My doctor told me to use my topical tretinoin (0.025% cream) with a pea-size amount every other night. the problem is, I'm having trouble covering the entire face with a pea-sized dosage. does anyone else actually follow the direction to use pea-size amount for tretinoins?
Oh my goodness, please just use a pea sized amount! The medication spreads when it's beneath the skin, so you don't need to worry about caking it on. Retinoids (even in lower strengths) are very strong. If you use more than the recommended amount, I can assure you that you will irritate your skin enough to redden and inflame it further and putting more on will not help clear your skin.
Don't use any larger than that pea sized amount. I find that if I squeeze the pea sized amount from the tube and onto my finger and then dab dots of medication on my chin, forehead, cheeks, under my nose, it spreads nicely and goes everywhere it needs to go.
My doctor told me to use my topical tretinoin (0.025% cream) with a pea-size amount every other night. the problem is, I'm having trouble covering the entire face with a pea-sized dosage. does anyone else actually follow the direction to use pea-size amount for tretinoins?
When I was on retin a I used about two peas to cover my entire face. You do have to be very light though.
Oh my goodness, please just use a pea sized amount! The medication spreads when it's beneath the skin, so you don't need to worry about caking it on. Retinoids (even in lower strengths) are very strong. If you use more than the recommended amount, I can assure you that you will irritate your skin enough to redden and inflame it further and putting more on will not help clear your skin.
Don't use any larger than that pea sized amount. I find that if I squeeze the pea sized amount from the tube and onto my finger and then dab dots of medication on my chin, forehead, cheeks, under my nose, it spreads nicely and goes everywhere it needs to go.
Yes, this!
I think it varies, especially for men. You can't spread easily over stubble at all, so it takes 2-3 pea sizes at the very minimum. Tretinoids do not irritate me at all..
You want to talk about irritation! Worst decision ever was buying Dan's 2.5% BP - I barely used any and it nearly burned my face off.
Hi, there is a link to an journal article which I'm not sure will show up on here that states in trials more than a pea amount was used. I suggest reading the whole review as it's pretty packed with info about retinoids. However, this is a quote from it where it states about administration:
'Although package inserts often suggest using a pea-sized amount, our dermatology practice recommends applying 1 inch of the retinoid to the entire face on a nightly basis. This off-label application can be beneficial when addressing conditions such as acne, photodamage, intrinsic aging, actinic keratoses, lentigines, melasma, rosacea, and Darier's disease. By treating the entire face, efficacy can be enhanced, for the active ingredient works where it is placed. Spot treating should be avoided. This may reasonably decrease efficacy, and can lead to a blotchy appearance of the skin. Application should extend to the hairline and feather down along the jawline (Obagi & Bridenstine, 2000). Note: An inch is approximately the length of your distal finger (from the DIP to the tip).'
here is the link to the article: