93 replies to this topic

[olivetree]

I've been using Diacneal for a couple of weeks now, and I have to say this is nice stuff. For anyone who can generally handle retinoids, you might want to try it. If you don't believe me, look up internet reviews.

I had high hopes for Green Cream, but even after the initial purging, it didn't get my breakouts under control. I think the difference is that Green Cream wasn't designed for acne sufferers in mind. After being on Diacneal for a few days, any new breakouts would be really small whiteheads. It took a real big leap of faith for me to eliminate BP or any other topicals from my regimen, but Diacneal hasn't let me down yet.

Unfortunately, it's only available in Europe and Canada. But I was able to order some tubes from Tubotica.com for about $20-ish apiece after shipping. Only took a few days to get here too.

[cricetino]

...and is it able to decrease sebum excretion? What's your experience about this?Thanks

[Kenry52]

From online reviews, it sounds really promising. I've been using Alpha Hydrox's oil free formula at night, but I'm running low and so think I will order some Diacneal and see if I can get better results with this!

[LionQueen]

As a retinoid, Diacneal is not as strong as Green Cream, but it does contain 6% glycolic acid, which definitely can help clear those blocked pores.

Avene also makes Ystheal, which is very similar to GC, but retinaldehyde-based rather than retinol-based. Some people experience less irritation with retinaldehyde, so if you are having trouble with GC, this is a good alternative to keep in mind.

Not everyone's skin tolerates glycolic acid well, so that's something to think about with the Diacneal. Personally I don't like GA because it bleaches my eyebrows blond and then I have to get them dyed back to brown again ....

[Kenry52]

It bleaches your eyebrows? Really? I've been using the oil free formula of Alpha Hydrox for several months and my eyebrows are as dark as they have ever been (and I definitely get a lot of the product on my eyebrows as I just spead it all over my face). Maybe it was just that product that bleached you? Or does glycolic acid bleach in general, and maybe my eyebrows just aren't affected?

[LionQueen]

It bleaches your eyebrows? Really? I've been using the oil free formula of Alpha Hydrox for several months and my eyebrows are as dark as they have ever been (and I definitely get a lot of the product on my eyebrows as I just spead it all over my face). Maybe it was just that product that bleached you? Or does glycolic acid bleach in general, and maybe my eyebrows just aren't affected?

Actually, I was sort of joking ... and I just looked up the ingredients in the product I was using, and it also contained hydrogen peroxide ... so there you have it. Never mind!

[olivetree]

...and is it able to decrease sebum excretion? What's your experience about this?Thanks

Yes, I think it does. I only use Diacneal at night, and my face is noticeably less oily even during the day. I think retinoids in general are supposed to have that effect, but in my case it could also be because I've started to use a particular sunscreen (Shiseido SPF 55 lotion) that's known to be a little drying.

As a retinoid, Diacneal is not as strong as Green Cream, but it does contain 6% glycolic acid, which definitely can help clear those blocked pores.

Avene also makes Ystheal, which is very similar to GC, but retinaldehyde-based rather than retinol-based. Some people experience less irritation with retinaldehyde, so if you are having trouble with GC, this is a good alternative to keep in mind.

Not everyone's skin tolerates glycolic acid well, so that's something to think about with the Diacneal. Personally I don't like GA because it bleaches my eyebrows blond and then I have to get them dyed back to brown again ....

From what I understand, Diacneal is a stronger retinoid than GC because retinaldehyde is one step closer to being converted into retinoic acid, whereas retinol has to go through two steps to be converted into retinoic acid. Even if you bump up the concentration of retinol, ultimately what matters in the end is how much of it can be converted into retinoic acid. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

I was up to using Level 6 GC twice a day, and I was still getting large pimples pretty regularly. I would hazard a guess that most people experience irritation from GC because one of its main ingredients is ethanol. I'm a biology student, and ethanol is the acohol what we use to preserve lab specimens. It's strong even just on the hands.

On the other hand, if glycolic acid doesn't cause irritation, it's actually a very powerful agent in fighting acne just because of how thoroughly it exfoliates without being harsh. In the '90s, there was a line of products called ClearLogix that used retinol and glycolic acid in their Clearigen-A formula. The astringent and pads helped me so much more than Clearasil, Oxy, Clean&Clear, etc. ever did combined. Too bad they were discontinued. (You could only find them on the bottom shelf of Kmart.)

[LionQueen]

From what I understand, Diacneal is a stronger retinoid than GC because retinaldehyde is one step closer to being converted into retinoic acid, whereas retinol has to go through two steps to be converted into retinoic acid. Even if you bump up the concentration of retinol, ultimately what matters in the end is how much of it can be converted into retinoic acid. Correct me if I'm wrong though.

I was up to using Level 6 GC twice a day, and I was still getting large pimples pretty regularly. I would hazard a guess that most people experience irritation from GC because one of its main ingredients is ethanol. I'm a biology student, and ethanol is the acohol what we use to preserve lab specimens. It's strong even just on the hands.

On the other hand, if glycolic acid doesn't cause irritation, it's actually a very powerful agent in fighting acne just because of how thoroughly it exfoliates without being harsh. In the '90s, there was a line of products called ClearLogix that used retinol and glycolic acid in their Clearigen-A formula. The astringent and pads helped me so much more than Clearasil, Oxy, Clean&Clear, etc. ever did combined. Too bad they were discontinued. (You could only find them on the bottom shelf of Kmart.)

I suppose it depends on the level of GC. I am using Level 9 and by all accounts I've seen, that's the strongest OTC retinoid available. But I totally agree with you about the efficacy of GA, especially in combination with a retinoid ... and I have heard nothing but good things about Diacneal and Ystheal. If the GC weren't working so well for me I'd definitely give them a try.

[olivetree]

I suppose it depends on the level of GC. I am using Level 9 and by all accounts I've seen, that's the strongest OTC retinoid available. But I totally agree with you about the efficacy of GA, especially in combination with a retinoid ... and I have heard nothing but good things about Diacneal and Ystheal. If the GC weren't working so well for me I'd definitely give them a try.

Any claims that GC is the strongest OTC retinoid available is probably based on what's available in the U.S. Like I mentioned earlier, Diacneal isn't available in the U.S. and has to be purchased from Canada or Europe.

[LionQueen]

I suppose it depends on the level of GC. I am using Level 9 and by all accounts I've seen, that's the strongest OTC retinoid available. But I totally agree with you about the efficacy of GA, especially in combination with a retinoid ... and I have heard nothing but good things about Diacneal and Ystheal. If the GC weren't working so well for me I'd definitely give them a try.

Any claims that GC is the strongest OTC retinoid available is probably based on what's available in the U.S. Like I mentioned earlier, Diacneal isn't available in the U.S. and has to be purchased from Canada or Europe.

I am really not trying to get into a pissing match here, because I believe them both to be good products. But I'd like to be a little clearer regarding the respective strengths of retinol and retinaldehyde, because I think previous posts are conveying the wrong impression.

From pubmed:

The concentrations of the retinoids required to achieve significant induction of enzyme activity were 0.6% retinyl palmitate, 0.025% retinol, and 0.01% retinaldehyde.

Diacneal is 0.1% retinaldehyde. According to the ratio above, that would approximately correspond in strength to a product containing 0.25% retinol.

Green Cream Level 3 (the weakest GC) contains 0.3% retinol
Green Cream Level 6 contains 0.6% retinol
Green Cream Level 9 contains 0.9% retinol

So I stand by my earlier statement: as a RETINOID, Diacneal is not as powerful as Green Cream. However, the combination of retinaldehyde and glycolic acid is undeniably potent and effective against acne; also, some people find retinaldehyde easier to tolerate than retinol.

[LionQueen]

So I've been giving this whole GC vs Diacneal thing a little more thought, and came up with the following:

For younger people (under 30, say), Diacneal may well be a better way to go. It costs less; it's a one-step product, because the glycolic exfoliates you; and the younger you are, the less you need the full retinoid benefits.

If you're over 30, you are more likely to appreciate the power of Green Cream to build collagen, erase fine lines, and even out your pigmentation.

Both products seem to be pretty effective at clearing acne and reducing oiliness ... people may have to try both to see what works best for them.

I hope other Diacneal users will post here ... would love to hear more about it, just out of curiosity!

[xentrikk]

Other than decrease in oiliness, what other benefits have you seen in using it? (I live in Canada and they sell it at the drug store I frequent d:)

[LionQueen]

bump!

Any other Diacneal users out there? I am thinking of trying it out myself, just for fun.

[curiousP]

Yes, I think it does. I only use Diacneal at night, and my face is noticeably less oily even during the day. I think retinoids in general are supposed to have that effect, but in my case it could also be because I've started to use a particular sunscreen (Shiseido SPF 55 lotion) that's known to be a little drying.


I was just wondering what you use to remove this sunscreen...i heard it can be hard to remove. I was also wondering if it is irritating in any way..how long have you been using it? Thanks!!

[peace of mind]

so I can't get it here in the states? and $20 each? how long do those last ya?

[LionQueen]

so I can't get it here in the states? and $20 each? how long do those last ya?

If you're in the States, you can order online (try Googling to find some sites) or get it on eBay.

[cjb]

Hmmm... maybe I will have to try diacneal.

I've been using GC level 3 for 2 months now, and it has done virtually nothing for me unless you count flakey skin. I've had no purging. My skin looks the same as it did when I started. I'm surprised actually. I don't get active acne, but I do have a few clogged pores, some red marks and uneven pigmentation that I thought the GC would help. It hasn't done a thing for any of those things. I suppose it could be that I need level 6, but I went through a whole sample of that with no noticeable effects, so I'm not too keen on buying a whole bottle of the stuff. I tried applying the level 3 twice a day, but that burnt my skin.

[LionQueen]

I've been using GC level 3 for 2 months now, and it has done virtually nothing for me unless you count flakey skin. I've had no purging. My skin looks the same as it did when I started. I'm surprised actually. I don't get active acne, but I do have a few clogged pores, some red marks and uneven pigmentation that I thought the GC would help. It hasn't done a thing for any of those things. I suppose it could be that I need level 6, but I went through a whole sample of that with no noticeable effects, so I'm not too keen on buying a whole bottle of the stuff. I tried applying the level 3 twice a day, but that burnt my skin.

If you can't use Level 3 twice a day, you probably can't use Level 6 ... it's a whole lot stronger. The sample you had is probably not anything to go by; samples tend to be weaker than the full-size bottles because the packaging for samples isn't air-tight and oxygen breaks down retinol.

You might look into Ystheal as well.

[~Bobbi~]

Queen, Queen, Queen-----when are you getting your Diacneal????????? I'm really interested in this now. So....how are we going to fit this in with the GC and Retin A?

[LionQueen]

Queen, Queen, Queen-----when are you getting your Diacneal????????? I'm really interested in this now. So....how are we going to fit this in with the GC and Retin A?

Ah, my sister product whore! I am thinking: Diacneal at night, GC in the morning, Retin A to spot treat. Talk about a full-court press!

A more scientific approach would be to use GC on one side of my face and Diacneal on the other ... but I think that is more hassle than I'm up for.

And I think we should tell the world to check out Tubotica for the best prices on Diacneal ... look under Cosmetics, under Avene ... there's a great offer on 6 tubes, and makeup alley members get an additional discount.