So, I'm just over three months into Tretinoin and although I am happy with the results thus far, I am still not where I want to be. This is because I'm still purging in areas where I had the deepest clogged pores. Right now I use Paula's Choice 2% BHA gel in the morning and Tretinoin .025% cream at night. I've been going to the dermatologist for a couple of years now and have been prescribed numerous products, but Tretinoin is the only product I've stuck with! I also have in the medicine cabinet Differin and Acanya. Soooooo, I was wondering if I should maybe add one of these stronger products into my regimen a couple of times a week to speed up the acne healing process? Maybe the Acanya because it's a topical antibiotic? Or maybe I should head to the dermatologist and get a stronger dose of Tretinoin. I would love to hear your thoughts.
Differin and tretinoin operate under the same mechanism to fight acne so the combination of the 2 would most likely be very irritating. Many people have good luck with a retinoid like tretinoin and a topical antibiotic like clindamycin. The idea being one fights the acne bacteria, and the other causes the skin to turn over more quickly thus reducing the clogged pores. This combination has always worked best for me.