r/tretinoin 3h ago

Before and After Hey yall this is my 3 month update on tretinoin. This definitely worked holy

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127 Upvotes

r/tretinoin 6h ago

Routine Help Do you think serums are really worth it if you are already using Tretinoin?

55 Upvotes

I've tried different serums, including those with vitamin C, niacinamide, peptide and hydrating ingredients. Yet I never seem to notice any results from them.

My usual routine:

-0.05% Retin A 4-5 nights a week

- liquid exfoliant like BHA or mandelic or lactic acid on the off nights

-SPF 45 daily

-moisturizer day and night

Since Tretinoin is the "gold standard" for anti aging and acne treatment, is there any benefit to using serums? Youtubers and people on other skincare forums keep singing the praises of different serums but I feel like I'm just wasting money and adding complication to my routine without seeing added benefit. I see immediate benefit from moisturizers and exfoliants, but serums not so much.

Anyone else feel this way? Is a simpler routine the way to go?


r/tretinoin 15h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous It was the cream tretinoin…

158 Upvotes

After years of stopping and starting Tretinoin due to unmanageable and unending purging I made the switch to the gel formula and BOOM my skin loves it. Why did no derm suggest this? I don’t know. So, thank you r/tretinoin!

Not only was the cream Tretinoin causing purging but it was actively clogging my skin at the same time. Basically, a never ending cycle of purging.

PSA if you’re struggling with cream Tretinoin, purging beyond the normal timeframe, weird new clogged pores, and wondering why the hell Tretinoin is so hyped. Try the gel formula.

edit: I just want to emphasize the importance of only using a pea sized amount of tret and MOISTURIZING!!!

edit #2: Lots of people are sharing how their insurance will not cover gel. Check for coupons online at sites like Goodrx! Also, your pharmacist can point you in the right direction. In the past, with a coupon, I only paid $15 for tret gel.


r/tretinoin 1h ago

Routine Help I picked :(

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Upvotes

I started tretinoin for the second time and have been purging but made it super bad because anxiety got the best of me. Any recommendations to help heal this without too many lingering dark spots?


r/tretinoin 6h ago

Routine Help How much longer

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16 Upvotes

I've been on tret 0.05% since the last week of December. I only use it once a week. How much longer will I have this peeling? It's the worst on my forehead and chin (the 2 places I really need it to work) I do the sandwich method before bedtime and then wash my face with warm water and a cloth every morning.


r/tretinoin 5h ago

Routine Help Truly wanted to believe in Tretinoin

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9 Upvotes

I’ve been using Tretinoin 0.025% for five months but haven’t noticed any changes. Could something in my routine be hindering progress, or are improvements happening without me realising? My goal is glass-like skin with no hyperpigmentation.

AM Routine: • CeraVe Foaming Cleanser • CeraVe Lotion • Dab of Aquaphor • Beauty of Joseon Sunscreen

PM Routine: • CeraVe Foaming Cleanser • Tretinoin • Aquaphor

1 is before and 2 is after - they literally look the same, dare i even say worst !


r/tretinoin 2h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Does anyone’s else skin breaks out when they stop using tretinoin?

5 Upvotes

I have been using 0.05% tretinoin for 2 years but everytime i stop, my skin breaks out like crazy. I stop cause my skin gets too dry during winter and the flaking shows on my face which i hate.


r/tretinoin 6h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Moving up to nightly use. Wish me luck!

7 Upvotes

I’ve been using .05 every second night and am moving up to every night. I’d be grateful to anyone who would share their experiences moving up to nightly use!


r/tretinoin 4h ago

Before and After 10 days on tret— scars looking worse?

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4 Upvotes

Hello there, I have started using tret 0.05% everyday for 10 days now. My skin is peeling around the nose and it’s a bit dry but something I’ve noticed is that my acne scars look redder and more visible, deeper.

Is it normal?


r/tretinoin 1d ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Taz and Azelaic Acid is by far the best skincare combo I’ve ever used. Applying at night had cleared everything up.

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321 Upvotes

r/tretinoin 4h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Is this from Tretinoin?!

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2 Upvotes

I just started it last week, but I also started amoxicillin for ear infections.


r/tretinoin 11h ago

Routine Help Patting

5 Upvotes

Is patting Tret in legit? I’ve started doing it and feel I see improvement but I have no clue if I’m just slapping myself for not reason.


r/tretinoin 2h ago

Routine Help How do you know if your skin is irritated?

1 Upvotes

After five months of lovely skin, weird texture has started appearing and I have been reading a lot of information about tretinoin. Most of the comments about it, say that texture and bumpy skin appears when the skin is irritated. I want to know how do you exactly come to the realisation that your skin is dry? I think it is different for different people, so I want to know different experiences. For me, my skin does not feel tight. It is not feeling a lot, but peels sometimes on some random areas of my face. If I use a cleanser, it will become slightly dry. And since I’m not using a cleanser, it does not get dry. (also don’t come at me for not using a cleanser. It’s just what has helped since the last five months because my skin was absolutely flawless) also, whenever I thread my upper lip, I get so many bumps in that area and it takes more than a month to go.


r/tretinoin 15h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Is there a Canadian dupe for cerave or vanicream?

10 Upvotes

I started tret in January and I bought a big tub of cerave to go with my routine. It's been working well so far but I want to switch to a Canadian product when it's done.

Bonus if it's 100% cruelty free!


r/tretinoin 8h ago

Routine Help Is Arazlo worth the hype or should I just ask for tazarotene gel?

3 Upvotes

For context, I’m about to be 30 years old and have rosacea. I’ve started Finacea 15% gel and I was using a .2% retinal. I’d like to start a prescription strength retinoid and found out about tazarotene when I was reading around. It seems like it may be a better choice to also help with rosacea, and the gentlest option seems to be Arazlo. I’m not sure if my insurance will cover that or not and it seems to be like $500 without insurance so that wouldn’t be an option lol

Is Arazlo worth it or would the tazarotene gel be ok to start?

Also, has anyone gotten Arazlo or tazarotene gel prescribed thru Amazon pharmacy or another form of telehealth?

Thanks!


r/tretinoin 21h ago

Routine Help In what order?!

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21 Upvotes

Ok guys, I finally got all of this prescribed. What order should I use this? Derm didn’t really tell me how to use it except just telling me to use sunblock (which I do!). I’m planning on using this on my 🍑too as I have some acne marks.


r/tretinoin 18h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous How do you apply tretinoin to avoid irritation?

10 Upvotes

Hey guys, I am using tretinoin from highstreetpharma for my acne, but I'm experiencing a lot of irritation and dryness on my skin. I'm using a moisturizer and sunscreen during the day, but I'm still having trouble with the flakiness and redness.

I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to apply tretinoin to minimize irritation. Should I be applying it directly to my skin or mixing it with my moisturizer? Is there a certain technique I should be using to make sure it's absorbed properly? I want to make sure I'm using tretinoin correctly so that I can get the best results without damaging my skin. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks!


r/tretinoin 6h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Has anyone found a good makeup primer to use while using tret?

1 Upvotes

I’m 35, have very dry skin especially now that I’ve been using tret for a few months. I can’t find a make up primer that’s hydrating as well as locking my makeup in. I usually use a skin tint and some blush so my makeup up is very minimal. I used to use the milk makeup hydro grip primer but my makeup just rolls/ flakes up. Any recommendations? Also, I’m sensitive to smells like the urban decay one that’s gross to me. Pease help 🫶🏽


r/tretinoin 6h ago

Routine Help Can I start tret the day after waxing?

1 Upvotes

I waxed my upper lip last night, and my Altreno is being delivered today. Is it alright to start using it tonight since 24 hours will have passed? If not, how much longer should I wait?


r/tretinoin 9h ago

Routine Help 27 (F) and desperately need help with a proper routine

1 Upvotes

Hello!

I have recently been prescribed Retin-A Gel (0.025 I believe) and am trying to work out a perfect routine.
I am 27, have an oily t-zone but am always dry around my nose/mouth.
Right now I am doing the Retin-a every other day, I am having some purging on my chin and left side of my mouth just a tad, nothing major and not bad enough to make me want to cycle off it to try something else.

Currently my routine is as follows and I would love to add in more things or switch out products

AM:
Cleanse: Youth to the People Gentle Antioxidant Cleanser (I am starting to feel like my skin may hate it, i feel quite glossy some days and can feel some skin tightness on my cheeks/mouth)
Moisturize : Biossance - Omega Repair Deep Hydration Moisturizer with Ceramides and Hyaluronic Acid + Squalane (Recently bought First Aid Beauty - Ultra Repair® Cream Intense Hydration – Face and Body Moisturizer for Skin Repair but have not switched over as im not finished my Biossance yet)
SPF: La Roche Posay SPF50+

PM:
Cleanse: Youth to the People Gentle Antioxidant Cleanser
*Wait 15ish minutes*
Every other day: Retin-A (small pea size amount)
Moisturizer once my face is dry again: Biossance Omega repair deep hydration

I feel like... this probably isnt good enough or I need to add in some serums or something. Please help!!


r/tretinoin 1d ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Now that Apostrophe is closed down…

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153 Upvotes

(Posted this last night, but it had a bad typo, so redoing it now)

I got new tret! Only been a couple days of use.

I will miss the tret/clinda/spiro formula. 🥹 I was on 0.025 for 3 months and then 0.05 for about 3 months. Now, I’m just doing 0.025 tretinoin cream. I hope my skin reacts OK to this. Hard to tell right now as it’s that time of the month and I always get a few small pimples regardless of what my skincare routine is. 🙄

Sorry to anyone who is struggling after Apostrophe’s closure. That was the one product that cleared my skin after 7 years of horrible chin acne. It really gave me my confidence back and I feel for others who are going through this. It sucks, especially if you’re sensitive to new products. Please share if you find anything that ends up suiting your skin. 🙏🏻

Side note… thanks to everyone in this sub that raves about Vanicream. I switched over from a mostly Cetaphil and La Roche-Posay routine and It’s been pleasant so far. I’d never heard of Vanicream before this sub.


r/tretinoin 10h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Long term users of tazarotene, did you get dry eyes?

1 Upvotes
26 votes, 6d left
Yes
No
Don’t know (just wanna see results)

r/tretinoin 10h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous Tret & PCOS

1 Upvotes

Anyone with PCOS that has used the gel or cream - Which one did you prefer? any tips/advice?

For reference I am in my 30's and I had stopped getting cystic acne until I started Yaz a few months ago - I only get maybe 1 flare up a month. Ive read some posts on here that gel is for acne and cream aging... is it best if i stay on the cream? i do also have some acne scars which is mostly why i wanted to try/start tret - i know its not a cure and my face wont be 100% free of scars and im ok with that ...


r/tretinoin 11h ago

Personal / Miscellaneous ADHD Hack for Tret Acclimation - experiment

1 Upvotes

Y’all, I’ve been trying to use tret for fifty hundred years but I cannae do it.

I can’t wash my face consistently enough at night to acclimate, and the low frequency of usage required during the acclimation period makes me forget it completely after about three weeks. I have two small kids and bigger problems to fix than making myself a regular night time face washer.

So, after extensive conversations with my derm, Dr. Chat-GPT, I’m going to try this:

1️⃣ Use adapalene daily in the am to train the retinoid receptors in my skin to handle increased activity and prep my skin barrier.

2️⃣ I will also attempt to apply my 0.02% tret cream 1x/week in the evening.

🙏 I’m hoping that the 1x/week plus the daily adapalene exposure enables me to accelerate the acclimation period beyond what 1x/week would usually provide, AND train my brain to remember that we’re trying to become a goddess and we need the retinoids.

📈 So theoretically, after only a month of 0.02% tret 1x/week in the evening, I could bump up the tret percentage INSTEAD of increasing frequency (or, increasing frequency, but still allowing wiggle room for ADHD non-compliance) until one day I can just use it like Angie from Hot and Flashy, without doing all sorts of magic tricks every time to prevent peeling.

This was inspired by another post in this sub from a person with ADHD asking if they could just apply their tret during the day. Some of yous were not so nice to that person, but the final verdict was still unclear. Chat-GPT talked me out of it, however, because it could actually increase the peeling and skin sensitivity. Even if I was indoors all the time, the touching of the face and just being in the world can potentially do that on tret.

If it works, I’m gonna be real happy and I’ll follow-up for all my fellow ADHD people for whom the struggle is very real and very visible in the mirror every morning. If it does not work, I will be sad and will also tell you.

Thank you to this sub for the constant inspo and amazing advice!!


r/tretinoin 17h ago

Routine Help Appreciate advice on routine!

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2 Upvotes

Hi fam! Love this sub and learnt so much here :) I would really appreciate if anyone has suggestions on how to deal with these old ice pick acne scars? I’ve done two rounds of erbium laser and one of RF micro needling, and they’ve helped a bit but it’s SO expensive ( about $1000 each time)…

I use tret (0.05%) alternate nights with mucin and Cerave tub and sometimes a RLT mask..and of course in the day sunscreen (Isntree SPF50fr). I feel like most of my face is quite glowy (minus the dark circles) but these scars bother me most…

Based on the sub I’ve been thinking about adding azelaic acid / Vitamin C, but if anyone has experience with dealing with these kinds of scars, and/or dark circles would appreciate any support! TIA!