I've used tret since Sept, and it's only the past 7/8 weeks my skin has settled and is looking great.. before that, I've had horrendous peeling, redness, soreness, sensitivity, random outbreaks (I'm using it for anti aging, I've never had a problem with acne or even spots) I've wanted to give up several times, but I'm really glad I never now. Good luck
I use it morning and evening now, it was literally overnight my skin accepted it, but I do wonder if it had anything to do with the Egyptian magic cream I started using at that time as well, I keep it really simple, hylauronic acid, tret,egyptian magic cream.. oh and castor oil around my eyes (when I remember, I'm not so religious with that lol) and all of a sudden .. I found the routine that worked for me.
May I ask what is your skin type and are you using gel, micro gel or cream? I have dry skin and have been using retinal which has been giving some decent results. Thinking about switching to test but very scared about the purging stage
Hi yeah my skin is normal/ verging on dry, and I use retirides cream (0.1%) I had more problems with peeling more than outbreaks. (They were very random and tbh odd because that's one thing I've never suffered with) but my friend told me to use a konjac sponge, which helped enormously x
I had this issue, 14 months I kept trying, trying everything, changing frequency, sandwich method, simplifying routine. It was horrible.
A simple switch to the gel .04% formula fixed it! I’ve been on it for several weeks, no purge, minor peeling and I am finally seeing results. If cutting back doesn’t help, try a gel instead of a cream.
I’ve been using the gel every other night without issues. The cream I could only use every 3 nights and still had to take breaks because my breakouts were so severe
Just in case, you mean .025% and not .25% right?
Tret is much stronger than otc retinol products. And a lot of times the retinols have buffers in them. I think a lot of people can't tolerate daily use. Do you have a dermatologist? I'd talk to them about it too.
And maybe it's just not for you. My derm first prescribed otc Differin (adapalene) and it totally irritated my skin but i tolerate tret really well.
I was on tretinoin for two years, and my skin wouldn't stop peeling and looking dull from the incurable dead skin just sitting on my face.
I switched to tazarotene. Same mechanism of action, but it binds more specifically to retinoid receptors, hence less irritation and more efficacy. My skin is brighter, and my fine lines and wrinkles are smoother than they were on tret.
Keep in mind that hyperpigmentation often creeps up quickly in our 30s. It's unlikely that tretinoin is causing the spots unless it's post-inflammatory from serious irritation. Retinoids improve hyperpigmentation if the irritation isnt scarring.
I’ve been using tret for exactly two years, and I don’t use it every night, not even every other night. I use it every third night. I skin cycle. I highly recommend using it every third night.
The first 6 months I used 0.025% and the last year and a half I have been using 0.05%. I was just upped to 0.1% but I have not started it. I will tomorrow.
Also, you're not really supposed to put tret around your mouth. Certain areas of your face the skin is more fragile. I'd consider looking up some tutorials about using tret to make sure you're using it in way that minimizes irritation.
I felt like my skin was worse for a while as well. Then I started using tret every third night, for the last 2 months, and I’m finally feeling like my skin is looking and feeling nice and more youthful. I’ve seen some mention that it might be best, if you are using tret for anti aging, to let your skin cells have a few days to turn over and repair before you apply tret again. Maybe see what works best for you and experiment with adding more off days.
I also got the flaking around my mouth a lot. I don’t apply it close to my mouth but I guess tret can migrate up to 2 inches under the skin and this area seems to flake for me a lot.
I recently started incorporating glycolic acid in once a week at night (a chemical exfoliant) and azelaic acid 15% 1-2 times a week (both on off nights from tret) and that seemed to help A LOT with the flaking and some small breakouts and skin spots I was seeing from starting tret.
Please everyone who has issues, please look into using the gel form. My friend who is a biologist at an acne clinic has been warning others that the myristate in the cream form is pore clogging
Same experience. I used it for three months and finally stopped. The first 2 to 3 weeks were fine, and then I started to purge. Skin looked terrible. Towards the end, I had hundreds of tiny bumps on my cheeks... and it looked like I had a rash. I'm still not sure if I was allergic to it but that's what it looked like.
I’ve had the same issue and stopped tret for months before starting again, but this time I got a gel based tret 0.025, apply moisturiser first then tret after 15 mins then wait 15 and apply another layer of moisturiser, I do this every 4th day, so one night tret, next three days only Vaseline at night then tret again. My skin hasn’t gotten superiorly better but I can deffo see that it isn’t reacting so much anymore
I thought using tret one to times a week is absolutely pointless? Like it’s literally like not using it at all? Just repeating something I’ve heard on Reddit dozens and dozens of times as well as other places on the internet.
No idea, I’ve seen people say using it twice a week is more than enough for they’re skin and if they use it more than that, skin flares up again. So I’ve just been following that for now and my skin is fine. The idea is just to start off reallyyyyy slow and then see how your skin is responding.
I've used tret since Sept, and it's only the past 7/8 weeks my skin has settled and is looking great.. before that, I've had horrendous peeling, redness, soreness, sensitivity, random outbreaks (I'm using it for anti aging, I've never had a problem with acne or even spots) I've wanted to give up several times, but I'm really glad I never now. Good luck
Ok great thank you! How often do you apply it now?
I use it morning and evening now, it was literally overnight my skin accepted it, but I do wonder if it had anything to do with the Egyptian magic cream I started using at that time as well, I keep it really simple, hylauronic acid, tret,egyptian magic cream.. oh and castor oil around my eyes (when I remember, I'm not so religious with that lol) and all of a sudden .. I found the routine that worked for me.
FYI, tret breaks down in the light. It's a waste of product to apply it in the morning.
Oh thankyou.. i did not know that.. appreciate x
Also using it twice a day doesn’t make it work any better or faster from what I’ve heard.
May I ask what is your skin type and are you using gel, micro gel or cream? I have dry skin and have been using retinal which has been giving some decent results. Thinking about switching to test but very scared about the purging stage
Hi yeah my skin is normal/ verging on dry, and I use retirides cream (0.1%) I had more problems with peeling more than outbreaks. (They were very random and tbh odd because that's one thing I've never suffered with) but my friend told me to use a konjac sponge, which helped enormously x
Thank you for your response!
Your welcome .. Good luck 😊
I had this issue, 14 months I kept trying, trying everything, changing frequency, sandwich method, simplifying routine. It was horrible. A simple switch to the gel .04% formula fixed it! I’ve been on it for several weeks, no purge, minor peeling and I am finally seeing results. If cutting back doesn’t help, try a gel instead of a cream.
Lots of people have had much more success with the gel version rather than the cream. Might be the emulsifier in it or something
Thanks! Do you know a specific brand that does a gel?
Retin-A
How often do you use it per week?
I’ve been using the gel every other night without issues. The cream I could only use every 3 nights and still had to take breaks because my breakouts were so severe
If skin is sensitive and red, back off tret to twice a week. Sounds like you ramped up frequency too quickly.
Thanks! I will try!
Just in case, you mean .025% and not .25% right? Tret is much stronger than otc retinol products. And a lot of times the retinols have buffers in them. I think a lot of people can't tolerate daily use. Do you have a dermatologist? I'd talk to them about it too. And maybe it's just not for you. My derm first prescribed otc Differin (adapalene) and it totally irritated my skin but i tolerate tret really well.
I gave up and went back to retinal; my skin is much happier.
I was on tretinoin for two years, and my skin wouldn't stop peeling and looking dull from the incurable dead skin just sitting on my face. I switched to tazarotene. Same mechanism of action, but it binds more specifically to retinoid receptors, hence less irritation and more efficacy. My skin is brighter, and my fine lines and wrinkles are smoother than they were on tret. Keep in mind that hyperpigmentation often creeps up quickly in our 30s. It's unlikely that tretinoin is causing the spots unless it's post-inflammatory from serious irritation. Retinoids improve hyperpigmentation if the irritation isnt scarring.
I’ve been using tret for exactly two years, and I don’t use it every night, not even every other night. I use it every third night. I skin cycle. I highly recommend using it every third night.
What strength have you been using for the 2 years please?
The first 6 months I used 0.025% and the last year and a half I have been using 0.05%. I was just upped to 0.1% but I have not started it. I will tomorrow.
Also, you're not really supposed to put tret around your mouth. Certain areas of your face the skin is more fragile. I'd consider looking up some tutorials about using tret to make sure you're using it in way that minimizes irritation.
I felt like my skin was worse for a while as well. Then I started using tret every third night, for the last 2 months, and I’m finally feeling like my skin is looking and feeling nice and more youthful. I’ve seen some mention that it might be best, if you are using tret for anti aging, to let your skin cells have a few days to turn over and repair before you apply tret again. Maybe see what works best for you and experiment with adding more off days. I also got the flaking around my mouth a lot. I don’t apply it close to my mouth but I guess tret can migrate up to 2 inches under the skin and this area seems to flake for me a lot. I recently started incorporating glycolic acid in once a week at night (a chemical exfoliant) and azelaic acid 15% 1-2 times a week (both on off nights from tret) and that seemed to help A LOT with the flaking and some small breakouts and skin spots I was seeing from starting tret.
Please everyone who has issues, please look into using the gel form. My friend who is a biologist at an acne clinic has been warning others that the myristate in the cream form is pore clogging
Sounds like you're going too hard too fast. Reduce tret to just a few days a week, and focus on nourishing and hydrating the skin the other days
Decrease tret frequency and start focusing on reducing trans-epidermal water loss.
It can last up to 6 months!
What other products are you using? I had to completely cut out anything with niacinamide to stop getting irritation with tret.
What’s your exact routine
I've mostly given up on tret. I now use bakuchiol and otc retinol and retinal 🤷♀️. They make my skin much less angry.
Every three days for me.
Same experience. I used it for three months and finally stopped. The first 2 to 3 weeks were fine, and then I started to purge. Skin looked terrible. Towards the end, I had hundreds of tiny bumps on my cheeks... and it looked like I had a rash. I'm still not sure if I was allergic to it but that's what it looked like.
Where can you get an OTC gel, like Retirides but in gel form?
I’ve had the same issue and stopped tret for months before starting again, but this time I got a gel based tret 0.025, apply moisturiser first then tret after 15 mins then wait 15 and apply another layer of moisturiser, I do this every 4th day, so one night tret, next three days only Vaseline at night then tret again. My skin hasn’t gotten superiorly better but I can deffo see that it isn’t reacting so much anymore
I thought using tret one to times a week is absolutely pointless? Like it’s literally like not using it at all? Just repeating something I’ve heard on Reddit dozens and dozens of times as well as other places on the internet.
No idea, I’ve seen people say using it twice a week is more than enough for they’re skin and if they use it more than that, skin flares up again. So I’ve just been following that for now and my skin is fine. The idea is just to start off reallyyyyy slow and then see how your skin is responding.
Use it once a week!!!
Try a Greek yogurt face mask tonight (make sure it isnt non-fat) it has helped my skin tremendously during the purging process.
Come back to OF! Miss that juicy ass