Hi everyone :)

TLDR: I had a major purge from Dennis Gross Extra Strength peel pads and don't know what to do next.

My skin was great for a while there, but as I've got a lot of issues with texture and scarring left over from the heights of my acne (still get minor breakouts), I tried the Dr Dennis Gross Extra Strength peel pads.

I had tried the normal strength and thought it was a good product.

I think I've had a pretty bad purge from the DDG extra strength - I get spots including large ones on my chin the day after I use it, and spots cropping up absolutely everywhere where I've had blocked pores.

This is not a cheap product. I'm also not keen on the waste element, have read the BHA isn't at the right %, and wonder if the slight irritation and huge purge is worth what will probably be a minimal impact on my texture and scarring.

I also have a prescription from Skin Me for 0.006% tret with 4% azealic acid. (Have never tried tret but tolerate retinol well.)

But that could well cause me to purge all over again - such is life!!!

My skin was really the best it's ever been with the simple routine below:

AM Drunk Elephant no.9 jelly cleanser DE protini peptide cream OR Bioderma Sensibio Light SPF

PM DE no.9 cleanser PC 2% BHA and/or Inkey List niacimide Cerave PM lotion

Flash forward, with Dennis Gross as my only change and used only once per week, and my skin is much worse, lots of new blackheads and blemishes, and often a little itchy.

Now I'm not sure of the path ahead. A) keep going with the Dennis Gross, wait for the purge to end

B) quit Dennis Gross and try the tret/azealic acid

Or

C) Don't use the tret or the DG, focus on moisture and healing and book professional treatments for January to address the texture and scarring and bonus purge acne.

At this point where I'm nearly 30 and attend lots of business meetings, I think I should phase in tret extremely slowly over Christmas once I'm happy I'm moisturised enough, and get some professional peels in the new year. (But then would I need to stop and start tret?! Such a minefield!!)

SO my question is - what would you do if you were me? Thank you in advance!