Tretinoin had 0 effect on me. I bumped up to Tazorac, which is pretty much a stronger version, and it improved my skin a lot. It helps a lot on cheeks and getting rid of red marks. However, for me it had virally no effect in areas like my forehead where my skin is very oily. took maybe a month to see results but after about 7 months it stopped working along with my antibiotics. Started accutane 3 days ago so I guess we'll see what happens. Nevertheless, if your acne is mild I would suggest it. When i put it on I usually put the size of a large, overgrown pea and dab it on center of my forehead, temples, and each cheek and then spread it around. Also make sure to wash your face before you apply. If your skin feels dry put moisturizer on first or else it will just cause irritation and redness and it works exactly the same with moisturizer on than without.

Tretinoin (or Retin-A, RA) 0.05is the only thing that ever worked for my mild acne. But at first it sucked. Like really bad.My skin didn't purge, but I was told it's possible. It took my skin a month to get used to it.When I started I used it every 3 days for 2 weeks, then every 2 days for 1 week, then every day after that. My acne was completely gone at week 8 and now I get 1-2 occasional tiny blackheads. Now I use it for 2 days then I take 1-2 day break.

Here's how you use it AT NIGHT ONLY:
- clean your face and pat dry with a towel
- don't use any toner or anything else. people say they put moisturizer under it, but my derm told me not to.On my days when I don't use it I use diluted ACV as toner at night after I wash my face and that's pretty much it...
- wait 20 minutes, then take a tiny!! amount of RA, like a small pea size, and spread a thin layer all over your face, avoid your eye area, lids and mouth.
- done... (wash face in morning and go about your morning routine, no RA in the morning!!)

Things I wish I listened to my derm about:
- RA is a very very powerful chemical exfoliant, it makes your skin shed the top layers super fast. Do not use a scrub toexfoliate, anything with vitamin c, glycolic acid, BP, salicylic acid or any other exfoliant. I read that BP and RA actually interacta
- Absolutely no tanning allowed. You will be very sensitive to sunlight. Use a sunscreen SPF35+ every single day, no matter if you don't go out. Believe me, I learned this the hard way and it wasn't pretty...
- Most likely after a week, you will be red, your skin will be tight and you will peel as if you got sunburnt. This went away for me around the end of week 4. Don't pick the pieces of skin, and make sure to use products like cleanser and moisturizer suitable for very sensitive skin, otherwise they will burn like hell. (Also learned this the hard way).
- If the peeling irritates you:I used a warm wet cotton pad to gently take the peeling skin off when I was washing my face every couple days.

Please only use a pea sized amount, even if you feel it is not covering your entire skin. Also, like the previous poster stated, start off slow, like 2-3 times a week. You're better off slowly introducing it to your skin and building up than starting quickly, getting irritated and having to stop. I broke out my entire time on retinoids and never cleared up - my acne was moderate though. Expect crappy skin and a purge that can last from 1-4 months. If after month 4 you are not more consistently clear or at the very least, improving, you may need to tweak things (such as adding in something or switching to a stronger retinoid).