POSTED UNDER Retin-A REVIEWS
Retin A, 25 Year Old Tretinoin - Seattle, WA
ORIGINAL POST
I'm using a prescription strength tretinoin creme....
Chex45April 7, 2016
WORTH IT$250
I'm using a prescription strength tretinoin creme. I have been for a little over two years now. I've always had mild acne, but my main problem was the constant scarring left behind from my acne.
While I would say that tretinoin has an effect on diminishing the appearance of scarring and helps to even skin texture, I would say its best used as a prevention from new acne forming and too keep blemishes few and far between.
I had a long period of trial and error when using this product, definite red face days and weeks as i globed this stuff onto my face.
I would say that this product is a great tool, but the greatest benefit from using tretinoin has been the formulation of a system and the development of skin care routine. I dont mean using a million products and overthinking how to layer them, but after a lot of trial and error, I've ditched the harsh benzyl peroxide cremes and salysilic acid for a mild cera ve cleanser, or another favorite, a Castile soap, and i wash my face in the am and pm like I would brush my teeth.
I probably should wear sunscreen because my skin is noticeably more sensitive to the sun, but i apply my favorite cera ve moisturizer everytime i wash my face.
One of my biggest breakthroughs in the early days of tretinoin was mixing it in with my moisturizer. I found that i can tweak the ratio of moisturizer to tretinoin ratio if i find that I'm waking up with flaky red skin, adding more moisturizer, but still keeping up the regimine. I just put the amount of Tretinoin I deem necessary and mix it around in my palm with my index finger and then apply iberally to my face.
I was very skeptical of how effective this product would be and really almost gave up several times. I'm glad I didn't, and i even scale back the use of this product in the summer time, but my biggest lesson from my journey with tretinoin was finding a routine that I was comfortable with and making skin care a habit.
Be gentle to your skin, be very patient... you may feel like totally giving up at some point because you cant see the results, but the changes will happen with persistence and this is an effective tool in your skincare regimine.
*I use .05 creme*
Insurance covers most of it and i pay like $50 for a tube that last almost half a year
While I would say that tretinoin has an effect on diminishing the appearance of scarring and helps to even skin texture, I would say its best used as a prevention from new acne forming and too keep blemishes few and far between.
I had a long period of trial and error when using this product, definite red face days and weeks as i globed this stuff onto my face.
I would say that this product is a great tool, but the greatest benefit from using tretinoin has been the formulation of a system and the development of skin care routine. I dont mean using a million products and overthinking how to layer them, but after a lot of trial and error, I've ditched the harsh benzyl peroxide cremes and salysilic acid for a mild cera ve cleanser, or another favorite, a Castile soap, and i wash my face in the am and pm like I would brush my teeth.
I probably should wear sunscreen because my skin is noticeably more sensitive to the sun, but i apply my favorite cera ve moisturizer everytime i wash my face.
One of my biggest breakthroughs in the early days of tretinoin was mixing it in with my moisturizer. I found that i can tweak the ratio of moisturizer to tretinoin ratio if i find that I'm waking up with flaky red skin, adding more moisturizer, but still keeping up the regimine. I just put the amount of Tretinoin I deem necessary and mix it around in my palm with my index finger and then apply iberally to my face.
I was very skeptical of how effective this product would be and really almost gave up several times. I'm glad I didn't, and i even scale back the use of this product in the summer time, but my biggest lesson from my journey with tretinoin was finding a routine that I was comfortable with and making skin care a habit.
Be gentle to your skin, be very patient... you may feel like totally giving up at some point because you cant see the results, but the changes will happen with persistence and this is an effective tool in your skincare regimine.
*I use .05 creme*
Insurance covers most of it and i pay like $50 for a tube that last almost half a year
Chex45's provider
Replies (10)
April 25, 2016
Are you still mixing it with moisturizer or did you just do that in the beginning?
June 2, 2016
I mix it with the moisturizer every night, I like cera ve pm. I use the tretinoin cream so it can be a little thick to apply, the moisturizer is light and absorbs well and helps to spread things more evenly. I keep both by my bedside and just mix equal parts in the palm of my hand. Ive also heard of people premixing and storing it, but I haven't tried this. For the first six months I didn't mix anything and just used the cream.
There was a lot of trial and error in finding the right routine and products. I use what would be considered expensive face products at a grocery store, but not in the world of cosmetics. cera ve am and pm moisturizers $11-$14, I also use their foaming cleanser or a mild castille soap
Tretinoin definitely requires some persistence. I woke up with flaky skin and redness for a very long time, probably the first 3 months. I was also not as patient as I should have been and wished I would have been more gentle with my skin.
Another tip would be to avoid all harsh soaps and treatments. anything benzyl peroxide, salicylic acid, alcohol (including shaving cream)
hope this helps!!
There was a lot of trial and error in finding the right routine and products. I use what would be considered expensive face products at a grocery store, but not in the world of cosmetics. cera ve am and pm moisturizers $11-$14, I also use their foaming cleanser or a mild castille soap
Tretinoin definitely requires some persistence. I woke up with flaky skin and redness for a very long time, probably the first 3 months. I was also not as patient as I should have been and wished I would have been more gentle with my skin.
Another tip would be to avoid all harsh soaps and treatments. anything benzyl peroxide, salicylic acid, alcohol (including shaving cream)
hope this helps!!
May 31, 2016
Those are great tips! I mix my Trentinoin gel with coconut oil or light olive oil (light as in light tasting OO variety since it has barely any scent at all that is detectable but the benefits of olive oil, for my body, has been quite nice.)
June 11, 2016
I was wondering. I see a lot of retin a from overseas sold on ebay, are they the same retin a you use, or will it have the same effect?
April 20, 2017
They all probably contain retinol which is the active ingredient in my creme, the main difference between any product is the vehicle in which they use and how concentrated the dose is.
something you get from a store may not have as high of concentration, while even products that contain similar concentrations may have other formulations.
I've noticed the main difference is cremes vs gels which may have several different advantages and disadvantages depending on skin type and what youre using it for, ie anti aging or acne or both
something you get from a store may not have as high of concentration, while even products that contain similar concentrations may have other formulations.
I've noticed the main difference is cremes vs gels which may have several different advantages and disadvantages depending on skin type and what youre using it for, ie anti aging or acne or both
Way to stick with your treatment, I agree that mixing it with moisturizer really helps -- good tip! I'm so glad you shared your journey with us, would you consider sharing some before and progress photos?
My acne wasn't terrible, I would always have 1-2 pimples one my face, but the scaring left from the acne was the main reason I began using tretinoin.
While I would say that my scars have faded, they're not totally gone. I have been able to prevent the formation of new acne, the surface of my skin has become more even in both texture and skin tone.
The routine I developed (washing my face morning and night, sunscreen, moisturizer, more overall mindfulness to the sensitivity of my skin) was really the most important part, tretinoin is just another tool on the belt, but a very effective one at that.
And I have had people complement me on my skin! First time for everything..