I have normal (leaning towards oily), moderate inflammatory acne with some (permanent?) scarring. I get the occasional whitehead as well. I've been using Neutrogena Rapid Clear 2-in-1 Fight & Fade Toner for a while. It has done a decent job of keeping acne away, but if I stop using it I break out. And the scars are there regardless.
- Based on my skin type and situation, should I use benzoyl peroxide AND/OR tretinoin? I read that they serve different purposes and it's a good idea to combine the two. Yet this site recommends solely BP 2.5%, and it seems to be enough for a lot of people.
- I don't have any particular tretinoin product in mind. What would you recommend? I was thinking of starting with an OTC 0.05% tretinoin topical cream AND/OR the acne.org benzoyl peroxide treatment. A recommendation for something relatively inexpensive and easily found would be great. I don't want to go the dermatologist route if I don't have to.
Thanks!
You can use bp and tretinoin together in your skin care routine but NOT at the same time. For example use the bp in the morning after you clean your face and apply the tretinoin at night after you clean your face before you go to bed. You need at least 10 hrs between applications or the bp cancels out the effectiveness of the retinoid. ie. do not apply one on top of the other!
My daughter has been doing this for approx. 6 months and has gotten great results. The retinoid has really faded her scars.
Good luck!