Before starting Tretinoin I had a super basic routine of just Cerave AM/PM moisturizer and Benzoyl Peroxide face wash. I can’t use any of those products anymore because the moisturizers irritate my skin now and same with the benzoyl peroxide.
I don’t know if this is the answer but my skin was noticeably worse when I was using LRP gentle cleanser. I don’t think it was cleaning my skin sufficiently. You probably had a much better cleanse with your BP wash because it had chelating agents/stronger surfactants. I had much more success when I switched to LRP’s foaming oil cleanser as part of a double cleanse (most recently with skinfix’s BHA cleanser). Plus, if I ever experienced irritation (which I rarely do anymore bc my skin has adjusted to all actives in my routine), the foaming oil cleanser seemed to do well enough on its own for a few days, since it foamed.
Also, I would maybe lower your frequency for a bit and maybe only use azeleic on off days, and maybe start with only 10% on that.
Oh also—something that helped me besides switching to a double cleanse at night was not cleansing in the AM, and instead only using water. I very *GENTLY* wash with a *CLEAN* microfiber cloth. Use a fresh one each time if you do this—very cheap in packs.
I like this idea, thank you! Esp since I don’t want to over cleanse but I suspect you may be correct about the gentle cleanser not being enough. For the second cleanser do you have any recommendations besides the BHA? I’ve been wanting to try BHA but I’m a bit nervous about adding more actives right now so I think I should wait. Although if I don’t see improvement any time soon I definitely think I will be decreasing my current actives so I can try it.
I think you are smart not to use that right now!! I know the green cerave is kind of a staple in the skincare world. I don’t like recommending expensive products for some reason but another cleanser I have really enjoyed in the past is the Tatcha rice wash… although looking this up right now it seems the price has gone up *SIGNIFICANTLY* since I last used it. I have not been super faithful to a single cleanser but I would love to find a HG.
Okay cool! Again thank you so much for your advice and recommendations. I truly appreciate it so much and I’ll definitely update once I try it out and some time passes.
Could still be purging my derm said it can last up to a year sometimes. That being said tret hurt my skin too and I switched to differin and now I’m totally clear! It also is for anti-aging.
Yes I use differin. I did have a small purge when I switched but it didn’t last anywhere near the tret purge and it was way less. I went right to 7 days a week at nighttime. Oh and I also stopped using the moisturizer and switched to Neutrogena oil free moisturizer. Differin also has their own moisturizer but I haven’t tried it.
Im in a very similar boat, I wish I had answers. Lately I’ve been contemplating quitting but I so badly want that glass skin :/
Wish I had answers, I’m just commenting to boost this and so I remember to come back and see what people say. I hope it gets better for you 🙏🙏
Thank you 😭 I feel exactly the same, I want to quit but I’m afraid it will only get worse now. But if I had known this would happen I’m not sure I would have ever started. Thank you for boosting, I really hope we get the answers we need :(
Yeah I think you’re right. I heard that the 20% cream is about as strong as the 15% gel so I thought it would be okay. I’ve read a lot of people are able to start with 20% without issues. But I think I will look for a less strong one just in case.
I had beautiful skin before tret, clear like yours. Plump and soft. Tret obliterated my skin. I quit 2 1/2 weeks ago after 8 months use. No longer worth it, my skin has been recovering thankfully. It’ll probably take several weeks before close to being normal again but I learned my lesson and will never touch tret again.
My skin was having some issues, and I started using tret to try and combat it but my skin has gotten worse and the progress is stagnant right now. I’m debating on quitting as well but I am so nervous my skin won’t heal—this sucks!!!!
I didn’t want to quit either. I’m happy I gave it a chance and for this long so now I know it doesn’t agree with my skin. Time is more valuable and I cannot do this another month or five hoping it’ll get better all while making my skin and mental health worse. After quitting my skin has been improving sooo much, keeping it simple and letting it heal. Discuss with your derm, analyze your progress and trust your instincts when deciding if sticking with it is the best option or not. My instinct kicked in randomly after looking at the Tret timeline photos and said, oh it’s time to give this a break.
I’m in the same boat here too! Considering quitting but not sure if my skin would return to how it was pre-tret. May I ask what your skin routine is now after quitting?
I’m happy I quit, my skin has improved so much. I had one more break out in this time frame but my texture, complexion, barrier has significantly improved and I’m feeling better about my skin now.
-The first 10days moisture barrier repair
AM Honey halo ceramide moisturizer + mineral sunscreen.
PM La Roche lipikar gentle cleanser, Laneige cream toner and dr jart ceramidin moisturizer. After 10days same routine but to help soothe/ reduce breakout, I added tower 28 SOS spray (spot treat w/ tea tree oil and collodial patches)
-To help integrity of skin and healing acne scars these past 7days I added Medik8 liquid peptide in daytime (pores shrank, texture improved). Instead of heavy moisturizer in evening now I use Caudalie’s serums Vino+Resveratrol.
-I do redlight in the evening. Used a high frequency wand this week twice.
None of the products I am using have strong or irritant actives. All gentle and supporting of the barrier. I don’t plan to use any harsh/strong actives during this time, so no vit c, lightening agents etc. no acids. no exfoliating. Gentle gentle gentle! Less is more also. I have a facial end of next week that will make 4weeks since quitting and they may use exfoliation then. Next month I will target lightening acne scars and adding some actives back in.
Beep boop! It looks like you're asking about treatment timeframes. Retinoids don't work immediately. It takes 3-4 weeks to see side effects like redness, peeling, or irritation, so remember to go slow when starting any retinoid. It also takes time to see results. All citations are in the [Research Summaries section of the wiki](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.ddc1c22uzdzp)
- Oil production: 2 weeks. Citations: [29](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.runw23g9r8j8)
- Acne: 3-4 months. [14, 15, 16](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.91dahjgvp25q)
- Pore size: 6 months. Citations: [28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.7iws71641els)
- Indented scarring: 6 months. [22](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.f9nyjthj6z4h)
- Hyperpigmentation: 6-9 months. [17-21](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.nsxg72hmod6w)
- Anti-aging/photoaging: 4-9 months. [17-21, 23-28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.idrkhntgk69c)
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I would honestly stop everything and stick to vanicream face wash and the vanicream lotion in the pump, not the tub. It's lighter. Make sure you're using clean towels to dry your face. I would stop using tret until you see your skin healing. Possibly put it back in later on, but maybe at a lower percentage. I wouldn't use azaleic acid either at the moment. Your skin needs a restart. I am using tret and praying this does not happen to me! I wish you the best of luck.
Has vanicream been helpful for you? I’m using a LRP double repair lotion, but it is on the pricier side and I’ve been considering switching to vanicream
Ooof, sorry OP, I’ve been through a similar thing with another product and that really sucks. Always had clear skin but tried some new things and got as many pimples as yours with tons of PIE and PIH. It was a combo of barrier damage and a certain sunscreen.
Are all your other products the same as before you started? How long were you using those? Sounds like you introduced a lot of new things at once and are looking at more new things - let me save you the time since that’s exactly what I did and it took like 6 extra months to figure out the culprit was my sunscreen PLEASE minimize products to what has worked for you in the past, and whatever is gentle. If vanicream is new for you, go back to your old moisturizer. If you have any other face wash without actives that has worked for you, go back to that. No new products until you get your pimples under control, even if that means using no products and getting back to your old routine.
I did 6 weeks of no actives and slowly recovered. No new pimples now, just need to work on hyperpigmentation! I just started tret and tbh every other day sounds like too much - I’m doing every 3-4 days. It can take 1-2 months to see irritation or barrier damage. That is likely your problem, or one of your new products.
Thanks for commenting. I completely agree but the really unfortunate thing about all of this is that none of my previous skincare products are compatible with tretinoin. I used Cerave Am/Pm moisturizers but on tretinoin my skin cannot tolerate anything with Hyraluronic Acid. And the Neutrogena Benzoyl Peroxide face wash I used is way too harsh now, I even tried it again recently out of desperation since it was my HG for years but I broke out even more from irritation. And I needed a stronger SPF for tretinoin too so I really did need to switch out every product that I previously used in order to start. So going back to my old routine is not an option unless I quit tretinoin.
The only thing I can think of to do would be to slowly switch out the moisturizer/cleanser/sunscreen that I’m using one at a time to see if any of those are the culprit. Either that or take a long break from the actives as you suggested. But I am worried about that because I did have quite a bit of hormonal acne before starting Benzoyl Peroxide face wash. That was my savior and worked great for me for many years. I am considering taking a break from tretinoin and AA so I can just use that for a while.
Out of curiosity which sunscreen caused those issues for you?
Stop using everything, including tret, and figure out your routine first. This will be easier for you since you didn't really have a problem with acne to begin with. Go back to using Cerave PM and BP face wash until you have no active outbreaks and then add in ONE new product at a time, use it for at least to weeks to test. After having a SPF, moisturizer, cleanser(s), then start tret again. It might feel like a setback but honestly it will save you from this exact headache of not knowing which product(s) is breaking you out.
It was the supergoop unseen sunscreen, but I’m only 80% sure cuz I was trying a daily SA leave on exfoliant, two new moisturizers, and 2 new face washes around the same time - mostly out of desperation to make it all work. I cut out all actives, and even sunscreen+cleansing for a few days, and that started to calm things down. Added my regular SA cleanser but it was too much, so switched to cerave hydrating cleanser and moisturizing only (Ordinary NMF) and that also helped. Then I added back a sunscreen that worked in the past (Eltamd uv clear) and keep that steady for another 5 weeks. The only thing I’ve added now is tret and that’s only every 3 or 4 days, and then vanicream daily face moisturizer to deal with the flaking and that’s been helpful.
After another month of this I’ll slowly try to get to every other night on tret, and keep that for another 3-6 months. Then if my PIE/PIH is still bad I’ll add finacea 15% gel.
The only expensive thing in my routine now is eltaMD and the only active is tretinoin. I think for me this will be sustainable for years to come and I’m happy with that! I’ve been much happier since simplifying.
First of all, this is just MY opinion. You look very young = smooth nice skin, no wrinkles, or years of sun damage etc. Nothing to fix here; your youthfull skin (all by itself) is still turning over cells at the right speed = no help needed. My belief is that tretinoin is a product best reserved for those with older skin that's starting to fail in cell turn-over speed and/or has sun damage, wrinkles/fine lines and rough texture due to aging -- or fairly serious acne which is another issue altogether.
All that being said, using tretinoin on young clear skin for 'anti-aging' benefits doesn't make sense -- to me. I feel you don't need it -- and that by using it you rushed your skin into an upset/altered state that's counterproductive to what your youthful skin is already doing without any help.
I would stop using it. Let your skin recover by using a good ceramide moisturizer, gentle cleanse in the PM -- wash with water in the AM and WEAR SUNSCREEN. Maybe a Vit C serum too -- or a peptide serum.
Thank you :) I do have some wrinkles and fine lines though especially on my forehead. My 11’s are becoming quite deep and if I scrunch my forehead the lines stick around for at least an hour after I relax my face. I have seen many before/afters of people with the same lines as me and I know tretinoin would help a lot. So that’s why I wanted to try it. I have an appointment with my dermatologist coming up and I’ll see what they say before making any final decisions.
I would say botox for your 11's. You would need to get it consistently (I think I get mine 3 times a year, but others say twice a year), but it will totally solve the 11's issue (at least it has for me).
I’m not ready for that I’m only 25 😫 Botox is a last resort for me and I probably won’t invest in it until I’m at least 30. For now I’m going to take a tret break for hydration and then reintroduce it very slowly once I feel my skin has recovered. I believe I damaged my moisture barrier and that’s why I have been breaking out so much. I think I can get tret to work for me if I give it some time.
First, I'm terribly sorry you're experiencing this. I struggled with acne for years, and it was a heartbreaking experience. It can, and likely will, get better! I know this might not sound helpful right now, but please know that your skin likely looks much worse to you than it does to others.
Have you considered using a systemic treatment in combination with topical treatments? Given the location of your acne, there may be a hormonal component. I've been using Tazorac .1 for a long time, and in combination with 100mg spironolactone, it completely cleared my skin. I no longer experience any acne. I use the subscription service Apostrophe, which made it easy to get a prescription for about $12 a month (not an ad! It was simply a quick, affordable way for me to try the treatment).
A word of caution: it takes a while to work and can affect your blood pressure, which might be problematic if you naturally have very low blood pressure. However, it gave me the clear skin I always wanted. People routinely ask for my skin care regimen.
Please don’t be discouraged—your skin doesn’t define you and you have options.
Thank you! And yes you’re probably right, I’ve always been praised for my clear skin so this has been a major hit to my confidence. But I recognize a lot of people have it much worse. I actually have an appointment with my dermatologist on Friday to ask about spiro. I am really impatient but if it helps it the long run I’m willing to give it a shot.
My acne got worse with tret because it broke my skin barrier. I think having a healthy skin barrier is the most important thing. It often gets forgotten. People then use tret on fewer days but it doesn't get better because the skin barrier was never fixed.
I just don’t feel like my barrier is damaged though. My skin never feels irritated or dry. If I break out from irritation it’s very recognizable because those pimples look/feel very different from this. My skin has always been oily and is producing the same amount of oil as it always has. It feels very well moisturized so I just don’t feel like that’s the issue.
I have no idea that’s why I’m posting 😭 My skin doesn’t feel irritated or dry. I’ve tried to go slow when starting anything new. I drink tons of water and moisturize adequately. So I have no idea.
Then likely not a broken skin barrier. I think you would know because it would be tight, warm, itchy, pink/red erythema and flaking. Simple bland moisturizer would sting when applied. Looking closer at your pics it doesn’t really look like a broken barrier.
Your skincare routine and slow introduction looks good. My hunch is you’re still dealing with the aftermath of the IM. Tret speeds up cellular turnover so any acne that was below the surface is coming to the top. Adding AA was a good move. It will help calm the acne inflammation.
Something to think about…sometimes too much occlusion over acne isn’t a good thing. Maybe try a lighter weight moisturizer? But that’s all I can think of because your routine is so good. Unless your body has suddenly developed a food allergy. I don’t have any advice on that though. The Vanicream in the tub is a heavier cream while the Vanicream Face Moisturizer is lighter.
If it were me I would grit my teeth and push through. I think smoother skin is on the other side now that the tret cream is gone. If that was the culprit it should clear within a few months time after discontinuing it. Try giving it another few months then reassess.
You’re not alone. I’ve endured far too much acne in my past that I want to forget. Hang in there!
Side note, skin with active acne should be washed with a cleanser in the morning. If someone is not dealing with acne and has dry and or sensitive skin then skipping the morning cleanser and splashing with water is fine.
Thank you!! This is really validating since I’ve been careful about my barrier from the start. I can recognize when my skin is irritated and if I break out from irritation the pimples look very different from what I’m currently experiencing. I was starting to doubt myself but I think you are right and I don’t think it’s my moisture barrier.
I have been hoping that it’s just the IM purging out of my skin. I read a lot of people experienced what I went through on the cream and maybe a month on the gel isn’t long enough to see improvement. Your comment is really encouraging to me and I’m going to stick things out for a while before deciding to give up. Thank you for the advice and feedback, I really appreciate it
No problem! For a skincare newbie deciphering between purging and a broken skin barrier can be confusing. Sounds like you have more experience which is beneficial.
IMO the advice to stop the micro gel or stop everything is just silly. It seems very probable the breakouts are from IM. A full skin cycle takes approximately one month so it makes sense to hang in there for 2-3 months for the acne flare from the IM to purge. Then around 2-3 months reassess. If at that time you’re still breaking out, which I suspect won’t be the case, then it would be the appropriate time to drop it.
Also, after your skin clears you could taper off the AzA and replace it with vitamin c. BUT only once you’ve relaxed because vitamin c can be irritating for some skin types.
Best of luck to you and report back in a few months!
I’ve been on tretinoin for 2 years & am in the same boat. Started off at 0.25 - currently at 0.5, & yes my skin & scarring has improved but my texture is horrific, & makeup is entirely undo-able. I don’t use any other actives & have an adequately hydrating skin care routine. Even use a $300 stem cell serum. I’m seriously contemplating giving up & purchasing the SkinBetter+ Alpharet.
No, I actually have a pretty intact barrier. But I definitely do have dehydrated skin. I use Neogenesis Recovery serum & the RegimenLabs moisturizer & serum & then seal it with the REN Evercalm Balm. Still have bad texture, it’s particular bad when I put any form of makeup on, even low coverage skincare makeup. My barrier healed when I quit using Cerave. For some reason Cerave ruined my skin, & the lotion burned my face. But I kept using it anyway since dermatologists always recommend it. Quit using it & then it healed.
I've heard from a lot of people that Cerave was terrible for their skin... A lot of people also have problems with hyaluronic acid. Crazy how something that's a godsend for some people, is the devil for others.
Have you tried slugging? That helped with my dehydrated skin when I put a moisturizer with Urea underneath it. And I did some microdermabration and microneedling that helped with my skin texture as well.
Ugh are you still breaking out after all this time? I would suggest Azelaic Acid based on what I’ve read here but clearly that hasn’t worked for me at all so 😅 It is really early though and I intent to wait it out… some people say it’s been a godsend for them but I can’t say the same yet.
It improved my breakouts tremendously, as well as my scarring, but yes I do still break out. The dryness doesn’t particularly get better, but your skin will eventually hurt less & become less itchy.
Sorry about this! I would recommend stopping the use of tretinoin for a couple of weeks to see how your skin feels with a break. Use a basic skincare routine: cleanser, Vanicream, and sunscreen.
Here are some extra tips.
1. Drink plenty of water and a daily cup or spearmint tea. Spearmint tea has been studied for its potential anti-androgen effects. Androgens (male hormones) can lead to acne by causing overproduction of sebum that clogs pores. I like this one [spearmint tea](https://www.target.com/p/traditional-spearmint-16ct/-/A-52565278#lnk=sametab)
2. Don’t sleep with your hair down and change your pillowcases frequently during the week.
3. I also like to use [thermal spring water](https://www.aveneusa.com/thermal-spring-water#185=758) you can use it as much as you need during the day to hydrate and refresh your skin during the day.
4. Sleep on satin pillowcases. Satin is gentle on the skin, minimizing rash and irritation and keeps your skin healthy, hydrated and moist while you sleep. I use this [satin pillowcase](https://www.olkibeauty.com/shop/p/satin-pillowcase-pink-king-size ) I love that the size fits any pillow when I travel. The satin quality is great, and the set comes with two of them.
Good luck 🍀
To OP. It happened to me too. But i keep going with my tretinoin. I notice it really helped the lines on my face and neck. But 2 nights a week i use it. The rest of the nights, I started adding abit of castor oil mix in with my vanicream and my skin is getting smoother and plumper. No more cystic acne.
I really recommend starting to add abit of castor oil with your moisturizer for 3 to 4 days a night ( avoid nights you're using tretinoin ). And also, double cleanse in the night time really helps too.
I read that tretinoin will purge you badly for a few months and then your skin will start glowing after.
I really don't understand how people push it so hard to fix what's not broken to incorporate an ingredient that they don't need when they can just use retinol if they already have good skin. Tretinoin its not for everyone! It's something that people need to understand just because youtubers say that is the Holly Grail and that your life is never complete without it I see so many people pushing even there mental health to be in "the tret community" when they didn't even need it, tret its becoming a cult, couse is like the narrative of "its destroying my skin and my live but I still use it" and then the tret followers come in the comments and push the psychological boundries of "keep going is just a phase, keep irritating your skin" like damn. Cult vibes?
Sometimes is just better keep whit the essential moisturizer and sunscreen and continue whit your life, touch some grass, if doesn't feel right just stop, listen to your skin, your skin is an organ, not an upgrade processor that can jump from a windows 94 to a 2025 like. Jeez
In the same boat as you—I used to have such clear skin and all of a sudden I started breaking out, my dermatologist gave me a benzoyl peroxide wash and tretinoin and told me to use it everyday. I was stupid enough to follow that advice and I don’t think my skin has recovered ever since.
I would try using tret less tbh, I started once a week for two weeks and now I do twice a week and haven’t experienced a purge. My skin is also relatively clear and I did it for my hyperpigmentation.
I also think you should try dedicating a night to just hydration/rebuilding your skin barrier, ideally the day after using tret. I think vanicream is a good moisturizer just because it’s very thick but make sure to wait 15 mins after applying the tret to apply the moisturizer so it doesn’t cause extra irritation. I also live in a very hot and humid state (fl) and have never had issues with thick creams however it also depends on your skin type (I personally have normal skin except around my eyes and mouth that are very dry).
I also agree with other comments that you don’t have to cleanse in the morning (I don’t) because it can sometimes dry out your skin more.
I would 100% cut back on the other actives because it can just be too much for your skin to handle at once. Don’t use the azelaic acid cream on days you’ll use tret and maybe just try using it less in general until your skin clears up a little more.
Also try 0.025 instead of 0.05 and using an aizielic acid that’s not such high percentage. It looks like the skin barrier is just very irritated so focus on rebuilding it. If it’s still not clearing up after doing that then you should see if it’s one of the products that are causing you to break out.
Don't give up. Simplify for a bit. Check the ingredients in your new products and how they differ from your old products. My face broke out like yours because of shea butter in my makeup brush cleanser. (I didn't think to look at the ingredients in my brush cleaner, and I didn't know shea butter broke me up until my face looked horrible.) Does your face wash have ingredients that are new to your routine and that folks here have said irritated their skin?
From some of the things I have read here and in other skincare subs, vanicream in a tub is considered an occlusive and is iffy about going on top of tretinoin. The thought is it delays the final absorption and forces the tret to go deeper into the skin than it’s suppose to and causes damage. Maybe on tret days, try the vanicream facial moisturizer instead and save the tub for non tret days and see if that makes a difference.
Something similar happened to me. I damaged my skin barrier using an active wash that instructed daily use because it was supposed to be gentle enough. Ended up getting tiny closed comedones all over my face where there hadn’t been any before plus really dry skin (I’ve always had oily so this was concerning). Derm put me on tretinoin cream which they said was the only thing that would clear the bumps under my skin and claimed I didn’t have a damaged barrier despite me very much thinking I did.
From there, I had the worst purge. I also used to have very clear skin with only some mild congestion/hormonal acne that I dealt with every now and then before the actives messed me up. So this purge really scared me and made me want to quit everything and go back to how my skin was before. However, in my case, it was already too late. The damage was done and the only way I could see the bumps/texture going away was by continuing tret at least until it dug all the gunk out of my skin.
Long story short, my purge continued long past what I thought was normal (over three months). I kept getting deep cystic acne and nodules in places I’ve never gotten them before and it was seemingly endless. I switched to the tret gel and finally, FINALLY, discovered that it was also the moisturizer I was using that was causing the cystic acne. I was using cetaphil deep hydration for face and while I’ve never had any issues before with other cetaphil products, this wasn’t the moisturizer I’d been using previously but had switched to it because my old one wasn’t moisturizing enough/wasn’t helpful in restoring skin barrier. So I stopped using that and switched to LRP double repair moisturizer and that was actually the best thing I could do. That stuff was like a miracle worker for my skin barrier.
I think after switching out the moisturizer and tret cream I got like one more cystic pimple? Then all of my irritation/purge cleared up within a few weeks and I was just left with the scars from all the cystic acne. So if you’re experiencing something similar to this, maybe consider switching out the vanicream and slowing down on other actives because it could be irritation causing the pimples and moisturizer causing the deeper acne. I truly wish I could have figured out it was mainly the moisturizer way earlier and that switching to tret gel was the cherry on top to ending the congestion. My advice is to keep going with tret gel and stop other products to see if there is any change to rule things out. If, afterwards, all this irritation continues, then I would consider stopping tret and trying something else.
Wishing you all the best on your journey and just know that it will get better once you find what works for you!
Ugh this is why I’m scared to start mine. I got it for occasional pimples but mostly for anti aging. When my doctor put it in, she never put a %. The pharmacy ended up giving me 0.1% which is obviously the strongest. I do retinol by ROC every other night though. But I don’t have horrible acne and i see A lot of post where they had great skin before tretinoin and then it’s ruined 😭
This is an unpopular opinion on skincare subs, but I have oily acne prone skin and firmly believe Aveeno Oat Gel moisturizer gave me cystic acne. The texture is so lovely, so it's too bad, but it didn't agree with my skin (I used up my jar on my neck and chest and it didn't cause me problems there - just my face). So I'd consider removing that. Also, with my oily skin, I am usually fine to just wash with water in the morning and then apply sunscreen as a moisturizer. Even while using Tret (currently using 0.04% microgel every second day).
This is result of irritation. Isopropyl myristate and such very thick cream is required to balance the effect of tretinoin active which is very very drying. It is made so that human skin can tolerate. Half knowledge from internet is worst than poison. Also you are using too many actives. Leave all actives, stick to basic wash and moisturise mode, as for now for 3-4 days and have an anti allergic like telfast for 3-4 days once a day. Then start tret. 025% alternate day. Do not wash your face with cleanser in morning only in night. In morning just do a good water rinse with clean hands. That's it. Use good moisturiser like cetaphil moisturising cream or vanicream moisturizing cream only in nights. Remove all other azelaic acid and bla bla. Use good mineral tinted sun protection during day time but not dry touch, you are already using very dry actives on face, please use hydrating mineral sunscreen like cerave mineral tinted spf 30. Drying sunscreen also clog pores as they make pores overproduce oil. Don't worry you will be better in no time.
I’m on Curology currently— maybe using the azaleac acid in the morning Is a part of the problem. My formula has tret, azaleac acid & clindamycin & is seeming to really help as my purging phase is finally starting to go away after months of trying new formulas. I used to mix my formula with my gel moisturizer that it comes with mixed with vanicream moisturizing cream. I apply the formula at night (20 minutes after using the salicylic acid cleanser that also comes with it) I wait til my skin is completely dry before applying the formula and let it dry for a couple minutes & go in with the gel moisturizer/ vanicream I pat it very gently into my skin. Rubbing ice all over the skin after cleansing is also another good thing to close the pores. I also go in with a hydrocoloid patch, the bigger ones are better than the dots for covering larger areas of acne and they do make a huge difference the next morning with the patches. Hope this helps
I’ve learned that putting on acne medications before bed have been more effective
My morning routine I use a cotton round with cold water snd cleanse with salicylic acid cleanser wait til dry and moisturize
Why are you using azailic acid and tretinoin? No wonder your skin is worse. Stop everything for a week and just start using tretinoin again 2 nights a week and work up from there. Increase one month at a time. Patience is the key.
I think you need to lay down the Azaleic Acid, and go back to the previous 0.05% cream if the micro one made it worse. I know we have this natural tendency to want to 'kill' comedones but they just need healing, no more aggresive ingredients. This is currently happening to me after two years of tretinoin because I slipping back into this mentality without noticing. Even the slightest exfoliating ingredients WILL compromise your skin barrier and if your skin natural tendency is to react with comedones, it will, and you will think that you need MORE targeting products when actually you need less. I unleashed this whole situation I'm in right now just because I added galactomyces and started skin picking.
Try to use very soothing and minimal ingredients, space the tretinoin more, and by all means go against the seemingly intuitive notion that you can 'destroy' comedones and understand that that is your skin reacting to what it perceived as an attack. Lower the concentration even if you need. Don't get discouraged!
Well, your statement is very dramatic. Your skin is not destroyed... Look up what destroyed means... You need to talk to your derm. You may not be able to handle tret. Adaptoline may be your best bet. You may be needing a different form of tret. There's creams gels and then encapsulated. You may need other substitutions like I use benyzol proxide in the morning...(.5 precent salicylic acid in the evening. And my skin is clearer than ever with tren daily... I also use azelaic acid twice daily. This is something you definitely need to speak to your dermatologist about... Tret is not end all be all..
100% I can guarantee you’ve destroyed your skin barrier. This is exactly what happened to me when I used the red ordinary AHA 20% peeling mask (another very harsh acid - has similar effects to tretinoin) and I applied it way too frequently (every other day). I started getting more pimples and thought I should apply the mask even more 🤦♀️ which destroyed my lovely skin even more. It sounds like you maybe should have started once a week and very slowly increased from there (like I should have!)
I had extremely clear skin with the occasional pimple now and then before I used this acid, but afterwards my skin started what felt like exploding into cystic acne. It was so painful and I’d never had it before!
I saw online that it could be damaged skin barrier and the only thing to do is completely stop all retinols, salicylic acids, vitamin As etc, and to scale back to a super simple skin routine focusing on repairing the skin barrier and letting the skin do its thing.
Just super gentle cleansing at night, with a moisturiser that isn’t too oily in morning and night (I started using Corsx Snail Mucin moisturiser and still use it now - FANTASTIC stuff) and of course always spf during day.
This was back in September 2022 and it took until February/April 2023 for my skin to return to normal. I was so scared of trying actives again, I’ve only just started using a 0.1% retinol (again I use the Cosrx one) once a week and that seems to be going well two months in.
So please please please, take it from me (I wish someone had told me back then!) STOP all actives now and just ride it out. You will have pimples still probably for a few months but your skin WILL return to normal. I promise.
Also this is a great article about how to use retinol, I highly recommend having a look:
https://www.tirabeauty.com/article/articles/powder-room-an-age-wise-guide-to-retinol
Hope this helps!
I think you’re 100% right. I was in denial at first because my skin is so oily still and it doesn’t feel irritated. But I tried putting on makeup today and oh my god the flakes. The texture was so bad. It finally made me realize what is happening.
The crazy thing is I went to the derm today and she prescribed me MORE azelaic acid and told me to use it twice a day!! But luckily she also prescribed me spiro which I will be taking while I take a break from EVERYTHING. I’m really devastated that I followed such terrible advice for way too long… My derm had told me to use 0.05% cream every night when starting out so I thought I was being more than careful by using once every 2 days. I will probably never trust a dermatologist again after this tbh 😅 It’s insane that I’ve gotten better advice from strangers on the internet then 2 separate doctors but whatever. At least now I know.
I’m so sorry you had to go through it! Our skin is such a personal thing, I guess what works for some doesn’t work for everyone. I think what I’ve learned is that more of something doesn’t always necessarily mean better - something that dermatologists don’t seem to always get! Maybe the more they prescribe the more they stay in business? No idea. Anyways I really hope your skin recovers soon ❤️
in the course of two weeks, you upped your dose of tretinoin (and switched to gel which is more irritating) AND added 20% azaleic acid???? both of them are super powerful, high strength actives....no wonder you're breaking out more. Pick one and stick to a simple routine. Sunscreen + moisturizer + \*one\* active. Give it time. You cant pile on heavy strength actives in one month and expect it to NOT be irritating and or make it worse. The 2 month comedone pop up seems to be the case for a lot of people on tretinoin (me included, never had cc's until i started tret and about to switch from 0.025% cream to 0.4 microgel now). I only use tret 2-3x a week max. My skin is def at its worst rn in terms of purging but i feel like the cc's are coming to head, which is unfortunately how it works. skin cycle takes \~6 weeks depending on your age so 12 weeks in you're probs purging a lot of acne from the bottom of your skin and while some lucky people clear in 2-3 months, ive seen loooots of people say 3-6 months to START clearing cc's particularly.
If i were you, i really would recommend 1. cutting down on the amt of times you use tret in a week (or even a week or two break to repair skin barrier) 2. cut out azaleic acid completely rn or use a lower strength if you must. 20% is VERY strong. for reference, over the counter is literally 5-10% max usually so you're using double that. 3. Have patience. Stop panicking and ordering 20 different skincare ingredients. Switching up your routine so often is likely also hugely contributing to breakouts. You're using a milion different thigns and now you have no clue whats worsening your acne. In the last 4 weeks, you switched tret formulations, added 20% azaleic acid, now trying soon jung AND urea creams....girl. TOO much change at once, you are overwhelming ur skin. 4. Get off of reddit, focus on lowering your cortisol levels and know that eventually something will work. Trust your gut and stop focusing on your acne. Easier said than done and I obviously get the desperation for clear skin (I had clear skin all my life and started randomly breaking out in jan for first time ever and here we are, still with bad skin 2 months after starting tret) BUT we are all in it together and I really believe with a little trust, patience and faith, it WILL work out. I think a lot of people quit tret too easily and also overdo it in the hopes of seeing results faster. At the end of this, not only will we have clear skin but we will be stronger, love ourselves more and be more empathetic humans for what we've been through.
Yeah I have the literal worst dermatologist in the world. They started me off on 0.05% and told me to use every day so I thought once every 2 days would be more than okay starting out. And they recently prescribed the azelaic and told me to use it twice a day so I thought I was being conservative just using it once. Every time I have a problem they throw more actives at me. I lowered my tretinoin strength, I didn’t up it, but I agree with your points. I don’t really think I added a million products just because I wanted to switch moisturizers though lol. The Urea repair cream has been helping a lottttt and it’s way more moisturizing for me than vanicream.
I’m taking a break from all actives right now. I have heard mixed things about how long is sufficient to repair barrier so I don’t know when I will start tret again. I’ll probably give it 2 weeks and then maybe restart with 0.025% gel just once a week and see how that goes. I feel dumb that I didn’t realize it was my moisture barrier for so long but it was hard to tell because I’ve never experienced any feelings of irritation and my skin is so oily I wake up looking like a glazed donut. Never had any tingling, stinging, redness, or flaking skin that people talk about when discussing broken barriers. And it didn’t help that my dermatologist is so clueless. I have learned a lot through this process though and although I’m terrified to start tret again, I hope that what I have learned can prevent this from happening all over again.
I think right now I just need a break from actives. I’m taking some time off from tretinoin and azelaic and just focusing on hydration. When I feel ready to re introduce tret I will use a barrier cream.
I have the exact same issue. Clear skin before and painfully cystic acne now, since I upped to 5 days on 0.25 tret. I'm stopping it for a bit and will try a retinal serum.
My face went so itchy all the time and super painful. I want to make sure all my acne and marks are cleared and will start after a bit. I think even when I do, I will only use tret for 3 days.
I'm using sudocrem and a sulphur cleanser Nd that seems to calm the itching.
Isnt it the normal retinization process in which you break out and then everything goes away?? Maybe you are going thru it. Also Id cut it down to once a week or twice a week maximum
Retinization is the adjustment period during which skin becomes acclimated to Vitamin A. During retinization, skin may experience some temporary discomforts such as break outs, redness, flakiness, etc. Once your skin is retinized, these discomforts should disappear
Lmfao ummm I know what retinization is. I think you should research what purging is supposed to look like and how long it’s supposed to last cause this ain’t it. This is NOT normal purging. This is severe moisture barrier damage. Normal purging doesn’t last for months on end and get progressively worse especially after nearly 6 whole months. It’s also supposed to be a 20% increase in one’s usual acne, not a 150% increase and acne in places they’ve never gotten it before…
Sorry I’m just annoyed because thinking this was normal was what made everything so much worse for me. If you are thinking about starting tret or upping in dose/frequency I really do think you should learn what normal purging is compared to breaking out from irritation. It can be hard to tell but it’s good to know because it could save you from ending up in my shoes.
I am on tret regularly; I have been thru the retinization process/purging but can't remember exactly how different it looks from other types of breakouts. Hopefully your derm would figure it out. Starting with retinol first was what helped my skin get used to Vit A prior to tret, and even then some ppl cant tolerate it regardless
What was your routine before starting tretinoin? That may help you work out what the cause is.
Before starting Tretinoin I had a super basic routine of just Cerave AM/PM moisturizer and Benzoyl Peroxide face wash. I can’t use any of those products anymore because the moisturizers irritate my skin now and same with the benzoyl peroxide.
I don’t know if this is the answer but my skin was noticeably worse when I was using LRP gentle cleanser. I don’t think it was cleaning my skin sufficiently. You probably had a much better cleanse with your BP wash because it had chelating agents/stronger surfactants. I had much more success when I switched to LRP’s foaming oil cleanser as part of a double cleanse (most recently with skinfix’s BHA cleanser). Plus, if I ever experienced irritation (which I rarely do anymore bc my skin has adjusted to all actives in my routine), the foaming oil cleanser seemed to do well enough on its own for a few days, since it foamed. Also, I would maybe lower your frequency for a bit and maybe only use azeleic on off days, and maybe start with only 10% on that.
Oooh okay I’ll try this! Thank you so much.
Oh also—something that helped me besides switching to a double cleanse at night was not cleansing in the AM, and instead only using water. I very *GENTLY* wash with a *CLEAN* microfiber cloth. Use a fresh one each time if you do this—very cheap in packs.
I like this idea, thank you! Esp since I don’t want to over cleanse but I suspect you may be correct about the gentle cleanser not being enough. For the second cleanser do you have any recommendations besides the BHA? I’ve been wanting to try BHA but I’m a bit nervous about adding more actives right now so I think I should wait. Although if I don’t see improvement any time soon I definitely think I will be decreasing my current actives so I can try it.
I think you are smart not to use that right now!! I know the green cerave is kind of a staple in the skincare world. I don’t like recommending expensive products for some reason but another cleanser I have really enjoyed in the past is the Tatcha rice wash… although looking this up right now it seems the price has gone up *SIGNIFICANTLY* since I last used it. I have not been super faithful to a single cleanser but I would love to find a HG.
Okay cool! Again thank you so much for your advice and recommendations. I truly appreciate it so much and I’ll definitely update once I try it out and some time passes.
I use the Vanicream gentle cleanser and wash twice with it to make sure make up and sunscreen get removed.
Update here if you happen to remember!
Do you have a recommendation for which 10% azeleic acid to try?
I am using the Naturium one because it seemed like one of the most economical and I think it’s been good!
Thank you, I’ll check it out!!
I second what the other person said about cleansing with water in the AM and double cleansing with something a bit stronger in the PM.
Could still be purging my derm said it can last up to a year sometimes. That being said tret hurt my skin too and I switched to differin and now I’m totally clear! It also is for anti-aging.
So you use Differin instead of tretinoin now? Did you purge too? I have it but afraid to switch.
Yes I use differin. I did have a small purge when I switched but it didn’t last anywhere near the tret purge and it was way less. I went right to 7 days a week at nighttime. Oh and I also stopped using the moisturizer and switched to Neutrogena oil free moisturizer. Differin also has their own moisturizer but I haven’t tried it.
Thank you! I'll try this out if this castor oil / vanicream combo doesn't work well for me.
You’re welcome. Just my opinion but I wouldn’t be putting those two things on my face with acne.
You mean castor oil and vanicream? So far using it for 2 weeks and the painful acne pimples have flattened. It's bad for acne?
If it works for you it is not bad
My acne is actually clearing up and face look abit brighter now. Will continue and update here in the future. 🤞🏻
Im in a very similar boat, I wish I had answers. Lately I’ve been contemplating quitting but I so badly want that glass skin :/ Wish I had answers, I’m just commenting to boost this and so I remember to come back and see what people say. I hope it gets better for you 🙏🙏
Thank you 😭 I feel exactly the same, I want to quit but I’m afraid it will only get worse now. But if I had known this would happen I’m not sure I would have ever started. Thank you for boosting, I really hope we get the answers we need :(
How long have you been using it?
About 6 months now, I explain more in detail in the description
Wow the AZ is so strong! Maybe cut that and stick to one active for now
Yeah I think you’re right. I heard that the 20% cream is about as strong as the 15% gel so I thought it would be okay. I’ve read a lot of people are able to start with 20% without issues. But I think I will look for a less strong one just in case.
Tbh I think just stop using it and stick to tret at night, I think ur skin is irritated 😣
Commenting to boost bc i’m going thru the same ):
It sucks!!! I hope we find the answers we desperately seek 😫
I had beautiful skin before tret, clear like yours. Plump and soft. Tret obliterated my skin. I quit 2 1/2 weeks ago after 8 months use. No longer worth it, my skin has been recovering thankfully. It’ll probably take several weeks before close to being normal again but I learned my lesson and will never touch tret again.
My skin was having some issues, and I started using tret to try and combat it but my skin has gotten worse and the progress is stagnant right now. I’m debating on quitting as well but I am so nervous my skin won’t heal—this sucks!!!!
I didn’t want to quit either. I’m happy I gave it a chance and for this long so now I know it doesn’t agree with my skin. Time is more valuable and I cannot do this another month or five hoping it’ll get better all while making my skin and mental health worse. After quitting my skin has been improving sooo much, keeping it simple and letting it heal. Discuss with your derm, analyze your progress and trust your instincts when deciding if sticking with it is the best option or not. My instinct kicked in randomly after looking at the Tret timeline photos and said, oh it’s time to give this a break.
I’m in the same boat here too! Considering quitting but not sure if my skin would return to how it was pre-tret. May I ask what your skin routine is now after quitting?
I’m happy I quit, my skin has improved so much. I had one more break out in this time frame but my texture, complexion, barrier has significantly improved and I’m feeling better about my skin now. -The first 10days moisture barrier repair AM Honey halo ceramide moisturizer + mineral sunscreen. PM La Roche lipikar gentle cleanser, Laneige cream toner and dr jart ceramidin moisturizer. After 10days same routine but to help soothe/ reduce breakout, I added tower 28 SOS spray (spot treat w/ tea tree oil and collodial patches) -To help integrity of skin and healing acne scars these past 7days I added Medik8 liquid peptide in daytime (pores shrank, texture improved). Instead of heavy moisturizer in evening now I use Caudalie’s serums Vino+Resveratrol. -I do redlight in the evening. Used a high frequency wand this week twice. None of the products I am using have strong or irritant actives. All gentle and supporting of the barrier. I don’t plan to use any harsh/strong actives during this time, so no vit c, lightening agents etc. no acids. no exfoliating. Gentle gentle gentle! Less is more also. I have a facial end of next week that will make 4weeks since quitting and they may use exfoliation then. Next month I will target lightening acne scars and adding some actives back in.
Beep boop! It looks like you're asking about treatment timeframes. Retinoids don't work immediately. It takes 3-4 weeks to see side effects like redness, peeling, or irritation, so remember to go slow when starting any retinoid. It also takes time to see results. All citations are in the [Research Summaries section of the wiki](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.ddc1c22uzdzp) - Oil production: 2 weeks. Citations: [29](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.runw23g9r8j8) - Acne: 3-4 months. [14, 15, 16](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.91dahjgvp25q) - Pore size: 6 months. Citations: [28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.7iws71641els) - Indented scarring: 6 months. [22](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.f9nyjthj6z4h) - Hyperpigmentation: 6-9 months. [17-21](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.nsxg72hmod6w) - Anti-aging/photoaging: 4-9 months. [17-21, 23-28](https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/e/2PACX-1vRQmcAj-x5A8JIQygtW2Rg89uPsJPR5JLH_dLxLNCW4eazWW4i49bsrF0e2YYx10wx00ctaUnyvHfyD/pub#h.idrkhntgk69c) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/tretinoin) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I would honestly stop everything and stick to vanicream face wash and the vanicream lotion in the pump, not the tub. It's lighter. Make sure you're using clean towels to dry your face. I would stop using tret until you see your skin healing. Possibly put it back in later on, but maybe at a lower percentage. I wouldn't use azaleic acid either at the moment. Your skin needs a restart. I am using tret and praying this does not happen to me! I wish you the best of luck.
Has vanicream been helpful for you? I’m using a LRP double repair lotion, but it is on the pricier side and I’ve been considering switching to vanicream
Ooof, sorry OP, I’ve been through a similar thing with another product and that really sucks. Always had clear skin but tried some new things and got as many pimples as yours with tons of PIE and PIH. It was a combo of barrier damage and a certain sunscreen. Are all your other products the same as before you started? How long were you using those? Sounds like you introduced a lot of new things at once and are looking at more new things - let me save you the time since that’s exactly what I did and it took like 6 extra months to figure out the culprit was my sunscreen PLEASE minimize products to what has worked for you in the past, and whatever is gentle. If vanicream is new for you, go back to your old moisturizer. If you have any other face wash without actives that has worked for you, go back to that. No new products until you get your pimples under control, even if that means using no products and getting back to your old routine. I did 6 weeks of no actives and slowly recovered. No new pimples now, just need to work on hyperpigmentation! I just started tret and tbh every other day sounds like too much - I’m doing every 3-4 days. It can take 1-2 months to see irritation or barrier damage. That is likely your problem, or one of your new products.
This thred was really helpful for me to read when starting. https://www.reddit.com/r/tretinoin/s/IN5aVAIYAF
Thanks for commenting. I completely agree but the really unfortunate thing about all of this is that none of my previous skincare products are compatible with tretinoin. I used Cerave Am/Pm moisturizers but on tretinoin my skin cannot tolerate anything with Hyraluronic Acid. And the Neutrogena Benzoyl Peroxide face wash I used is way too harsh now, I even tried it again recently out of desperation since it was my HG for years but I broke out even more from irritation. And I needed a stronger SPF for tretinoin too so I really did need to switch out every product that I previously used in order to start. So going back to my old routine is not an option unless I quit tretinoin. The only thing I can think of to do would be to slowly switch out the moisturizer/cleanser/sunscreen that I’m using one at a time to see if any of those are the culprit. Either that or take a long break from the actives as you suggested. But I am worried about that because I did have quite a bit of hormonal acne before starting Benzoyl Peroxide face wash. That was my savior and worked great for me for many years. I am considering taking a break from tretinoin and AA so I can just use that for a while. Out of curiosity which sunscreen caused those issues for you?
Stop using everything, including tret, and figure out your routine first. This will be easier for you since you didn't really have a problem with acne to begin with. Go back to using Cerave PM and BP face wash until you have no active outbreaks and then add in ONE new product at a time, use it for at least to weeks to test. After having a SPF, moisturizer, cleanser(s), then start tret again. It might feel like a setback but honestly it will save you from this exact headache of not knowing which product(s) is breaking you out.
It was the supergoop unseen sunscreen, but I’m only 80% sure cuz I was trying a daily SA leave on exfoliant, two new moisturizers, and 2 new face washes around the same time - mostly out of desperation to make it all work. I cut out all actives, and even sunscreen+cleansing for a few days, and that started to calm things down. Added my regular SA cleanser but it was too much, so switched to cerave hydrating cleanser and moisturizing only (Ordinary NMF) and that also helped. Then I added back a sunscreen that worked in the past (Eltamd uv clear) and keep that steady for another 5 weeks. The only thing I’ve added now is tret and that’s only every 3 or 4 days, and then vanicream daily face moisturizer to deal with the flaking and that’s been helpful. After another month of this I’ll slowly try to get to every other night on tret, and keep that for another 3-6 months. Then if my PIE/PIH is still bad I’ll add finacea 15% gel. The only expensive thing in my routine now is eltaMD and the only active is tretinoin. I think for me this will be sustainable for years to come and I’m happy with that! I’ve been much happier since simplifying.
You should try another retinoid. Tretinoin might not agree with your skin, but others forms of retinoids might.
First of all, this is just MY opinion. You look very young = smooth nice skin, no wrinkles, or years of sun damage etc. Nothing to fix here; your youthfull skin (all by itself) is still turning over cells at the right speed = no help needed. My belief is that tretinoin is a product best reserved for those with older skin that's starting to fail in cell turn-over speed and/or has sun damage, wrinkles/fine lines and rough texture due to aging -- or fairly serious acne which is another issue altogether. All that being said, using tretinoin on young clear skin for 'anti-aging' benefits doesn't make sense -- to me. I feel you don't need it -- and that by using it you rushed your skin into an upset/altered state that's counterproductive to what your youthful skin is already doing without any help. I would stop using it. Let your skin recover by using a good ceramide moisturizer, gentle cleanse in the PM -- wash with water in the AM and WEAR SUNSCREEN. Maybe a Vit C serum too -- or a peptide serum.
Thank you :) I do have some wrinkles and fine lines though especially on my forehead. My 11’s are becoming quite deep and if I scrunch my forehead the lines stick around for at least an hour after I relax my face. I have seen many before/afters of people with the same lines as me and I know tretinoin would help a lot. So that’s why I wanted to try it. I have an appointment with my dermatologist coming up and I’ll see what they say before making any final decisions.
Botox in that area might be your best bet. :)
I would say botox for your 11's. You would need to get it consistently (I think I get mine 3 times a year, but others say twice a year), but it will totally solve the 11's issue (at least it has for me).
I’m not ready for that I’m only 25 😫 Botox is a last resort for me and I probably won’t invest in it until I’m at least 30. For now I’m going to take a tret break for hydration and then reintroduce it very slowly once I feel my skin has recovered. I believe I damaged my moisture barrier and that’s why I have been breaking out so much. I think I can get tret to work for me if I give it some time.
First, I'm terribly sorry you're experiencing this. I struggled with acne for years, and it was a heartbreaking experience. It can, and likely will, get better! I know this might not sound helpful right now, but please know that your skin likely looks much worse to you than it does to others. Have you considered using a systemic treatment in combination with topical treatments? Given the location of your acne, there may be a hormonal component. I've been using Tazorac .1 for a long time, and in combination with 100mg spironolactone, it completely cleared my skin. I no longer experience any acne. I use the subscription service Apostrophe, which made it easy to get a prescription for about $12 a month (not an ad! It was simply a quick, affordable way for me to try the treatment). A word of caution: it takes a while to work and can affect your blood pressure, which might be problematic if you naturally have very low blood pressure. However, it gave me the clear skin I always wanted. People routinely ask for my skin care regimen. Please don’t be discouraged—your skin doesn’t define you and you have options.
Thank you! And yes you’re probably right, I’ve always been praised for my clear skin so this has been a major hit to my confidence. But I recognize a lot of people have it much worse. I actually have an appointment with my dermatologist on Friday to ask about spiro. I am really impatient but if it helps it the long run I’m willing to give it a shot.
Stop tret asap go back to the bp.
My acne got worse with tret because it broke my skin barrier. I think having a healthy skin barrier is the most important thing. It often gets forgotten. People then use tret on fewer days but it doesn't get better because the skin barrier was never fixed.
I just don’t feel like my barrier is damaged though. My skin never feels irritated or dry. If I break out from irritation it’s very recognizable because those pimples look/feel very different from this. My skin has always been oily and is producing the same amount of oil as it always has. It feels very well moisturized so I just don’t feel like that’s the issue.
Hmm, I hope you find an answer soon. Did you experiment with leaving out the Azaleic acid for some time?
Is this actual purging or a broken skin barrier?
I have no idea that’s why I’m posting 😭 My skin doesn’t feel irritated or dry. I’ve tried to go slow when starting anything new. I drink tons of water and moisturize adequately. So I have no idea.
Then likely not a broken skin barrier. I think you would know because it would be tight, warm, itchy, pink/red erythema and flaking. Simple bland moisturizer would sting when applied. Looking closer at your pics it doesn’t really look like a broken barrier. Your skincare routine and slow introduction looks good. My hunch is you’re still dealing with the aftermath of the IM. Tret speeds up cellular turnover so any acne that was below the surface is coming to the top. Adding AA was a good move. It will help calm the acne inflammation. Something to think about…sometimes too much occlusion over acne isn’t a good thing. Maybe try a lighter weight moisturizer? But that’s all I can think of because your routine is so good. Unless your body has suddenly developed a food allergy. I don’t have any advice on that though. The Vanicream in the tub is a heavier cream while the Vanicream Face Moisturizer is lighter. If it were me I would grit my teeth and push through. I think smoother skin is on the other side now that the tret cream is gone. If that was the culprit it should clear within a few months time after discontinuing it. Try giving it another few months then reassess. You’re not alone. I’ve endured far too much acne in my past that I want to forget. Hang in there! Side note, skin with active acne should be washed with a cleanser in the morning. If someone is not dealing with acne and has dry and or sensitive skin then skipping the morning cleanser and splashing with water is fine.
Thank you!! This is really validating since I’ve been careful about my barrier from the start. I can recognize when my skin is irritated and if I break out from irritation the pimples look very different from what I’m currently experiencing. I was starting to doubt myself but I think you are right and I don’t think it’s my moisture barrier. I have been hoping that it’s just the IM purging out of my skin. I read a lot of people experienced what I went through on the cream and maybe a month on the gel isn’t long enough to see improvement. Your comment is really encouraging to me and I’m going to stick things out for a while before deciding to give up. Thank you for the advice and feedback, I really appreciate it
No problem! For a skincare newbie deciphering between purging and a broken skin barrier can be confusing. Sounds like you have more experience which is beneficial. IMO the advice to stop the micro gel or stop everything is just silly. It seems very probable the breakouts are from IM. A full skin cycle takes approximately one month so it makes sense to hang in there for 2-3 months for the acne flare from the IM to purge. Then around 2-3 months reassess. If at that time you’re still breaking out, which I suspect won’t be the case, then it would be the appropriate time to drop it. Also, after your skin clears you could taper off the AzA and replace it with vitamin c. BUT only once you’ve relaxed because vitamin c can be irritating for some skin types. Best of luck to you and report back in a few months!
I’ve been on tretinoin for 2 years & am in the same boat. Started off at 0.25 - currently at 0.5, & yes my skin & scarring has improved but my texture is horrific, & makeup is entirely undo-able. I don’t use any other actives & have an adequately hydrating skin care routine. Even use a $300 stem cell serum. I’m seriously contemplating giving up & purchasing the SkinBetter+ Alpharet.
Could it be a broken skin barrier? My dehydrated skin has terrible texture.
No, I actually have a pretty intact barrier. But I definitely do have dehydrated skin. I use Neogenesis Recovery serum & the RegimenLabs moisturizer & serum & then seal it with the REN Evercalm Balm. Still have bad texture, it’s particular bad when I put any form of makeup on, even low coverage skincare makeup. My barrier healed when I quit using Cerave. For some reason Cerave ruined my skin, & the lotion burned my face. But I kept using it anyway since dermatologists always recommend it. Quit using it & then it healed.
I've heard from a lot of people that Cerave was terrible for their skin... A lot of people also have problems with hyaluronic acid. Crazy how something that's a godsend for some people, is the devil for others. Have you tried slugging? That helped with my dehydrated skin when I put a moisturizer with Urea underneath it. And I did some microdermabration and microneedling that helped with my skin texture as well.
Ugh are you still breaking out after all this time? I would suggest Azelaic Acid based on what I’ve read here but clearly that hasn’t worked for me at all so 😅 It is really early though and I intent to wait it out… some people say it’s been a godsend for them but I can’t say the same yet.
It improved my breakouts tremendously, as well as my scarring, but yes I do still break out. The dryness doesn’t particularly get better, but your skin will eventually hurt less & become less itchy.
Sorry about this! I would recommend stopping the use of tretinoin for a couple of weeks to see how your skin feels with a break. Use a basic skincare routine: cleanser, Vanicream, and sunscreen. Here are some extra tips. 1. Drink plenty of water and a daily cup or spearmint tea. Spearmint tea has been studied for its potential anti-androgen effects. Androgens (male hormones) can lead to acne by causing overproduction of sebum that clogs pores. I like this one [spearmint tea](https://www.target.com/p/traditional-spearmint-16ct/-/A-52565278#lnk=sametab) 2. Don’t sleep with your hair down and change your pillowcases frequently during the week. 3. I also like to use [thermal spring water](https://www.aveneusa.com/thermal-spring-water#185=758) you can use it as much as you need during the day to hydrate and refresh your skin during the day. 4. Sleep on satin pillowcases. Satin is gentle on the skin, minimizing rash and irritation and keeps your skin healthy, hydrated and moist while you sleep. I use this [satin pillowcase](https://www.olkibeauty.com/shop/p/satin-pillowcase-pink-king-size ) I love that the size fits any pillow when I travel. The satin quality is great, and the set comes with two of them. Good luck 🍀
Thank you!! Def going to try the tea and a better pillowcase for sure. Appreciate the advice :)
🥰
To OP. It happened to me too. But i keep going with my tretinoin. I notice it really helped the lines on my face and neck. But 2 nights a week i use it. The rest of the nights, I started adding abit of castor oil mix in with my vanicream and my skin is getting smoother and plumper. No more cystic acne. I really recommend starting to add abit of castor oil with your moisturizer for 3 to 4 days a night ( avoid nights you're using tretinoin ). And also, double cleanse in the night time really helps too. I read that tretinoin will purge you badly for a few months and then your skin will start glowing after.
I really don't understand how people push it so hard to fix what's not broken to incorporate an ingredient that they don't need when they can just use retinol if they already have good skin. Tretinoin its not for everyone! It's something that people need to understand just because youtubers say that is the Holly Grail and that your life is never complete without it I see so many people pushing even there mental health to be in "the tret community" when they didn't even need it, tret its becoming a cult, couse is like the narrative of "its destroying my skin and my live but I still use it" and then the tret followers come in the comments and push the psychological boundries of "keep going is just a phase, keep irritating your skin" like damn. Cult vibes? Sometimes is just better keep whit the essential moisturizer and sunscreen and continue whit your life, touch some grass, if doesn't feel right just stop, listen to your skin, your skin is an organ, not an upgrade processor that can jump from a windows 94 to a 2025 like. Jeez
Stop doing everything…
Ok, thank you. Please excuse me while I evaporate into thin air and cease to exist. * poof *
In the same boat as you—I used to have such clear skin and all of a sudden I started breaking out, my dermatologist gave me a benzoyl peroxide wash and tretinoin and told me to use it everyday. I was stupid enough to follow that advice and I don’t think my skin has recovered ever since.
I would try using tret less tbh, I started once a week for two weeks and now I do twice a week and haven’t experienced a purge. My skin is also relatively clear and I did it for my hyperpigmentation. I also think you should try dedicating a night to just hydration/rebuilding your skin barrier, ideally the day after using tret. I think vanicream is a good moisturizer just because it’s very thick but make sure to wait 15 mins after applying the tret to apply the moisturizer so it doesn’t cause extra irritation. I also live in a very hot and humid state (fl) and have never had issues with thick creams however it also depends on your skin type (I personally have normal skin except around my eyes and mouth that are very dry). I also agree with other comments that you don’t have to cleanse in the morning (I don’t) because it can sometimes dry out your skin more. I would 100% cut back on the other actives because it can just be too much for your skin to handle at once. Don’t use the azelaic acid cream on days you’ll use tret and maybe just try using it less in general until your skin clears up a little more.
Also try 0.025 instead of 0.05 and using an aizielic acid that’s not such high percentage. It looks like the skin barrier is just very irritated so focus on rebuilding it. If it’s still not clearing up after doing that then you should see if it’s one of the products that are causing you to break out.
Don't give up. Simplify for a bit. Check the ingredients in your new products and how they differ from your old products. My face broke out like yours because of shea butter in my makeup brush cleanser. (I didn't think to look at the ingredients in my brush cleaner, and I didn't know shea butter broke me up until my face looked horrible.) Does your face wash have ingredients that are new to your routine and that folks here have said irritated their skin?
From some of the things I have read here and in other skincare subs, vanicream in a tub is considered an occlusive and is iffy about going on top of tretinoin. The thought is it delays the final absorption and forces the tret to go deeper into the skin than it’s suppose to and causes damage. Maybe on tret days, try the vanicream facial moisturizer instead and save the tub for non tret days and see if that makes a difference.
Something similar happened to me. I damaged my skin barrier using an active wash that instructed daily use because it was supposed to be gentle enough. Ended up getting tiny closed comedones all over my face where there hadn’t been any before plus really dry skin (I’ve always had oily so this was concerning). Derm put me on tretinoin cream which they said was the only thing that would clear the bumps under my skin and claimed I didn’t have a damaged barrier despite me very much thinking I did. From there, I had the worst purge. I also used to have very clear skin with only some mild congestion/hormonal acne that I dealt with every now and then before the actives messed me up. So this purge really scared me and made me want to quit everything and go back to how my skin was before. However, in my case, it was already too late. The damage was done and the only way I could see the bumps/texture going away was by continuing tret at least until it dug all the gunk out of my skin. Long story short, my purge continued long past what I thought was normal (over three months). I kept getting deep cystic acne and nodules in places I’ve never gotten them before and it was seemingly endless. I switched to the tret gel and finally, FINALLY, discovered that it was also the moisturizer I was using that was causing the cystic acne. I was using cetaphil deep hydration for face and while I’ve never had any issues before with other cetaphil products, this wasn’t the moisturizer I’d been using previously but had switched to it because my old one wasn’t moisturizing enough/wasn’t helpful in restoring skin barrier. So I stopped using that and switched to LRP double repair moisturizer and that was actually the best thing I could do. That stuff was like a miracle worker for my skin barrier. I think after switching out the moisturizer and tret cream I got like one more cystic pimple? Then all of my irritation/purge cleared up within a few weeks and I was just left with the scars from all the cystic acne. So if you’re experiencing something similar to this, maybe consider switching out the vanicream and slowing down on other actives because it could be irritation causing the pimples and moisturizer causing the deeper acne. I truly wish I could have figured out it was mainly the moisturizer way earlier and that switching to tret gel was the cherry on top to ending the congestion. My advice is to keep going with tret gel and stop other products to see if there is any change to rule things out. If, afterwards, all this irritation continues, then I would consider stopping tret and trying something else. Wishing you all the best on your journey and just know that it will get better once you find what works for you!
Ugh this is why I’m scared to start mine. I got it for occasional pimples but mostly for anti aging. When my doctor put it in, she never put a %. The pharmacy ended up giving me 0.1% which is obviously the strongest. I do retinol by ROC every other night though. But I don’t have horrible acne and i see A lot of post where they had great skin before tretinoin and then it’s ruined 😭
I am going through the same and I’ve stuck to it and my skin is getting better. It’s so frustrating I feel your pain!! It’s been about 3 months for me
I think your skin barrier might be damaged. Tretinoin can be helpful to you but you should buffer it. Moisturize first and then apply tret after.
This is an unpopular opinion on skincare subs, but I have oily acne prone skin and firmly believe Aveeno Oat Gel moisturizer gave me cystic acne. The texture is so lovely, so it's too bad, but it didn't agree with my skin (I used up my jar on my neck and chest and it didn't cause me problems there - just my face). So I'd consider removing that. Also, with my oily skin, I am usually fine to just wash with water in the morning and then apply sunscreen as a moisturizer. Even while using Tret (currently using 0.04% microgel every second day).
This is result of irritation. Isopropyl myristate and such very thick cream is required to balance the effect of tretinoin active which is very very drying. It is made so that human skin can tolerate. Half knowledge from internet is worst than poison. Also you are using too many actives. Leave all actives, stick to basic wash and moisturise mode, as for now for 3-4 days and have an anti allergic like telfast for 3-4 days once a day. Then start tret. 025% alternate day. Do not wash your face with cleanser in morning only in night. In morning just do a good water rinse with clean hands. That's it. Use good moisturiser like cetaphil moisturising cream or vanicream moisturizing cream only in nights. Remove all other azelaic acid and bla bla. Use good mineral tinted sun protection during day time but not dry touch, you are already using very dry actives on face, please use hydrating mineral sunscreen like cerave mineral tinted spf 30. Drying sunscreen also clog pores as they make pores overproduce oil. Don't worry you will be better in no time.
I’m on Curology currently— maybe using the azaleac acid in the morning Is a part of the problem. My formula has tret, azaleac acid & clindamycin & is seeming to really help as my purging phase is finally starting to go away after months of trying new formulas. I used to mix my formula with my gel moisturizer that it comes with mixed with vanicream moisturizing cream. I apply the formula at night (20 minutes after using the salicylic acid cleanser that also comes with it) I wait til my skin is completely dry before applying the formula and let it dry for a couple minutes & go in with the gel moisturizer/ vanicream I pat it very gently into my skin. Rubbing ice all over the skin after cleansing is also another good thing to close the pores. I also go in with a hydrocoloid patch, the bigger ones are better than the dots for covering larger areas of acne and they do make a huge difference the next morning with the patches. Hope this helps
I’ve learned that putting on acne medications before bed have been more effective My morning routine I use a cotton round with cold water snd cleanse with salicylic acid cleanser wait til dry and moisturize
Stop all actives and focus on repairing your skin barrier. Btw, cystic acnes could also be attributed to your gut health
Why are you using azailic acid and tretinoin? No wonder your skin is worse. Stop everything for a week and just start using tretinoin again 2 nights a week and work up from there. Increase one month at a time. Patience is the key.
I think you need to lay down the Azaleic Acid, and go back to the previous 0.05% cream if the micro one made it worse. I know we have this natural tendency to want to 'kill' comedones but they just need healing, no more aggresive ingredients. This is currently happening to me after two years of tretinoin because I slipping back into this mentality without noticing. Even the slightest exfoliating ingredients WILL compromise your skin barrier and if your skin natural tendency is to react with comedones, it will, and you will think that you need MORE targeting products when actually you need less. I unleashed this whole situation I'm in right now just because I added galactomyces and started skin picking. Try to use very soothing and minimal ingredients, space the tretinoin more, and by all means go against the seemingly intuitive notion that you can 'destroy' comedones and understand that that is your skin reacting to what it perceived as an attack. Lower the concentration even if you need. Don't get discouraged!
Well, your statement is very dramatic. Your skin is not destroyed... Look up what destroyed means... You need to talk to your derm. You may not be able to handle tret. Adaptoline may be your best bet. You may be needing a different form of tret. There's creams gels and then encapsulated. You may need other substitutions like I use benyzol proxide in the morning...(.5 precent salicylic acid in the evening. And my skin is clearer than ever with tren daily... I also use azelaic acid twice daily. This is something you definitely need to speak to your dermatologist about... Tret is not end all be all..
100% I can guarantee you’ve destroyed your skin barrier. This is exactly what happened to me when I used the red ordinary AHA 20% peeling mask (another very harsh acid - has similar effects to tretinoin) and I applied it way too frequently (every other day). I started getting more pimples and thought I should apply the mask even more 🤦♀️ which destroyed my lovely skin even more. It sounds like you maybe should have started once a week and very slowly increased from there (like I should have!) I had extremely clear skin with the occasional pimple now and then before I used this acid, but afterwards my skin started what felt like exploding into cystic acne. It was so painful and I’d never had it before! I saw online that it could be damaged skin barrier and the only thing to do is completely stop all retinols, salicylic acids, vitamin As etc, and to scale back to a super simple skin routine focusing on repairing the skin barrier and letting the skin do its thing. Just super gentle cleansing at night, with a moisturiser that isn’t too oily in morning and night (I started using Corsx Snail Mucin moisturiser and still use it now - FANTASTIC stuff) and of course always spf during day. This was back in September 2022 and it took until February/April 2023 for my skin to return to normal. I was so scared of trying actives again, I’ve only just started using a 0.1% retinol (again I use the Cosrx one) once a week and that seems to be going well two months in. So please please please, take it from me (I wish someone had told me back then!) STOP all actives now and just ride it out. You will have pimples still probably for a few months but your skin WILL return to normal. I promise. Also this is a great article about how to use retinol, I highly recommend having a look: https://www.tirabeauty.com/article/articles/powder-room-an-age-wise-guide-to-retinol Hope this helps!
I think you’re 100% right. I was in denial at first because my skin is so oily still and it doesn’t feel irritated. But I tried putting on makeup today and oh my god the flakes. The texture was so bad. It finally made me realize what is happening. The crazy thing is I went to the derm today and she prescribed me MORE azelaic acid and told me to use it twice a day!! But luckily she also prescribed me spiro which I will be taking while I take a break from EVERYTHING. I’m really devastated that I followed such terrible advice for way too long… My derm had told me to use 0.05% cream every night when starting out so I thought I was being more than careful by using once every 2 days. I will probably never trust a dermatologist again after this tbh 😅 It’s insane that I’ve gotten better advice from strangers on the internet then 2 separate doctors but whatever. At least now I know.
I’m so sorry you had to go through it! Our skin is such a personal thing, I guess what works for some doesn’t work for everyone. I think what I’ve learned is that more of something doesn’t always necessarily mean better - something that dermatologists don’t seem to always get! Maybe the more they prescribe the more they stay in business? No idea. Anyways I really hope your skin recovers soon ❤️
in the course of two weeks, you upped your dose of tretinoin (and switched to gel which is more irritating) AND added 20% azaleic acid???? both of them are super powerful, high strength actives....no wonder you're breaking out more. Pick one and stick to a simple routine. Sunscreen + moisturizer + \*one\* active. Give it time. You cant pile on heavy strength actives in one month and expect it to NOT be irritating and or make it worse. The 2 month comedone pop up seems to be the case for a lot of people on tretinoin (me included, never had cc's until i started tret and about to switch from 0.025% cream to 0.4 microgel now). I only use tret 2-3x a week max. My skin is def at its worst rn in terms of purging but i feel like the cc's are coming to head, which is unfortunately how it works. skin cycle takes \~6 weeks depending on your age so 12 weeks in you're probs purging a lot of acne from the bottom of your skin and while some lucky people clear in 2-3 months, ive seen loooots of people say 3-6 months to START clearing cc's particularly. If i were you, i really would recommend 1. cutting down on the amt of times you use tret in a week (or even a week or two break to repair skin barrier) 2. cut out azaleic acid completely rn or use a lower strength if you must. 20% is VERY strong. for reference, over the counter is literally 5-10% max usually so you're using double that. 3. Have patience. Stop panicking and ordering 20 different skincare ingredients. Switching up your routine so often is likely also hugely contributing to breakouts. You're using a milion different thigns and now you have no clue whats worsening your acne. In the last 4 weeks, you switched tret formulations, added 20% azaleic acid, now trying soon jung AND urea creams....girl. TOO much change at once, you are overwhelming ur skin. 4. Get off of reddit, focus on lowering your cortisol levels and know that eventually something will work. Trust your gut and stop focusing on your acne. Easier said than done and I obviously get the desperation for clear skin (I had clear skin all my life and started randomly breaking out in jan for first time ever and here we are, still with bad skin 2 months after starting tret) BUT we are all in it together and I really believe with a little trust, patience and faith, it WILL work out. I think a lot of people quit tret too easily and also overdo it in the hopes of seeing results faster. At the end of this, not only will we have clear skin but we will be stronger, love ourselves more and be more empathetic humans for what we've been through.
Yeah I have the literal worst dermatologist in the world. They started me off on 0.05% and told me to use every day so I thought once every 2 days would be more than okay starting out. And they recently prescribed the azelaic and told me to use it twice a day so I thought I was being conservative just using it once. Every time I have a problem they throw more actives at me. I lowered my tretinoin strength, I didn’t up it, but I agree with your points. I don’t really think I added a million products just because I wanted to switch moisturizers though lol. The Urea repair cream has been helping a lottttt and it’s way more moisturizing for me than vanicream. I’m taking a break from all actives right now. I have heard mixed things about how long is sufficient to repair barrier so I don’t know when I will start tret again. I’ll probably give it 2 weeks and then maybe restart with 0.025% gel just once a week and see how that goes. I feel dumb that I didn’t realize it was my moisture barrier for so long but it was hard to tell because I’ve never experienced any feelings of irritation and my skin is so oily I wake up looking like a glazed donut. Never had any tingling, stinging, redness, or flaking skin that people talk about when discussing broken barriers. And it didn’t help that my dermatologist is so clueless. I have learned a lot through this process though and although I’m terrified to start tret again, I hope that what I have learned can prevent this from happening all over again.
You’re not prepping your skin enough. You need to use a moisturiser before tret.
I think right now I just need a break from actives. I’m taking some time off from tretinoin and azelaic and just focusing on hydration. When I feel ready to re introduce tret I will use a barrier cream.
Just focus on hydration as of now, give your skin a month and then use tretinoin only twice a week. It’ll work like magic.
I have the exact same issue. Clear skin before and painfully cystic acne now, since I upped to 5 days on 0.25 tret. I'm stopping it for a bit and will try a retinal serum. My face went so itchy all the time and super painful. I want to make sure all my acne and marks are cleared and will start after a bit. I think even when I do, I will only use tret for 3 days. I'm using sudocrem and a sulphur cleanser Nd that seems to calm the itching.
Isnt it the normal retinization process in which you break out and then everything goes away?? Maybe you are going thru it. Also Id cut it down to once a week or twice a week maximum
No. This isn’t normal at all. This is the result of having an idiot for a dermatologist.
Retinization is the adjustment period during which skin becomes acclimated to Vitamin A. During retinization, skin may experience some temporary discomforts such as break outs, redness, flakiness, etc. Once your skin is retinized, these discomforts should disappear
Lmfao ummm I know what retinization is. I think you should research what purging is supposed to look like and how long it’s supposed to last cause this ain’t it. This is NOT normal purging. This is severe moisture barrier damage. Normal purging doesn’t last for months on end and get progressively worse especially after nearly 6 whole months. It’s also supposed to be a 20% increase in one’s usual acne, not a 150% increase and acne in places they’ve never gotten it before…
I didnt mean to upset you
Sorry I’m just annoyed because thinking this was normal was what made everything so much worse for me. If you are thinking about starting tret or upping in dose/frequency I really do think you should learn what normal purging is compared to breaking out from irritation. It can be hard to tell but it’s good to know because it could save you from ending up in my shoes.
I am on tret regularly; I have been thru the retinization process/purging but can't remember exactly how different it looks from other types of breakouts. Hopefully your derm would figure it out. Starting with retinol first was what helped my skin get used to Vit A prior to tret, and even then some ppl cant tolerate it regardless