7:22actives help to smooth the skin. Azelaic
7:24acid is just in a lot more gentler way.
7:27The other major thing about azelaic acid
7:28is that it's a tyrosinase inhibitor. So
7:31when your skin is producing
7:32pigmentation, there's many elements in
7:34the process of pigmentation. Say for
7:36example, you have a spot and it leaves a
7:37mark or say for example, you get a a too
7:40much sun and you're left with some brown
7:41marks like sun damage. In that process,
7:44there is a part of it called tyrosinase
7:46and azelaic acid blocks that. So, much
7:48like with acne, there are several steps
7:50in the chain reaction. When it comes to
7:52hyperpigmentation, there are several
7:54steps in the chain reaction of
7:55hyperpigmentation and it blocks one of
7:57them. It's like an interceptor. And
7:58that's how over time your skin tone can
8:00look brighter and brighter because it's
8:02getting more and more even. You cannot
8:03replace azelaic acid with retinoids. You
8:05cannot replace a retinoid with azelaic
8:07acid. A lot of people think, "I don't
8:08want to use a retinoid, so I'm going to
8:09use azelaic acid." I mean, don't get me
8:10wrong, you can do that, but you're not
8:12They are not equivalent. You're not
8:13replacing one with the other. But using
8:15them together, less acne, less
8:17irritation, less irregularities,
8:18smoother, more even skin tone, less
8:20hyperpigmentation. I always use this
8:21example of a donut. Not that we are
8:23aiming to look like donuts because we
8:24are human beings at the end of the day.
8:26But because I've done a few breakdowns
8:27on Instagram about why skin reflects the
8:30light and why retinoids and azelaic acid
8:32I mean, I sound stupid saying donutty
8:33vibe, but you know what I mean. It's
8:34because there is a lack of pigmentation,
8:36meaning everything is even. It's because
8:38there are is a lack of irregularities,
8:40meaning everything is smooth. And when
8:42the light hits it because it's even and
8:43because it's smooth, that's how you get
8:45that reflective quality. So, when you
8:46use those two together, you get that
8:48donut vibe. I feel like I really reduced
8:50this scientific information down to a
8:52donut, which feels sad, but I think you
8:54know what I mean. I think it's a good
8:55example. So, now you probably skipped
8:57past that bit because you're like,
8:58"Yeah, I know why I want to use them.
9:00How do I use them together?" Let's talk
9:01about how you use them together. Watch
9:02me untuck my hair and then tuck it like
9:04automatically in 5 minutes. So, let's
9:06talk about how to introduce them. Not at
9:07the same time. Let's get that one
9:09straight. Let's not introduce them at
9:11the same time because it is going to be
9:12a crazy journey and you are going to
9:13regret that. My recommendation is always
9:15to introduce azelaic acid first because
9:18many reasons. It's easier to tolerate,
9:20so you haven't got to go through this
9:21whole adjustment period. Don't get me
9:23wrong, there might be like a couple of
9:24weeks adjustment period, but it's
9:26nothing like a retinoid. A retinoid is
9:28like going on a journey. There are going
9:29to be ups and downs. With azelaic acid,
9:31it's a lot less volatile. I think it's
9:33best to introduce azelaic acid for 1 to
9:352 months and then by that point you're
9:37probably more than used to it, and then
9:39you can introduce your retinoid later.
9:41Introducing the azelaic acid, in a
9:42couple of months you're probably not
9:43going to see crazy results, but what
9:45will happen is you'll probably gain some
9:46confidence because retinoid sometimes
9:48can knock your confidence if I'm being
9:50completely honest, and I think that
9:51quicker adjustment process to the
9:53azelaic acid is very powerful
9:54psychologically and can make you feel a
9:56little bit more accomplished and ready
9:58to bring something else on because
9:59you've shown yourself that you can adapt
10:01to this new active that you might have
10:02been a little bit scared of, but I know
10:04it's probably going to be fine. So, you
10:05sort of have this win under your belt,
10:07and then you're adding the retinoid in
10:09later. Azelaic acid will also help you
10:11tolerate the retinoid so that when you
10:12go to add the retinoid in, it's an
10:14easier process for you, and I just think
10:16in an ideal world that's how you would
10:18introduce them. However, don't panic if
10:20you've already introduced a retinoid. I
10:22know that in the past I wasn't talking
10:24about azelaic acid beyond the last 3
10:26years. If you've been following me since
10:28before then, you might have introduced a
10:29retinoid, or you might have been
10:30watching me for a couple of years and
10:32only just introduced a retinoid because
10:34it became the right time in your life to
10:35do that. Don't worry if you've done that
10:37now, and you feel like you've made a
10:39mistake by not introducing azelaic acid
10:41sooner because you saw a video too late.
10:43Stick with what you've got, see that
10:44retinoid introduction out, and then just
10:46add in the azelaic acid later. What I
10:48was giving you before was just the ideal
10:50scenario, but life isn't always about
10:52ideal scenarios. So, stick with the
10:53retinoid if you've already started
10:55introducing it. Don't like go back on
10:57yourself and start again. You'll just
10:58get yourself into a mess. I was only
11:00explaining the ideal scenario all things
11:02considered. Now, we'll talk about how to
11:04use them in a routine together once
11:06you've introduced both of them. My
11:07personal preference, and the way that I
11:09do it, and I have experimented with
11:11other ways, but I personally enjoy this
11:13method the most, is alternating nights.
11:15So, for example, and I have my exact
11:17skin care routine firstly at the bottom
11:19of that free downloadable retinoid guide
11:21that I've linked below that I made.
11:23Secondly, in my YouTube video where you
11:25can see my morning skin care routine,
11:26and in a separate video, I've got my
11:28evening skin care routine. My personal
11:29preference is to alternate them. So, on
11:31a Monday, for example, obviously it
11:33changes depending on the week, the
11:34month, the year. On a Monday, I will do
11:36my skin care routine in the morning, and
11:38then in the evening I will use azelaic
11:40acid. The next night, I will do the
11:41exact same thing, but in place of
11:43azelaic acid, I use my retinoid. And
11:45then I will just swap. I don't get much
11:47barrier irritation at all, but
11:49occasionally, like maybe if it's been a
11:50really hot sunny day, or maybe if I've
11:52been wearing makeup that has a little
11:54bit irritating, if I notice any
11:55irritation, I will just take a few days
11:57off the retinoid and I'll just use
11:59azelaic acid because azelaic acid is
12:01soothing. In a weird way, I should have
12:02put this in the beginning, actually, cuz
12:04I forgot this quality about azelaic
12:05acid, but in a weird way, it's soothing.
12:07It's also a treatment for rosacea
12:08because it tells the skin to chill out,
12:11not in the same way that a serum might
12:13be soothing because it has like centella
12:15in it, for example, but in a way that it
12:16communicates with the skin's immune
12:18response and tells it to just like
12:21take it down a notch. So, even if my
12:22barrier is feeling irritated, I still
12:24often gravitate towards azelaic acid,
12:26unless my barrier is feeling like
12:28really, really irritated, which to be
12:30honest hasn't happened to me in years.
12:31But if that were the case, then I would
12:32just go to like hydrating serum and
12:34moisturizer, and I probably wouldn't
12:36even use SPF. Sorry, went on a bit of a
12:38tangent there. Essentially, I like to
12:39use them on alternating nights. A lot of
12:41people on the internet are dick swinging
12:42about how they like to use their
12:44retinoid and azelaic acid. I saw a
12:46creator say something like, "People are
12:47out here on the internet saying you
12:49can't layer them. You can layer them if
12:51you tolerate them." I think she was
12:52missing the point that, of course, if
12:54you tolerate anything, you can layer
12:56anything, but the best advice for people
12:58who are new to this is not to layer
12:59them. You can get amazing results by
13:01alternating. You're not missing out by
13:03not layering them. If you think about
13:04it, when you layer azelaic acid and a
13:06retinoid, those are two quite demanding
13:08things of your skin barrier. So, I
13:10prefer to not test or push my skin
13:12barrier to my limits so that I have less
13:15flare-ups overall throughout the year.
13:16That's why I do the alternating nights.
13:18Azelaic acid one night, retinoid one
13:20night, and I just keep switching between
13:22that. Of course, you can layer them.
13:24It's just my typical advice is not to do
13:25that if you're in a position where
13:27you're new to this, I think it's better
13:29not to do that because yeah, maybe 6
13:31months down the line when you've been
13:32doing the alternating for ages, you can
13:34try and layer them. But it wouldn't be
13:35my first choice and I think people
13:37online who are saying like, "Oh, of
13:38course you can layer them. Look, I do
13:40this all the time and I'm really
13:41experienced." It's like, yeah, of course
13:42because you're really experienced. But
13:44that's not who we're talking to most of
13:46the time and I think it's a little bit
13:47irresponsible. So that's my preference
13:49on layering or rather not layering. Now
13:51we'll get into what a typical routine
13:52looks like in the evening. Just
13:54[clears throat] look. I don't know what
13:55it is. This top is I think this top is
13:56made of plastic so it just makes me
13:58really hot. I'm going to read this off
13:59screen because I've written it down. So
14:01every night you want to oil cleanse. If
14:03you use an oil cleanser, if you don't
14:04then that's fine. But cleansing, the
14:06point is you're taking your makeup off.
14:07I use an oil cleanser then I use
14:09water-based cleanser. My complete skin
14:10care routine is in a free downloadable
14:12guide in the links or in YouTube video
14:14as I mentioned. Then you want to pat
14:15your skin dry because whether you're
14:17applying a retinoid as like acid, you
14:19want the skin to be dry when you put
14:20them on. A lot of people get confused by
14:22this because they learn that applying
14:24products to wet skin increases the rate
14:26of absorption. But for retinoid and for
14:27azelaic acid, you don't want that. You
14:29want it to absorb as slowly as possible
14:31because otherwise it's really
14:32irritating. I like to let them sit for
14:3410 minutes after I apply just a pea-size
14:37blob. I like to let that sit for 10
14:38minutes. You don't have to. I just find
14:40that sometimes I get more irritation if
14:42I don't. Then you want to apply a
14:43barrier serum. This should be a
14:45hydrating serum that has things like
14:47glycerin, centella, urea, lipids,
14:50hyaluronic acid, those types of
14:52ingredients that are designed to hydrate
14:53the skin, keep water in it and
14:56potentially rebuild any lipids. That
14:58step though can be done with a
14:59moisturizer cuz moisturizers typically
15:01do more of that. But the point is you
15:02want a hydrating serum and then you want
15:04[clears throat] to apply moisturizer
15:05over the top. I don't think you need
15:07anything else in a routine and I think
15:09it's better that you don't have anything
15:10else in your routine. Say for example,
15:11you are addicted to using the Paula's
15:13Choice 2% BHA and you've come to feel
15:16very dependent on it. Like I completely
15:18get that. I used to be very dependent on
15:19the Ordinary Glycolic Acid. I felt like
15:21if I didn't use it for a couple of
15:22nights, I'd break out. Maybe that is
15:24true, but if you're in the process of
15:25adapting to a retinoid, you are going to
15:27have to make that sacrifice because if
15:28you could try to continue using your
15:30salicylic acid toner alongside a
15:32retinoid, it's probably going to be a
15:34lot of barrier damage and it's probably
15:35not going to be pretty. So, my advice
15:37and most advice on the internet is to
15:39stop using those things if you're
15:41introducing a retinoid especially. It's
15:42different if that's the only thing
15:43you're introducing is azelaic acid,
15:45slightly different because azelaic acid
15:46is a lot less intense. Retinoids are
15:48very intense and you're not really
15:50giving them a fair chance at working if
15:52you're using them with salicylic acid
15:54every single night. And in fact, you
15:56shouldn't do that. But in your routine,
15:57and in fact, you shouldn't layer
15:58salicylic acid and a retinoid. That's an
16:00absolute no. But just in general, if you
16:02are introducing a retinoid and you still
16:04want to use your salicylic acid all the
16:06time, I don't think that's a good idea.
16:07I think you should stop using the
16:08salicylic acid to allow the retinoid to
16:10work. It is a bit of a trust the process
16:12thing because retinoids are just so much
16:13more powerful than salicylic acid, but
16:15obviously you're not going to see
16:16results straight away. I just think if
16:18you continue to use the other actives
16:20that you've come to rely on that add
16:22stress to your skin and potentially
16:24damage your skin barrier, you are
16:25probably going to have a worse time
16:27introducing a retinoid if you don't cut
16:29these things out. I know I'm going to
16:30get a lot of questions as well about
16:31using azelaic acid in the morning. You
16:33can do that. You can do that. I've done
16:35that before because when it comes to
16:37looking at the literature on azelaic
16:39acid, it does show that the best results
16:41were achieved by using it twice a day,
16:43morning and night. I've done that before
16:44and sometimes if my skin is really
16:46irritated, like for example, I had a
16:47perioral dermatitis flare-up when I went
16:49to Korea and I got a facial. I stopped
16:51using everything apart from my azelaic
16:53acid, hydrating serum, moisturizer, and
16:55cleanser. And I would just use the
16:56azelaic acid morning and night, morning
16:58and night because I was actively trying
16:59to reduce this reaction and it worked a
17:01treat. But not everybody has to do that.
17:03You're going to find your sweet spot. I
17:05think the bare minimum is important to
17:07talk about as well, though. So, for
17:08example, like using it once a day, twice
17:10a day, or every other day is fine. But
17:12if you're just using it like twice a
17:13week or like once a week, unless you're
17:15just in the introductory phase, that is
17:17not going to do anything. It's the same
17:19with a retinoid, like you need to go
17:20slowly to introduce it, but if you're 6
17:22months into it and you're only using it
17:23like once a week or twice a week, you
17:25won't just not using enough to do
17:26anything. So, you can use it as a lactic
17:28acid in the morning if that allows you
17:30to then use your retinoid in the
17:31evening. It's really up to you. A lot of
17:33people find as a lactic acid doesn't
17:35play nicely under sunscreen and makeup,
17:37so that's why like I personally prefer
17:38to use it in the evening. If you found a
17:40formula that works for you and you don't
17:41mind using it in the morning, that's
17:43absolutely fine as well. You can use as
17:44a lactic acid at any time of the day,
17:46but you can only use retinoids in the
17:47evening. I know someone's going to come
17:49for me and say that you can technically
17:50use adapalene in the morning because
17:52it's not photosensitive, which is true.
17:54I just don't think that you should. Like
17:56a lot of retinoids break down in UV,
17:58that's why typically you should only use
18:00them at night. Adapalene is different,
18:02it doesn't break down in UV, but I still
18:04just don't think it makes any sense to
18:05use a retinoid in the morning. I think
18:07it makes it maybe if you did like shift
18:09work, but I think it's better to just
18:10keep your retinoids at night time
18:12because that's when your skin's doing
18:13its like most work, preparative work,
18:15and you're asleep and you can just let
18:17it do its job and it's not going to be
18:18interfered by with makeup and stuff. But
18:20let's talk about results and what to
18:22expect because this is where a lot of
18:24people fall off and it's such a shame
18:27when I see people like on TikTok for
18:29example, they're like, "Oh, I did it for
18:302 months, but it never got better." And
18:31it's like,
18:33because 2 months is still very much
18:35early days. I think social media has
18:37conditioned us to feel like if we're not
18:39getting skin care results in like a
18:40month, then we just bought into this
18:42hype and it's fad and it's a fake and
18:44it's like happy viral TikTok shop
18:46products all over again, and it's like,
18:47"No, it just takes a long time for skin
18:49to look better, sadly." It's mostly
18:51based on the idea that a skin cycle is
18:53roughly 6 weeks, which is the time it
18:55takes for your skin to complete its
18:56cycle and replace itself. It takes
18:58around three skin cycles to see any kind
19:01of noticeable change. And a really good
19:04example of that is when you go see a
19:06dermatologist, most dermatologists, for
19:08the majority of issues, will see you say
19:11in January for example, and then they'll
19:12schedule a follow-up appointment and it
19:14will usually be 3 months later because
19:16that is roughly three skin cycles, three
19:18lots of 6 weeks, roughly speaking,
19:20because they know that there's no point
19:22you wasting your money seeing them a
19:23month later, 2 months later. We need at
19:25least roughly 3 months to be able to see
19:28if it's going in the right direction.
19:29You're not going to have the finished
19:30product in 3 months. Skin just takes
19:31time. 3 months is the minimum amount of
19:33time most dermatologists want to see you
19:35by to see that the treatment has started
19:38working, started working, not like
19:40finished working. So, for retinoids,
19:42I'll do retinoids, I'll do azelaic acid,
19:43and I'll do like a more general
19:44together. So, for retinoids, what to
19:46expect, you've probably heard of the
19:47purge. Your skin cell cycle is being
19:49sped up, so impurities are coming to the
19:51surface. You probably think your skin's
19:53getting worse. A lot of people start
19:54using retinoids for closed comedones and
19:56then they're commenting on my videos and
19:58saying like, "My closed comedones have
19:59gotten worse." That's normal because say
20:01you have closed comedones now, I know
20:03it's kind of shitty to say, but think
20:05about if you have a lot of visible
20:07closed comedones now, whatever you have
20:08visible on your face, there is more of
20:10underneath. So, anytime you use a
20:12retinoid, the pattern you see on your
20:13face is probably going to be made worse.
20:15Things are going to come towards the
20:17surface and it's going to be more of
20:19what you've already been experiencing
20:20because if you've been experiencing them
20:21like to the naked eye, like closed
20:23comedones that you can see on your face,
20:24there typically going to be more of them
20:26underneath. So, some people are like,
20:27"It looks like I've got more closed
20:29comedones." That is normal,
20:30unfortunately. Some people notice that
20:32the closed comedones turn into active
20:34acne, like whiteheads, blackheads, all
20:36kinds of acne. That is normal, that is
20:38the purge. It typically lasts around
20:40like 1 to 3, 4 months. People with a lot
20:43of acne might experience it past 4
20:45months. There is a sticking point where
20:47it gets like 4, 5, 6 months and if it's
20:49not showing any signs of getting better,
20:51you probably do want to see a
20:52dermatologist. But, the reality is that
20:54for some people, that is how long it
20:56takes and it doesn't mean that
20:57something's going wrong. It just takes
20:59that long. There's not really any way
21:00past that. That is the other thing as
21:02well. I see so many people on the
21:04internet saying, "Oh, use this retinoid
21:06because it won't give you a purge. If
21:08that person is serious, at best they
21:10have good intentions but they haven't
21:12got a clue. And at worst, well, at worst
21:14they probably haven't got a clue and
21:15they don't have good intentions. You
21:17cannot prevent a purge if you are going
21:19to have a purge. If you use a retinoid
21:21and you don't purge, it's because you
21:23were never going to have one. It's
21:24typically people with skin that errs on
21:26the side of being clear. People with
21:27acne-prone skin typically will purge
21:30because as I said, what you see on the
21:32surface you probably have more of
21:33underneath. Like you can't avoid a
21:35purge. All retinoids speed up the skin
21:37cell cycle. It's unavoidable. So anyone
21:39who's saying like, oh use this one cuz
21:41you don't get a purge, all they're doing
21:42is saying I didn't get a purge,
21:44therefore it doesn't cause a purge in
21:46anybody, which is obviously they've
21:47generalized it beyond themselves and
21:49that's not fair because that's giving
21:51false hope to a lot of people. So I
21:52wouldn't take advice from people who are
21:54saying things like that because they
21:55clearly don't understand how retinoids
21:57work. So we have the purge. Along with
21:58the purge you have the process of
22:00retinization which comes with some
22:01symptoms. Redness, stinging-ish, flaky-
22:05ness, dryness, makeup not looking nice.
22:08That's probably pretty much it. That is
22:09the process of your skin becoming
22:11retinized. That is the process of
22:13adjustment. And this is why when people
22:14stop during that phase because they
22:17don't like it or they feel like
22:18something's gone wrong. I mean, I get
22:19it. It's not nice. It's just much better
22:21to continue because you're probably a
22:23few weeks away from getting through it
22:25to the other side where your skin is
22:27fully retinized. Like I've been using
22:28retinoids for 6 years. I use adapalene.
22:30I use it every other day but I could
22:31easily use it every day. And I have no
22:33irritation, no flakiness, nothing. In
22:36fact, [clears throat] I find retinoids
22:37now almost have like a weirdly calming
22:39effect on my skin. And that's because I
22:41retinized many years ago. Like my skin
22:43is fully used to them. So please don't
22:45stop in the middle, especially if you're
22:47at like month one or two because you are
22:49probably so close to coming out the
22:51other side. And if you stop now and
22:52start again in 6 months, you're going to
22:53have to do it all again. Those are the
22:55shitty bits of what to expect. Now the
22:57nice bits. Azelaic acid has this
22:59soothing like anti-inflammatory immune
23:03function in the skin. Some people find
23:05that overnight and in a couple of days
23:07it can take the inflammation and the
23:08redness right down. My friend was one of
23:10these people and actually azelaic acid
23:12is one of the ingredients specifically
23:15Finacea. I typically just I mean, there
23:17are lots of other great azelaic acids
23:19and we'll get to that later in this
23:20video, but because I use Finacea, I
23:22usually just send them a link to that
23:23just because that's what I use and I
23:25feel most confident recommending that.
23:26Finacea and azelaic acid is like the
23:28main ingredient / product that when I
23:31recommend it to my friends, they report
23:33back like, "Wow, this is amazing." Like
23:35I can think of three people off the top
23:37of my head. My sister-in-law my and my
23:38friend and my other friend. I don't want
23:39to name them. Not that it matters, but
23:41whatever. I'll put stuff on the screen.
23:43One of them was like, "Oh, I can see how
23:45you got that like glassiness to your
23:46skin because it's doing that for me
23:48already." Another person, she's always
23:50had trouble with her skin, but she had
23:51like red acne lesions and then the very
23:53next day, she literally sent me she sent
23:55me photos every day as do many of my
23:56friends and she gave me permission to
23:58share this photo. You can see the night
24:00before kind of red and then the morning
24:01after it's like brought it all right
24:04down and she was like, "Wow." The third
24:05person, I can't remember if I'll be able
24:07to find a screenshot of the text, but I
24:09remember she said to me in person, "It's
24:11given me a new face."
24:13This is why prescription azelaic acid is
24:15going viral because it's like someone
24:17discovering paracetamol for the first
24:19time and being like, "Wow, it really
24:20kills off my pain." Like yeah, it's been
24:23clinically proven over decades. Like
24:24it's not just like a random skin care
24:26product. It's a medication at the end of
24:28the day. So, if you're lucky, you might
24:30get that like instant lowering of
24:31redness. I do describe azelaic acid as a
24:34slow burn though because for me, I
24:36didn't have that redness to notice
24:38results from in the beginning. So, it
24:39took me a while to notice that like
24:41slowly but surely glowy skin from my
24:43retinoid for sure. Like I have in the
24:46past I saw this comment once and someone
24:48was saying like, "Oh, she puts all her
24:50results down to using azelaic acid and
24:53she just neglects to tell everyone that
24:55it's from retinoids." And it's like,
24:56"No." I literally shout that from the
24:59rooftops every day in my content. I
25:01think the problem is people don't read
25:02captions. You can't put everything in a
25:04video. So, specifically in captions, I
25:05have said, "To be clear, I've used
25:07retinoids for a long time, but azelaic
25:09acid really changed my skin even after 3
25:11years of using a retinoid." In a way
25:13that it's hard to put your finger on.
25:14Like, it just started my skin just
25:16started to be a little more like
25:17luminous, to be honest. Like, it just
25:19started to have its own light source
25:21slightly. That happens, but in my
25:23opinion, it is a slow burn. Maybe after
25:253 to 4 months of use, you might notice a
25:27bit of
25:28I really encourage you to keep using it.
25:30Like, if you get to 6 months and you
25:31think it's not done anything, honestly,
25:33just as a science experiment, keep using
25:35it for another year and tell me if you
25:37still think that. Because it is a slow
25:38burn. Everything compounds. Using
25:40something for 6 months is not giving you
25:42the final results. Using something for
25:4412 months is not giving you the final
25:45results. Progress isn't always linear.
25:47Like, it doesn't just go like this. In
25:49fact, a lot of the time, it just goes
25:50like
25:51like that. And so, if not for the
25:53immediate results, just keep using
25:55azelaic acid for what it can do for your
25:56skin with continued use. Look at it as
25:59an experiment, I beg. People using it
26:01for 4 months and saying it did nothing,
26:02I feel like I'm not really surprised. I
26:05feel like that is not the right attitude
26:06to have with this active. You just need
26:08to like
26:09>> [clears throat]
26:10>> trust in the process. With retinoid,
26:12what to expect, all the purging. With
26:13azelaic acid, the purge is incomparable.
26:15Retinoid purge can last, as I said, for
26:18like potentially 3, 4 months. Azelaic
26:19acid, you're not typically looking at
26:21anything beyond like a couple of months,
26:23and it shouldn't be half as bad. It
26:25should be like a fifth of the severity
26:27of a retinoid purge. Yeah, you might get
26:29a few pimples here and there, but it
26:30should start evening out after like a
26:32month or two, and it should never be
26:33that aggressive in the first place. And
26:35then, when it comes to retinoid results,
26:37I would say same thing as azelaic acid.
26:39If you're just using it for like 3
26:40months and you're like, "I still get
26:42pimples." You know, I still get pimples.
26:43Using a retinoid isn't like a guarantee
26:46that you're never going to get pimples
26:47again. But, if you use it for like
26:48minimum 6 months, like ideally 12
26:52months, 24 months. Over time, your pores
26:55can look more refined, the surface of
26:57your skin looks more even, smooth,
26:59reflective. You get less and less acne.
27:01Any acne that you do get is smaller, it
27:03disappears quicker, it doesn't scar as
27:05badly. The retinoid and the azelaic acid
27:07are working to even out any leftover
27:09pigmentation or PIE PIH. They work
27:12synergistically and they need time to
27:14work. If you have active acne now and
27:16this combination is going to get rid of
27:18your acne, it's going to need time to do
27:20that. So, say it takes 9 months to do
27:22that. And then you're in this new phase
27:24where you're only seeing the results of
27:26those actives on evening out the skin
27:28tone. Take another 9 months to get to
27:30the next phase, like the first month is
27:31getting rid of the acne for the most
27:33part. The second phase is evening out
27:35the marks and the third phase is you
27:36don't have acne, you don't have
27:38prominent marks, and you're just seeing
27:39it improve beyond that. Do you see what
27:41I mean? Like, you can't just judge it on
27:43the first 6 months. You're not going to
27:44have the final results by then. The
27:46people seeing the best results and
27:48coming on the internet and talking about
27:49it are people who've used it for a long
27:50time. And now they've got their results
27:52and they can talk about it. When I say a
27:54long time, again, social media has made
27:56us feel like a long time is like 2
27:58months. It's not. It's like 2 years, 2
28:00years, 3 years, 4 years. I think my
28:02results will look better in 2 years'
28:04time and I already feel like the results
28:06that I've got are pretty good because I
28:07know that it's a long game and I know
28:09that the results compound over many
28:10years. They don't all show in the first
28:12two. Now, let's talk about the dos and
28:14don'ts because I feel like I've been
28:15yapping for ages. These are the dos. Do
28:17start slowly. Anything you do in skin,
28:19you should start slowly. Again, in my
28:21free downloadable retinoid guide, I'm
28:22not trying to like endlessly plug that.
28:24It's just all of this is written down in
28:26that guide, so it kind of does make
28:27sense. Introduce your azelaic acid a
28:30couple times a week. So, say on like a
28:32Monday, Thursday. The only reason you're
28:34doing that is to see how your skin
28:35reacts. Literally just an experiment to
28:37be like, "Hey, it's a bit like
28:39introducing a food to see if it's going
28:40to give you a stomach ache." Like, "Oh,
28:42I used to get stomach aches when I ate
28:44eggs. So, I just had them like last
28:46Monday and I felt fine. So, I'm going to
28:47have them on Thursday and I feel fine.
28:49And then I might start having them more
28:50frequently. It's a bit like that. So,
28:52say you're introducing azelaic acid, do
28:53it slowly. Monday, Thursday, see how it
28:55goes. Next week, Monday, Thursday, see
28:58how it goes. If that's fine, do Monday,
29:00Wednesday, Saturday. If that's fine, do
29:02it again the next week. After about 4 or
29:035 weeks, you should feel a lot more
29:05confident with the active and you should
29:07know how it feels if you're going to get
29:09stinging, which is a known side effect,
29:11which if you get that, just know that
29:12it's normal. It doesn't mean something's
29:14wrong. Stinging and itching and tingling
29:16is normal with azelaic acid. So, that's
29:17how I would introduce azelaic acid
29:19slowly. With a retinoid, again, it's all
29:20written down in that guide. Couple times
29:22a week, see how it goes. Couple times a
29:24week, see how it goes. I usually say one
29:26to two times a week in the first month,
29:28two to three times a week in the second
29:30month, three to four times a week in the
29:31third month and beyond. You don't have
29:33to work up to every day. You don't have
29:35to do that. A lot of people on the
29:36internet are saying things like, "Oh, if
29:37you're not using every day, it's
29:38pointless." That is That's
29:40just I think in the end, you
29:42need to be using it at least every other
29:44day to see the maximum results, but I
29:46know for a fact if I use it every day. I
29:48mean, I used to use my previous retinoid
29:50like 3 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on, 1
29:52day off. And I prefer what I do now,
29:54which is every other day. And I don't
29:55think my skin would look any different
29:57if I suddenly started using it every
29:58day. In fact, I think I would just have
30:00more irritation. And that's the point at
30:01which you are negating the benefits and
30:04seeing the tipping point of how often
30:06you can use it versus the irritation,
30:07which is the whole point of retinoids.
30:09More do's, apply to dry skin, never wet
30:11skin. Use a thin even layer. I've made
30:13videos on how to apply in the past. So
30:15many people are convinced that they
30:18cannot apply a thin even layer because
30:20it doesn't spread. I have made videos
30:22where I show you exactly like my
30:23technique. I get a blob, I do this. I
30:25push it around my face with my finger.
30:27You can get a thin even layer. It's just
30:29practice. I know azelaic acid creams are
30:31quite gloopy. Again, it's a technique.
30:33It's a technique thing. You just need to
30:34keep practicing it. Using more product
30:36is only going to give you more side
30:38effects. You're not going to get any
30:40better results. You're just going to
30:41have more side effects. With retinoids,
30:43for example, it binds to certain
30:44receptors in the skin. So, all it needs
30:47to work is the cream or the gel to cover
30:50the skin where you want it. It doesn't
30:52need to be a thick layer. In fact, it
30:53shouldn't be a thick layer. All it needs
30:55is like a thin layer to do that process
30:57and work. The less you can use, probably
31:00the better results you're going to be as
31:01long as you're actually covering your
31:03face and not like skimping and missing
31:04patches. Prioritize hydration. A lot of
31:07people use retinoids specifically,
31:09azelaic acid, too. of people use
31:10retinoids specifically and they complain
31:12that their skin looks worse or
31:14especially they use it on their under
31:15eyes and they say it gave me wrinkles.
31:17It can't give you wrinkles. Like, it
31:18just can't. Wrinkles that come from a
31:20lack of collagen and like sagging and
31:23repeated creasing. Like, it can't give
31:25you wrinkles. It can make you look
31:27wrinklier temporarily because it's so
31:30dry that you look wrinkly. You look
31:32[clears throat] pruny. So, make sure you
31:33use a hydrating serum, a barrier serum,
31:35a moisturizer twice a day. A lot of
31:37people use their barrier serum once a
31:39day or they only use their barrier serum
31:41when their barrier is damaged. In my
31:43opinion, that's wrong if you want the
31:44best results that you could get. I use
31:46my barrier serum twice a day. It's a
31:48proactive measure. It's constantly
31:50replenishing my barrier so that I can
31:52tolerate my retinoid better. I think
31:53it's important. You don't want to be
31:55applying a retinoid in the evening and
31:56then saying, "I'm going to use my
31:58barrier serum because I use my
31:59retinoid." But then in the morning
32:00you're like, "Oh, well, I didn't use
32:01anything that is a little aggressive in
32:03my barrier. Therefore, I won't use a
32:05barrier serum." That's not, in my
32:06opinion, how you should use a barrier
32:07serum. I think you should use a barrier
32:09serum proactively even when you're not
32:11using a retinoid so that your barrier is
32:1210 out of 10 condition as much as it can
32:15be so that when you do use retinoids,
32:17you see all of the benefits and not the
32:18shitty side effects. Wear sunscreen
32:20daily. It's a non-negotiable. Why are
32:22you bothering to use azelaic acid and a
32:24retinoid if you're not using sunscreen?
32:26There's literally [clears throat] no
32:27point at all. And the last do is be
32:29patient. As I went over a million times
32:31and I feel like this video is going to
32:32be very wordy. I've been filming for 47
32:34minutes now. Be patient. Like, stop
32:37listening to TikTok if it's making you
32:38feel like 2 months is a long time in
32:40skin care. It's not a long time. With
32:42this combination of active ingredients,
32:44you are choosing to trust in the science
32:46and the process, and using your brain to
32:48decide that this combination is very
32:50powerful if I lock in for a long period
32:52of time. In my opinion, everything that
32:54all the other skin care products you buy
32:56promise you, it's actually this
32:57combination that can give you, but you
32:59just need to allow it time to work. The
33:01don'ts. Don't start them both at the
33:03same time. Talked about that. Don't
33:04change more than one product at one
33:06time. I see people saying they've used
33:08the Niacinamide method, which I am going
33:10to call it that cuz that's what other
33:11people call it, but I never call I never
33:12tried to make that a thing. Let me just
33:14say. A lot of people will see my skin
33:16care routine and they'll just swap to
33:18that routine. And then things will
33:20inevitably go wrong. Like, for example,
33:22they use my moisturizer, my Cetaphil
33:23moisturizer, and it gives them
33:25breakouts, but they don't realize
33:27because they've used a whole bunch of
33:28new products at the same time. So, then
33:30they're just stuck in the situation
33:31where they're getting breakouts and they
33:33don't know why. If they had just changed
33:34their moisturizer first, they would know
33:36it was the Cetaphil, and then they could
33:38change it back. Changing more than one
33:39product at a time is just a recipe for a
33:42nightmare. I've been there so many
33:43times, and I'm just never doing it
33:45again. Third don't. Don't increase the
33:47frequency too quickly. So many people
33:49comment things like, "Oh, well, I used
33:51the retinoid once last week and it was
33:53fine, so I used it three times this
33:54week."
33:56Sorry if that's you. Also not Sorry
33:58Sorry if that's you, but that is not the
34:00rate at which skin adapts. Using it once
34:02last week, max you can use it twice this
34:04week. But if you feel like a week ago
34:06was a long time, again, social media has
34:08like conditioned us to believe that a
34:10week was ages ago. You cannot jump from
34:12one to three or one to four. I've seen
34:14it with other things, like for example,
34:15spironolactone, which is this acne
34:17medication. People will say things like,
34:19"Oh, I slowly lowered my dose. I had 100
34:21mg last week, and now I'm having 50."
34:24That is half. That's like you've
34:26decreased it by 50%. I don't want to go
34:28on a spiro tangent, but it feels like a
34:30a gradual incline to you, but it's not
34:33to your skin. It's like an attack. So,
34:34don't jump up in frequency too quickly.
34:36And the last don't is don't stop because
34:38of a few weeks of slow progress, as
34:40we've talked about. Okay, I'm getting to
34:42the end of the video, which is good
34:43because I feel like my camera will
34:44probably say it's got no battery soon.
34:46The best products in each category, and
34:48I can hear a drill because someone is
34:50doing building work in my building, and
34:52I'm going to explode.
34:53I have all of my favorite azelaic acids
34:56and retinoids listed out on my Shop My.
34:58That's not me trying to be like, "Ooh,
35:00please spend money on my Shop My and
35:01give me affiliate revenue." That's just
35:03me telling you where the best place to
35:05look at my recommendations at any point
35:06in time is because I find it the easiest
35:08to update. However, if I had to say the
35:10top azelaic acid products, I would say
35:13over the counter Finacea in the red
35:15bottle 15% or Dermatica, they make 15%
35:18and 20%. Those are the ones you can get
35:20without prescription. I don't recommend
35:23starting at 20%. You can, and it's fine.
35:25It's not like a retinoid, you don't need
35:27to start super super low, but I think
35:2920% might just be a little bit too much.
35:32I think maybe 15% is like the best sweet
35:35spot for over-the-counter formulas. When
35:37we're talking about prescription
35:38strength, I have a lot of experience
35:40with the Finacea gel. It's called a gel,
35:42but it looks like a white cream. I
35:43haven't used the actual cream, and I
35:45haven't used Skinoren, but both of those
35:47I would say are great places to start.
35:49So, you've got four suggestions there.
35:51When it comes to 10%, I would say The
35:54Inkey List is one of the best options,
35:56and I'll talk about the Innoaesthetics
35:57one. That's the last bit of this video.
35:58I'll talk about that in a second. When
35:59it comes to retinoids, again, I have a
36:01lot more videos on retinoids. Even on
36:03YouTube, I have like multiple videos on
36:05retinoids. I have a video on how I got
36:06rid of my closed comedones. I also
36:08actually have a video going into great
36:10detail everything you need to know about
36:12azelaic acid, if that's of interest. Any
36:13of those related videos I'll put down
36:15below. But when it comes to retinoids,
36:16it's a lot more difficult to say these
36:18are the best ones because there are a
36:20lot more good options, I would say. In
36:22my retinoid guide, I have a decision
36:23tree that allows you to step-by-step
36:26answer some questions, and it will tell
36:28you the best retinoid for you to start
36:29with based on the way you've answered
36:31the questions. But typically speaking, I
36:34always recommend for the most part
36:35people to start with a retinaldehyde
36:37because it's a lot more effective than
36:39retinol. Retinol is if you're going to a
36:41shop like Boots or Superdrug, you'll
36:43mostly see retinol. I tend to not really
36:46look Maybe it's just because of me
36:48personally I'm using prescription
36:49strength now. I just think retinaldehyde
36:51is where it's at and anything above that
36:53is what you could trust to give you like
36:56the best results. Sometimes people have
36:57really sensitive skin and it's better
36:59for them to start with a retinol, but I
37:00would always say if you're starting with
37:02a retinol, finish the retinol and then
37:04try and move up to a retinaldehyde.
37:05Whereas if you're starting with a
37:06retinaldehyde, I don't think you should
37:08feel pressure to move up from that.
37:10That's another thing I actually haven't
37:11planned to cover in this video. And a
37:13lot of people on the internet perpetuate
37:14this idea that it's when you use a
37:16retinoid it's all about moving up to the
37:18next level, moving up to the next level.
37:19Like for example, I've used adapalene
37:22for coming up to 2 year or or over 2
37:24years. There's a 0.3% that's triple the
37:27strength of the 0.1 that I use now. Like
37:30I'm not thinking about moving up. The
37:32goal with retinoids is to get to a stage
37:34where you're happy with your skin and
37:35you're having minimal side effects. Some
37:37people move up in strength for no reason
37:39other than the fact that they think they
37:40have to. So they get to a point with
37:42their skin. Like for example, me. I'm
37:44happy with my skin. I don't have
37:45anything that I want to improve right
37:47now in a serious way. And some people
37:49would have like my results and then they
37:51would be like, oh but I have to keep
37:52moving up so I'm going to use like 0.025
37:55tretinoin. And then they do that and
37:57they put themselves through the
37:58adjustment process which can be really
38:00gnarly with tretinoin because it binds
38:01to many more receptors, it's well known
38:03to be more irritating. And they have a
38:04bad time with it and then they end up
38:06with like constant flaking for like 6
38:08months and redness and perioral
38:10dermatitis and it's like, you didn't
38:12have to do that. You don't have to keep
38:13moving up. If you're happy with your
38:15results, that's it. Like you don't have
38:17to keep going. So that was a small side
38:19note. So when it comes to the retinoids,
38:21I would say most people start with a
38:23retinaldehyde. Geek and Gorgeous is
38:25great. They make a 0.1, they make a
38:260.05. Dermatica also make 0.05, 0.1,
38:300.2. The Ordinary make 0.2. Medik8 also
38:33make loads of strengths. You don't need
38:35to move up them like that. Some people
38:37like to do that. I don't think you
38:38actually have to do that, but if you
38:39want to do that, you can. If you have
38:41more serious acne, I would recommend
38:43just going straight to like Dermatica,
38:44for example. And I have a video also
38:46comparing Dermatica and Skin + Me for a
38:48direct comparison. I've used both of
38:50them. I have a clear favorite. The point
38:52is, it would be a lie for me to sit here
38:53and tell you there is a best option.
38:55There's not. There's loads of good
38:56options. It depends on your risk
38:58tolerance, your budget, how you like to
39:00shop, how you like the different
39:01formulas, whether you like it slightly
39:02more runny, slightly thicker, all of
39:04that. If you want to make that decision,
39:06it's probably easier in my retinoid
39:07guide, or at least watching one of my
39:09other retinoid videos. But if you just
39:10don't know where to start and you're not
39:12particularly sensitive, just go for a
39:14retinaldehyde. And I also have on my
39:15Shop My, all of my favorite barrier
39:17serums. Some of them are toners, like I
39:19guess it's barrier products, but serums,
39:21toners, moisturizers, like everything in
39:23every category that you could possibly
39:25dream of. If you're wondering like what
39:26my favorites of different things are,
39:28they're all there. And the last bit of
39:30this video, maybe I'll do a whole
39:31separate video on this, to talk about
39:34the Anewa Azelaic Acid {slash} Korean
39:37watery azelaic acid serum debacle. Ooh.
39:41Okay, so maybe a bit premature because
39:43this whole thing hasn't finished. We
39:45haven't concluded. We haven't decided
39:47what the final result is. However, I'm
39:49not ashamed to say that I have promoted
39:52the Anewa Azelaic Acid. What I really
39:54liked about it was it feels lovely on
39:55the skin, it performs, it's a good price
39:57point, and especially one of the things
39:59I liked a lot about it is that it's a
40:01watery formulation, which means that
40:03because azelaic acid is typically a bit
40:06crunchy. Like it's effectively like
40:08powdery crystals that get put into a
40:10cream. It's really hard to formulate
40:11with. That's why sometimes the serums
40:13can be gritty or bitty, or they leave
40:16white streaks on your skin. Like the
40:18idea of a watery azelaic acid serum is
40:20very appealing, especially if you have
40:22like oily skin or you want to use
40:23azelaic acid in the morning. That's one
40:25of the main reasons I was like, "Hey,
40:26this is a really interesting serum." I
40:28knew that azelaic acid is a powder. And
40:31I just assumed, I'm not a cosmetic
40:33chemist, so that's obviously clear in
40:35what I'm saying here. I just assumed
40:36they'd found a way to move past that.
40:39What I didn't realize, and what a few
40:41people now on skincare TikTok have been
40:43talking about, is to get azelaic acid to
40:46appear like that in a formula where it's
40:47like watery, seamless, no crystals, no
40:50crunch grittiness, the azelaic acid has
40:52to be converted into its salt form,
40:54which means it's no longer in the active
40:56form of azelaic acid. A lot of people on
40:58TikTok, cuz I made a video about this,
41:00this is the original video and then this
41:01is my response, and we are still in
41:03communication. He said he was going to
41:05do a response video and I haven't seen
41:07it yet. I looked last night, he hasn't
41:08done it yet. There are a lot of people
41:09in the comments saying, "Yeah, I don't
41:11think that's sketchy because vitamin C
41:14is the same, you buy something that says
41:16vitamin C, but it's actually like
41:17ascorbic acid or
41:21thing. In fact, I know it's not the same
41:22thing because vitamin C derivatives are
41:24well researched in their own right. We
41:26have a lot more research into vitamin C
41:28derivatives in their own right than we
41:29do with azelaic acid. The problem that
41:31this cosmetic chemist was bringing to
41:33the table with the new azelaic acid and
41:36a lot of the other Korean watery azelaic
41:38acid serums is that they are saying 10
41:40or 15% azelaic acid, which is not just
41:43suggesting but telling people in a
41:45misleading way that the active form of
41:47azelaic acid is in that concentration in
41:4910%, but actually to make it watery, it
41:52has been transformed into its salt form,
41:54which means it's therefore not the
41:55active version of azelaic acid. And all
41:57of the evidence for azelaic acid comes
41:59from azelaic acid, not an azelaic acid
42:01derivative. So, it's kind of like
42:03telling people you're getting 10% of
42:04something when you're actually not. And
42:05that's what the misleading thing about
42:07it was. In my opinion, I think these
42:09serums still have a place,
42:10[clears throat] but I can understand why
42:12people are annoyed by how it's been
42:14marketed when it's effectively just
42:16misleading marketing. I don't think
42:18we've reached the final conclusion yet.
42:19That's why I'm kind of steering away
42:21from anything final final because you
42:23never know, the brand might make a
42:25response. I'm sure we have cosmetic
42:27chemists who are going to make YouTube
42:28videos about this, but I wouldn't blame
42:30you if you were wanting to just stick to
42:32the cream formulas because we know that
42:34the cream formulas will have azelaic
42:37acid in them, which are the thing that
42:38has all the evidence behind it. feels
42:40like there's going to be a moment where
42:42people talk more and more about this and
42:45a lot of the Korean and I'm not just
42:47saying that because they're Korean. I
42:48haven't seen a single Western azelaic
42:50acid serum that is watery. And it's a
42:52process of taking azelaic acid, which is
42:54typically powdery, gritty, and then
42:56solubilizing it in water completely to
42:58the point where you can't feel that
43:00grittiness at all, which changes it into
43:01its salt form or some other kind of
43:04derivative. Again, not cosmetic
43:05chemists. I'm just relaying what they
43:06said. That is the problem that chemists
43:08have identified. So, we shall find out
43:09more about this, but I think in the
43:11meantime, to get the maximum results
43:14from azelaic acid, it makes sense to go
43:16with the cream formula in the meantime.
43:18If something else happens, I will
43:21probably do a separate video and update
43:22with the conclusion cuz I don't think it
43:24makes sense to do a whole video without
43:26the conclusion. Maybe not. I'm not sure.
43:27I'm still new to YouTube, but if you
43:29have any questions about this topic of
43:31using azelaic acid and retinoids
43:32together, please comment them below and
43:34let me know if you have any feedback. If
43:36you liked the free downloadable guide
43:37that I made, if I should make another
43:39downloadable guide on a different topic.
43:41I would love to know. I'm going to try
43:42and film two YouTube videos a week, but
43:44this one was an hour and four minutes,
43:45so I don't even know if my camera can
43:47handle doing another one. We'll have to
43:49see.

About this transcript

This page contains the full transcript of The ONLY azelaic.acid + retinoid routine video you'll ever need to watch by Natalie O'Neill, generated from the public captions YouTube serves with the video. The transcript has 10,518 words across 1,473 segments, with the original timestamps preserved so you can click any line to jump to that moment in the embedded player.

What you can do with it

Use the transcript to take notes, quote the speaker, build a study guide, generate a summary with ChatGPT or Claude via the YouTube Summary tool, or export it as a timed subtitle file with YouTube to SRT. You can also re-open it in the transcriber to translate the transcript into 100+ languages.

Free YouTube transcript tool

YouTube2Text is a free YouTube transcript generator — no signup, no daily limit. Paste any YouTube link and get the full transcript instantly, with timestamps, click-to-jump, translation to 100+ languages, AI prompts for ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, and exports to TXT, SRT, VTT, or Markdown.