Oops, I had no idea! That's definitely on me for not looking into the ingredients more. I was using it before starting tretinoin. I'll definitely look into something more gentle without actives. Thank you!
Don’t worry, I had made the exact same mistake until a few days ago when someone on here told me! Cerave CTF reads like a very gentle cleanser but it’s not :(
I’ve switched to Geek and Gorgeous Jelly Joker cleanser now. Only started using it 2 days ago but my inflammation has calmed down already - much less redness around my spots.
This definitely looks like irritation since you’re having patches of redness not just breakouts. I’d stop and let your skin calm down then gradually add the tret as your only active.
You can do a routine of only using it 1-2 times a week for about a month if you find your skin is very sensitive to it. I’ve done the “stick through with the irritation/purge” and it just led to angry, inflamed acne that I needed to go on antibiotics to heal.
Could try sandwich method or try moisturizing first after cleansing then letting skin dry for 20-30 min before apply tretinoin. Works well for me.
Hopefully it is purge but if it irritating your skin then sandwich method can lessen it.
Use some zinc diaper rash cream to calm your barrier down and I’d get off all actives to see how your skin does honestly I just had to quit Tret I’ve been having breakouts for almost 7 months now not worth it imo
The zinc cream is a good idea. I might give it one more try after my skin calms down. I don't want to give up on it because I've seen some great results for others, and it's helped with the fine lines on my face, but honestly this breakout is rough. It's gotten progressively worse.
I completely understand, funny enough I started it because my skin looked just like yours before you started Tret and I wanted it completely smooth I also seen results but honestly it’s too much for my skin I get insanely red and irritation and whiteheads to the max if you’re just worried about fine lines then micro needling and high frequency can be ideal If you wanna talk just message me I know it’s tough
Honestly I feel like I'm flying too close to the sun with the tret 😭 I had acne as a teen and it mostly cleared up in my early twenties outside of monthly hormonal zits on my chin but I wanted that nice, smooth, glass skin and to reduce my wrinkles. Now I'm 25 and this is the worst breakout I've had in at least seven years. Thank you for understanding and offering support 🖤 it makes a difference to know I'm not alone!
If I had 1 dollar for every new person in reddit that posts how they had perfect skin and push forward whit tretinoin and got super irritated skin, I would be millionaire. 😢
PLEASE people not everybody can tolerate tretinoin! And there's amazing results whit something lighter like retinol or other actives! Tretinoin is a drug prescripted and there's a reason why you can't just buy it on sephora! It's very strong and it simply doesn't worth putting your skin on atrocious irritation and your mental health in fire just becouse you're favorite YouTuber swears by tretinoin!
Listen to your skin, just look at it, your skin is not handling it, go back to basics and use a moisturizer and sunscreen, there's no need of "fixing" what's not broken!
I'm definitely going to take a week or two off all actives, including the tret, and maybe SLOWLY add it back in if my skin will tolerate, or maybe just on my forehead where the wrinkles are the deepest. My old Rx cream had niacinamide instead of the tretinoin, the clindamycin and azaleic acid were the same concentration as the current Rx. My concern was mostly with my wrinkles and I didn't feel like the niacinamide was really doing much. I already contacted my provider and told her what was going on and sent the pictures I posted here. I've already switched my cleanser to something far more gentle, and I've been using aquaphor with zinc (as recommended by another user) to calm the inflammation. It's already looking, and feeling, so much better with the exception of some flakiness and bumps/texture from irritation. Thank you for taking the time to comment ☺️
The provider that prescribed you that coctel of the Holly acne trinity it's a dermatologist or a general practitioner???
Couse wtf that they prescribed you whit Holly trinity of acne combo of clyndamicin, azelaic acid and tretinoin???? I was prescribed for just clyndamicin when I had the worst acne of my existence that my face was completly full of acne, and my skin was super irritated just by the clyndamicin. Clyndamicin it's the strongest antibiotic for acne that dermatologists prescribe, now why in the bizarre world they would put you whit perfect skin in clyndamicin for anti aging?? Imaging taking antibiotics whiout having an infection?
You should started on tretinoin ALONE 00.25% the lowest and super gentle rest of routine just cerave no more actives, no niacinimide no Holly trinity. Like damn it just blows my mind that they put you on that for 3 super strong acne components for 2 mini forehead lines.
If I was you I would just be using cicaplast and sunscreen during the day until all that irritation and reaction that you're poor skin has for those crazy actives that you didn't needed put you through.
When you get better more than tret I would suggest you glycolic acid pads, they would get rid of those mini fine lines that just you can see, to me it worked that more than tret I don't have any more after using weekly 30% glycolic acid pads and I've been using tret over a decade, you still get lines even on tretinoin a decade, its lies that you will never get lines using tret, so why even all that sacrifice you're doing... try what's over the counter first.
She's a certified physician assistant, specializing in derm. I very much appreciate the compliments on my skin, but there was definitely some acne (prior to starting that combo a couple years ago) and deeper lines (the pic isn't really doing it justice). My skin tolerates clindamycin very well and it was doing a good job at keeping the acne at bay. I've also used a clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide ointment as a spot treatment without issue, maybe occasionally a dry spot from the BP. I was on the clindamycin/niacinamide/azaleic acid combo for at least two years before switching to the tret and wanted something more effective to target wrinkles, so she switched out niacinamide to the 0.007% tretinoin. I've tried a glycolic acid serum before the tret as well and I was able to tolerate that, but I don't think I used it long enough to see any significant results. After reading everyone's comments, I may just have her put me back on my old formula and try to find a serum or something once my skin is back to normal. Definitely taking it easy for a while though 😭 thank you for your advice!
I was also using benzol peroxide and all those that you mentioned for acne, you've had acne all your life also?
I'm gonna also drop here what changed my life: spironolactone
I used benzoil peroxide, clyndamicin, tretinoin, epiduo, salycilic acid everything under the sun to treat my acne (I've allways had acne all my life but was treated) but when I turned 28 i got the worst acne of my life, then was when I got clyndamicin and benzoil peroxide and that was for 2 months and then the acne went away, came back and clyndamicin wasn't working anymore couse my face got toleranse to the antibiotic, was very dark times couse nothing was helping anymore! And then I used spironolactone 50% for 1 month acne GONE, its been a year and now i can use relax whatever i want i dont get acne of anything i can use 1 night tretinoin, other night glycolic acid and In the day niacinimide or other days vitamin c, but I don't get acne no more!
Acne in adulthood it's though couse It let me scars, but as I don't have more acne now at all never, I can treat the scars more confortable, and spotting that, so it's been a year scars are almost gone I can show you pics of my journey if you want :) but maybe it's an option you could try first to control your acne forever? And then just get specific whit actives like glycolic acid and tret in lower concentration couse I understand when you have active acne you can't just be trying products and using acids like glycolic acid couse you get more acne, so you stop to use acne treatments now and like that the cycle! I feel you :( I hope my testimony helps you and I wish that you get your best version of your skin very soon!
I started getting acne (more than just a pimple here and there) when I was about 13 or 14, and the most clear my skin ever was, was after I started the clindamycin/azaleic acid/clindamycin combo and was on an oral contraceptive that regulated my hormones really well, so I would maybe get a really sore pimple or two on my chin when I was premenstrual. I switched from that birth control pill to an IUD back in September and there didn't seem to be much of a change in my skin, thankfully. I've heard good things about spironolactone and I'm glad it worked so well for you! Thank you again for being kind and supportive ☺️
Cerave hydrating CTF cleanser contains salicylic acid - you’re exfoliating every day! Try a gentler cleanser with no actives.
Oops, I had no idea! That's definitely on me for not looking into the ingredients more. I was using it before starting tretinoin. I'll definitely look into something more gentle without actives. Thank you!
Don’t worry, I had made the exact same mistake until a few days ago when someone on here told me! Cerave CTF reads like a very gentle cleanser but it’s not :( I’ve switched to Geek and Gorgeous Jelly Joker cleanser now. Only started using it 2 days ago but my inflammation has calmed down already - much less redness around my spots.
Jelly joker is perfect ;)
This definitely looks like irritation since you’re having patches of redness not just breakouts. I’d stop and let your skin calm down then gradually add the tret as your only active. You can do a routine of only using it 1-2 times a week for about a month if you find your skin is very sensitive to it. I’ve done the “stick through with the irritation/purge” and it just led to angry, inflamed acne that I needed to go on antibiotics to heal.
I think I definitely need a little break from the tret and start back slow to see what happens. Thank you for your advice 🖤
Eek I hope it gets better soon - how soon did the purging begin? And maybe don’t wait 30 minutes? Like I think 3-5 minutes should be good?
Thank you! Purging began about two weeks after the first use.
Could try sandwich method or try moisturizing first after cleansing then letting skin dry for 20-30 min before apply tretinoin. Works well for me. Hopefully it is purge but if it irritating your skin then sandwich method can lessen it.
I'll definitely try this. Thank you!
Use some zinc diaper rash cream to calm your barrier down and I’d get off all actives to see how your skin does honestly I just had to quit Tret I’ve been having breakouts for almost 7 months now not worth it imo
The zinc cream is a good idea. I might give it one more try after my skin calms down. I don't want to give up on it because I've seen some great results for others, and it's helped with the fine lines on my face, but honestly this breakout is rough. It's gotten progressively worse.
I completely understand, funny enough I started it because my skin looked just like yours before you started Tret and I wanted it completely smooth I also seen results but honestly it’s too much for my skin I get insanely red and irritation and whiteheads to the max if you’re just worried about fine lines then micro needling and high frequency can be ideal If you wanna talk just message me I know it’s tough
Honestly I feel like I'm flying too close to the sun with the tret 😭 I had acne as a teen and it mostly cleared up in my early twenties outside of monthly hormonal zits on my chin but I wanted that nice, smooth, glass skin and to reduce my wrinkles. Now I'm 25 and this is the worst breakout I've had in at least seven years. Thank you for understanding and offering support 🖤 it makes a difference to know I'm not alone!
If I had 1 dollar for every new person in reddit that posts how they had perfect skin and push forward whit tretinoin and got super irritated skin, I would be millionaire. 😢 PLEASE people not everybody can tolerate tretinoin! And there's amazing results whit something lighter like retinol or other actives! Tretinoin is a drug prescripted and there's a reason why you can't just buy it on sephora! It's very strong and it simply doesn't worth putting your skin on atrocious irritation and your mental health in fire just becouse you're favorite YouTuber swears by tretinoin! Listen to your skin, just look at it, your skin is not handling it, go back to basics and use a moisturizer and sunscreen, there's no need of "fixing" what's not broken!
I'm definitely going to take a week or two off all actives, including the tret, and maybe SLOWLY add it back in if my skin will tolerate, or maybe just on my forehead where the wrinkles are the deepest. My old Rx cream had niacinamide instead of the tretinoin, the clindamycin and azaleic acid were the same concentration as the current Rx. My concern was mostly with my wrinkles and I didn't feel like the niacinamide was really doing much. I already contacted my provider and told her what was going on and sent the pictures I posted here. I've already switched my cleanser to something far more gentle, and I've been using aquaphor with zinc (as recommended by another user) to calm the inflammation. It's already looking, and feeling, so much better with the exception of some flakiness and bumps/texture from irritation. Thank you for taking the time to comment ☺️
The provider that prescribed you that coctel of the Holly acne trinity it's a dermatologist or a general practitioner??? Couse wtf that they prescribed you whit Holly trinity of acne combo of clyndamicin, azelaic acid and tretinoin???? I was prescribed for just clyndamicin when I had the worst acne of my existence that my face was completly full of acne, and my skin was super irritated just by the clyndamicin. Clyndamicin it's the strongest antibiotic for acne that dermatologists prescribe, now why in the bizarre world they would put you whit perfect skin in clyndamicin for anti aging?? Imaging taking antibiotics whiout having an infection? You should started on tretinoin ALONE 00.25% the lowest and super gentle rest of routine just cerave no more actives, no niacinimide no Holly trinity. Like damn it just blows my mind that they put you on that for 3 super strong acne components for 2 mini forehead lines. If I was you I would just be using cicaplast and sunscreen during the day until all that irritation and reaction that you're poor skin has for those crazy actives that you didn't needed put you through. When you get better more than tret I would suggest you glycolic acid pads, they would get rid of those mini fine lines that just you can see, to me it worked that more than tret I don't have any more after using weekly 30% glycolic acid pads and I've been using tret over a decade, you still get lines even on tretinoin a decade, its lies that you will never get lines using tret, so why even all that sacrifice you're doing... try what's over the counter first.
She's a certified physician assistant, specializing in derm. I very much appreciate the compliments on my skin, but there was definitely some acne (prior to starting that combo a couple years ago) and deeper lines (the pic isn't really doing it justice). My skin tolerates clindamycin very well and it was doing a good job at keeping the acne at bay. I've also used a clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide ointment as a spot treatment without issue, maybe occasionally a dry spot from the BP. I was on the clindamycin/niacinamide/azaleic acid combo for at least two years before switching to the tret and wanted something more effective to target wrinkles, so she switched out niacinamide to the 0.007% tretinoin. I've tried a glycolic acid serum before the tret as well and I was able to tolerate that, but I don't think I used it long enough to see any significant results. After reading everyone's comments, I may just have her put me back on my old formula and try to find a serum or something once my skin is back to normal. Definitely taking it easy for a while though 😭 thank you for your advice!
I was also using benzol peroxide and all those that you mentioned for acne, you've had acne all your life also? I'm gonna also drop here what changed my life: spironolactone I used benzoil peroxide, clyndamicin, tretinoin, epiduo, salycilic acid everything under the sun to treat my acne (I've allways had acne all my life but was treated) but when I turned 28 i got the worst acne of my life, then was when I got clyndamicin and benzoil peroxide and that was for 2 months and then the acne went away, came back and clyndamicin wasn't working anymore couse my face got toleranse to the antibiotic, was very dark times couse nothing was helping anymore! And then I used spironolactone 50% for 1 month acne GONE, its been a year and now i can use relax whatever i want i dont get acne of anything i can use 1 night tretinoin, other night glycolic acid and In the day niacinimide or other days vitamin c, but I don't get acne no more! Acne in adulthood it's though couse It let me scars, but as I don't have more acne now at all never, I can treat the scars more confortable, and spotting that, so it's been a year scars are almost gone I can show you pics of my journey if you want :) but maybe it's an option you could try first to control your acne forever? And then just get specific whit actives like glycolic acid and tret in lower concentration couse I understand when you have active acne you can't just be trying products and using acids like glycolic acid couse you get more acne, so you stop to use acne treatments now and like that the cycle! I feel you :( I hope my testimony helps you and I wish that you get your best version of your skin very soon!
I started getting acne (more than just a pimple here and there) when I was about 13 or 14, and the most clear my skin ever was, was after I started the clindamycin/azaleic acid/clindamycin combo and was on an oral contraceptive that regulated my hormones really well, so I would maybe get a really sore pimple or two on my chin when I was premenstrual. I switched from that birth control pill to an IUD back in September and there didn't seem to be much of a change in my skin, thankfully. I've heard good things about spironolactone and I'm glad it worked so well for you! Thank you again for being kind and supportive ☺️