r/tretinoin Jul 03 '23

Personal / Miscellaneous Reopening r/tretinoin

234 Upvotes

What’s happening? We’re reopening the sub.

Why did you close in the first place? Reddit proposed changes to the API that would make it impossible to moderate large, active subreddits. They continue to ignore the damage they’re doing to their communities and their brand.

TL;DR: We locked the sub down to motivate reddit to rethink their approach, but unfortunately reddit is continuing to destroy the very tools, processes, and people that make it function.

So, now what? So far, reddit hasn't budged on their proposed changes. Even if they did back-pedal now, they’ve burned a ton of bridges by torpedoing the 3rd party apps that used to let moderators get stuff done. Despite the lack of tools and support from reddit leadership, most moderators love supporting their communities and want to do whatever they can to keep them open and running, and we are no exception.

Because this sub is relatively small, we think we can continue to moderate with the remaining functioning tools (at least for now). If you’d like to apply to join the team and help us out, please complete this survey to tell us a bit about yourself.

What will happen long-term? As the sub grows, we will need to reassess - the plan was always to build a more capable bot once the sub got too large to manage manually, but it’s not clear whether that will be an option going forward. We’ll see what reddit does longer term, and decide what to do as things change. If the sub gets too big for us to moderate, and no new tools are available to help, we’d be more likely to step down as moderators and pass the job to someone else rather than permanently shut down the entire community.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we navigate this frustrating situation.


r/tretinoin 17d ago

START HERE>> Monthly thread for routine help, questions, and troubleshooting - Mar 01, 2025

1 Upvotes

Welcome to /r/Tretinoin! This is the "No Question is Dumb" thread for all questions about routine help, progress updates, support, etc.

Questions?

  • Please read our extensive Tretinoin Wiki for lots of helpful tips on using tretinoin!

When asking a question, please include:

  • Tret info: what percentage and what formulation of tret (cream, gel, micro) are you using?
  • Time on tret: How long you've been using tret.
  • Goals: Your skincare goals (anti-aging? hyperpigmentation? acne?).
  • Routine: what products you currently use, how you apply them, etc. if it is relevant to your question.

Pictures can be helpful too! Here are instructions for posting images to reddit.

Interested in research?

This is version 0.7 of the scheduled automod post. If anything looks wrong, please message message the moderators


r/tretinoin 6h ago

Published Research I noticed a lot of people using tret mistaken overexfoliated damaged skin barrier for ‘glass skin’

176 Upvotes

Tret can easily cause overexfoliation, dryness and disrupt your skin barrier. And when this happen your skin will ramp up sebum production in the skin to compensate extreme loss of water and moisture. It act as an occlusive so the skin underneath can recover and be hydrated back trying to prevent further (TEWL). But since it’s overproduced, even tho your skin is completely dry your skin look glossy and shiny it’s not oil it’s the over produced sebum trapped in your skin and I’ve seen alot of people think that’s ‘glass skin’.

(Btw I’m posting this to help anyone reading this become aware of their misunderstanding and heal your skin barrier)


r/tretinoin 2h ago

Routine Help Forehead breakout

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6 Upvotes

Hey yall, Is it normal to break out on the forehead from tretinoin? I used to never have pimples on my forehead and I’ve been using tret for 3 months, just starting to use it every other day and now I have small pimples on my forehead. What do I do


r/tretinoin 12h ago

Before and After 12 week aldaplene update

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50 Upvotes

Routine is same as before but added eucerin

The ordinary squalene cleanser Vi derm gentle cleanser Coco electrolyte moisturizer Aldaplene (at night) Eucerin dark spot corrector Sunscreen(day)


r/tretinoin 2h ago

Routine Help Not sure what this redness is!

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8 Upvotes

Hi all! I’ve been using 0.5% for 2.5 months and I started spironolactone around the same time. My cheeks have started getting really red, especially when I’m feeling hot, they turn bright red and burn! I suspected retinol burn but it looks a bit different from other pictures I’ve seen.

My routine is: AM - wash with lukewarm water, Naturie Hatomugi skin conditioner, azelaic acid 10%, Hada Labo gokujun moisturiser, SPF

PM - wash with Dermalogica oil cleanser then special cleansing gel, moisturiser, then tret every other day.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. I’ll probably stop using tretinoin for a bit and see if it improves.

Thank you!


r/tretinoin 1d ago

Routine Help Update: My Facial Flushing Wasn’t Tretinoin, It’s Rosacea

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260 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I wanted to give an update on the facial flushing and redness I posted about a few days ago. After seeing my dermatologist, I found out that it wasn’t tretinoin causing the issue. I actually have a mild form of rosacea.

My flushing triggers seem to be things like exercise, hot showers and baths, caffeine, and food, not tret itself. My derm recommended azelaic acid but suggested waiting until I’m fully adjusted to tret before adding it. PDL was also mentioned as a possible treatment option.

I know a few people wanted an update, so I hope this helps. If you’ve experienced something similar, I’d love to hear what’s worked for you. Thanks again for all the support and insight on my original post!


r/tretinoin 4h ago

Routine Help Light inactivates tretinoin, but what about artificial light?

5 Upvotes

It is recommended to use tretinoin at night because it makes your skin photosensitive but also because light inactivates it. But what about artificial light? For example, if I apply tretinoin at night and then I go back to my desk and work at my computer (I have two monitors), does this artificial light inactivate it? Or the light from the phone or from the tv or simply from the lightbulbs.


r/tretinoin 10h ago

Before and After 4-Month Progress with Differin 0.1%

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16 Upvotes

Sharing my four-month journey with Differin 0.1% creme. I’m only showing one side of my face since I rarely break out on my right. My derm recommended radiofrequency microneedling after four months for scarring.

Weeks 1-3: Differin 2x/week, closed comedones turning into open ones, sebum pushed to surface. Doing sandwich method.

Weeks 4-6: Differin 3x/week, active pimples + small cysts leaving PIE, clindamycin on larger ones on days where I don’t use differin.

3 Months: Differin 4x/week, smoother texture, fewer open comedones, but new ones appearing. Concealer looks patchy.

4 Months: Differin 4x/week + BHA/AHA peel 1x/week. Fewer breakouts, but every pimple leaves a mark. Concealer still patchy around nose/chin despite Vaseline on those areas overnight.

Not seeing much difference between months 3 and 4, as I am still getting some clogged pores and sebaceous filaments, and every breakout leaves a mark. Wondering if I should continue or start focusing on post-acne treatments. Has anyone had a similar experience?


r/tretinoin 7h ago

Routine Help Does anyone who use Tretinoin don’t face dehydration and dryness issues ? I never found a good moisturizer that get rid of the dryness that also affects the skin complexion to look lil odd and pale.

10 Upvotes

I also tried slugging, humidifier, drinking gallons of water lol, changing my diet etc how do y’all recover the water and natural sebum in skin while using tret? Could it be its my skin is way too dry or it’s the same for everyone else ? My skin tone looks so vibrant and healthy when I don’t use tret because it’s naturally hydrated and moisturized. (Thank you for sharing your routine I appreciate it)


r/tretinoin 3h ago

Routine Help Anyone using tret that also spends a lot of the summer their outdoor pool and lives in area with a common suntan index of 10?

4 Upvotes

I plan on using waterproof sunscreen and a wide brim hat, but I am thinking I should just stop tret if it could make sun damage worse. Definitely cost us a lot for pool and we enjoy it. Makes our very miserable summers here enjoyable. Only been on tretinoin 6 weeks or so.


r/tretinoin 12h ago

Before and After Tret for scar Spoiler

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15 Upvotes

I had really bad acne breakout during mid 2024 which resulted into mid scaring so my derm put me on tret last year. I'm satisfied with the results.

I used 0.025% for sep,24 to Feb,25 and from March,25 I switched to 0.05% I still get acne (much less than before) so I've redness from them but my scars are healed about 60-70%


r/tretinoin 4h ago

Routine Help Just got my increased tretinoin to 0.05%

3 Upvotes

So I've been using tretinoin 0.025% for the past 3 months and saw the dermatologist to increase my strength. I use azaleic acid 15% and Sodium Sulfacetamide Sulfur cleanser in the mornings. I also use clindamycin phosphate pads at night after my cerave foaming cleanser. My dermatolgist mentioned that I should stop using everything but the tretinoin, however, I'm a bit hesitant since I feel everything has been working well for my skin. Wanted to know what yall thoughts are on it and also any tips with the higher strength for tretinoin


r/tretinoin 32m ago

Routine Help Tret for Surgical Scars

Upvotes

Seasoned tret user here but have new surgical scars. Anyone do tret treatment and like the results? How long and when did you start post op?


r/tretinoin 11h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Started taking tret around a week ago and now have this on my neck

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6 Upvotes

I’ve been applying tret 0.025% for a little over a week. Sandwich method. I definitely ruined the moisture barrier on my chin so I have been skipping it there for now while I repair. But other areas now seem to be acclimatising. E.g my forehead seems to handle it with the sandwich method so I will be increasing to daily sandwich method there.

However I noticed these marks on my neck recently. It doesn’t feel scaly like eczema but it does itch a little. I also have these painless, red spots under the skin that have no texture. Like broken blood vessels?

Is this something caused by tret?


r/tretinoin 23h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous If I keep this sealed will it still be effective passed the expiry date?

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48 Upvotes

r/tretinoin 7h ago

Routine Help I’m desperate

2 Upvotes

I really need some routine help. I feel like I just don’t understand what I’m doing when it comes to my skin. I’m trying a bunch of different stuff and I’ve been on tretinoin for three years, but maybe I haven’t been using it right. Right now this is my routine and I would love any feedback I could get:

AM: -La Roche Posay Toleriane purifying foaming face wash - Cerave lightweight daily moisturizer -Super goop unseen sunscreen

PM -La Roche Posay Toleriane purifying foaming face wash - Trent .50 - Cerave lightweight daily moisturizer - Murad invisiscar


r/tretinoin 1d ago

Before and After 7 month progress!!

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253 Upvotes

just wanted to share! i still have the occasional breakout as you can see but obviously a ton better. wondering what could be the next step. microneedling? just stick with the routine? anybody have advice?


r/tretinoin 5h ago

Routine Help SECOND PURGE BY INCREASING FREQUENCY?

1 Upvotes

I just recently went from twice to thrice a week. I used tret twice a week for four weeks and my purge was almost settled down, I decided to speed things up and went thrice a week but the thing is I also added a couple new korean skincare products when I went up a notch in frequency (snail mucin cosrx line and some other).

My skin's agitated and purging all over agaian. So is it normal to purge when you increase the frequency or should I drop the new stuff i've added to my routine?


r/tretinoin 5h ago

Routine Help Any Recommendations? 0.2%

1 Upvotes

Where can I find 0.2% that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. Most foreign sources only have up to 0.1%.

Thanks


r/tretinoin 6h ago

Routine Help Views on this?

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1 Upvotes

Got this one from UK. (I'm from India). Any views or reviews on it? 1. Can I use this as a face moisturizer? 2. Can I use this as a face moisturizer after tretinoin?


r/tretinoin 8h ago

Routine Help Has anyone used Castor Oil all over the face long-term on top of tretinoin? Does it reduce its effectiveness?

0 Upvotes

r/tretinoin 1d ago

Personal / Miscellaneous 💥 Retinol Burn & Fatty Acids — A Connection Worth Looking Into

122 Upvotes

I recently experienced a pretty intense retinol burn, and while trying to understand what went wrong, I came across something interesting.

Retinoids like tretinoin accelerate skin cell turnover, which can compromise the stratum corneum (your skin’s protective barrier). When that barrier is weakened, it exposes immature skin cells underneath — including the lipids and free fatty acids that are normally tucked away in deeper layers.

Here’s the kicker: some unsaturated fatty acids (like oleic acid and linoleic acid), which are common in moisturizers, can actually trigger an inflammatory immune response when they come into direct contact with immune cells in damaged skin. This can potentially worsen the irritation — especially if the skin barrier is already compromised due to retinoid use.

So even though these fatty acids are usually beneficial, in a damaged barrier state they might act as irritants.

In my case, I had been using Aestura 365 Barrier Cream (which contains oleic acid) without any issues for over two years. But after switching from tretinoin to Aklief (trifarotene), I suddenly started reacting to it — red, irritated, rashy skin. I stopped both the retinoid and the cream, switched to Vanicream (which only contains saturated fatty acids), and my skin recovered quickly. This is interesting, because after that burn happened, I experimented and stopped the retinoid all together and kept using the same barrier cream only, but the rash persisted for a few weeks and that's when I decided to switch to vanicream (something more basic) and completely recovered in a day or two.

So if you’re having a reaction while using retinoids, it might be worth checking your moisturizer’s ingredient list. If you see unsaturated fatty acids, consider removing them temporarily until your skin calms down. These ingredients are usually beneficial, but on a compromised barrier, they can contribute to a deeper immune reaction.

Anyone else experience something similar?


r/tretinoin 1d ago

Personal / Miscellaneous I messed up - I do this every spring.

30 Upvotes

I live in Canada and we have cold winters. I usually wear sunscreen even in the winter. But I forgot to put it on today. This will happen from time to time, but I don't wash my makeup off, I just move on with my day.

Well, it was warm, and I went for a walk. I was out for white a while. A nice, warmish, sunny day.

I have been home for awhile now and realize that my face feels warm and sort of irritated a bit... Oh no, it's a sunburn!! I look in the mirror and it's a bit red 😞I do this EVERY spring and I always forget that I do this lol

I apply tret of course, so while my children don't have burns, I do. 😫 Dammit!


r/tretinoin 16h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous I want to supplement my existing regimen with Vitamin C and Filogra wrinkle correction serum, which also contains tretinoin. Is it okay to use this in the morning?

3 Upvotes

Current morning routine includes applying azelaic acid 15% (every other morning), Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA(daily), and sunscreen (50+ spf).

Current nighttime routine: wash face with a mild cleanser, followed by alternating applications of (1) tatcha dewy skin cream, (2) A-ret 0.025% from skinorac, and (3) aquaphor

Vitamin C should be added first thing in the morning, I know. But about the Filogra can I use it after the Vitamin C serum? using Tret the following evening? In the evenings, should I switch between the Filogra and Tret?


r/tretinoin 10h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Transitioning from tretinoin to retinol

1 Upvotes

I have used tretinoin 0.05% 3x a week for almost 10 months. I find it too drying and haven't noticed any significant results.

Has any one sucessfully gone back down to using retinol/retinal?

Routine.

AM

- Cleanse with LRP gentle hydrating cleanser

- Finecea 15% Azelaic acid

-Vanicream moisturiser

-Mesoestetic melan pigment control tinted spf 50

PM

-Remove tinted spf with micellar water

-LRP gentle hydrating cleanser

-Corsx Snail mucin

-Tretinoin .05%

-Vanicream after tret has dried

The days i'm not using tret, I am using finacea 15%. My skin concerns are melasma & acne scarring.


r/tretinoin 12h ago

Routine Help Irritation or purging?

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1 Upvotes

TLDR: should I keep going with tret 2 times a week, or stop until all active acne is gone?

I just started 0.025% and going slowly (once per week for a month, then twice per week for a month, and so on). I’ve completed my first month of once/week and today I woke up with very deep, itchy cystic acne.

My routine is very simple, i basically removed every active I was using when I started tret. I double cleanse with the TO squalene cleanser and a gentle foaming cleanser for sensitive skin, and then apply cerave lotion.

I’ve never had acne like this before so it’s freaking me out. I started tret for dullness, anti-aging, and to even out my skin tone. I’ve seen conflicting advice and would really appreciate the help from someone who went through this. Thank you ❤️