Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Produces similar results to the two other topical retinoids, tretinoin and adapalene, which means only partial clearing, and comes with far more sensitivity and side effects when you first start using it. It probably won’t be a total game changer and don’t be surprised if it’s too much for your skin to take.
Topical Retinoid
How to Get It
Have a dermatologist? Make an appointment to get this medication. Don't have a dermatologist? See The American Academy of Dermatology Physician Database to find one.
Used Tazarotene? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
January 26, 2018
Works pretty well on my sensitive skin
I have extremely sensitive skin and can rarely use acne products with harsh chemicals such as these prescription ones. But, I mix Tazorac with my moisturizer (Renee Rouleau - the best) and use every other day. This has seemed to be helping my face stay clear but not too dry! I recommend this for people who can't tolerate most harsh chemical acne medications. Granted, during the winter I do get dry and have to use less than every other day. Happy with the effects this has on my skin.
November 30, 2017
It worked, hang on in there!
If u do use tazorac i recommend the cream version because initially i had the foam and it did nothing but when i used the cream i started to see results. My doctor prescribed me aczone 7.5, tazorac and antibiotics. It got really bad and my jawline was covered with bumps for at least 3 to 4 months and i was fustrated because family members would say that i need to be using this or that and they didn't understand that it would get worse before it got better. During the first 3 months i stopped taking antibiotics because although it helped with my cystic bumps, it didn't help with all the other types of bumps i was getting. I continued with the aczone and tazorac, i started taking zinc, oneaday vitamins and probiotics, as well as drinking a lot more water and eating salmon. So really it took about 4 to 5 months for me to have mostly clear skin. I do have a lot of visible acne marks but my bumps are minimal to clear now and i would recommend it, i will say some days i cried and didn't want to go anywhere but it will get better. I'm praying for you all because Ik how hard that it is and many people don't understand it and it's not fair but clear skin is coming your way!
July 6, 2016
Stick with it
Currently on week 9 1/2 of Tazorac. 05 at night with Aczone 5% of morning and my skin is just now showing the big improvement I've been waiting for and my skin has never looked better since before puberty. Before last year I would get random zits here and there, but they would always clear up with Clearasil or some other over the counter spot treatment, but last summer I broke out horribly, and after almost a year of trying every OTC acne treatment out there, as well as Dermalogica, which is very expensive and didn't even work, I went to the dermatologist and was put on Taz and Aczone. Honestly I was about to give up about two weeks ago after reading about people seeing miracles after a month, and there I was 7 weeks in and still not improving, but I stuck with it after reading enough success stories, and finally I'm starting to see a huge improvement in my skin so I decided to share my story. Some things to keep in mind are that moisturizing and applying sunscreen are critical when on these products. Your skin will be a dry and burnt mess without. Without sunscreen my skin burned as soon as I stepped outside. Also be very gentle when washing your face, let the medicine to the work not the facewash. Over washing your face will further damage your skin and prolong treatment. Be patient, very, very patient. Some people see results in a month, others it's taken months, it really depends on your situation. But the wait is very much worth it.
October 14, 2016
Can 15 year old teen use it ? And when can we , day or night??
December 7, 2016
I would say talk to your derm first but its usually a nightime product for overnight
July 23, 2015
Used for 8 months
Before I was 16 I would only get acne on my forehead and pimples, but once my hormonal acne started my cheeks were covered in painful bumps. I am 19 now and thankfully with much clearer skin due to using clenziderm face wash by Obagi, the pmd system, the buffering lotion by mario badescu, and tazorac. I used the buffering lotion on my larger cystic breakouts and tazorac on my more red inflamed whiteheads. I don't think I experienced purging, but to be honest my skin was so bad that an extra five or even ten blemishes wouldn't have even phased me that much. I wore makeup all throughout high school and what tazorac did for me was reduce the size of the blemish (the height of the bump), which was a big deal to me because makeup can mask the color but it can't hide the texture of your skin. Now my general concern is just fading my discoloration, which I still use the pmd for. I still have an unopened 30 grams of tazorac but I am glad to say that I don't feel like I don't need it anymore so I am selling it on mercari. I wish my skin didn't peel for the sake of my makeup texture, but I am glad it did...I felt like a new person underneath lol
June 8, 2015
Good, but not on its own.
Story- Im a 16yo girl and used to have severe acne on my forehead for a couple years and have constantly been switching prescribed medications because they either didnt work, or my skin adapted to them. I have been using acanya in the morning, tazorac at night, and cera ve face products for about 6 months. Im using two products so that my skin cannot adapt to it so quickly. My skin has been slowly clearing up all through the months ,sometimes getting really bad (never worse than my original problem) , and sometimes really good. Now I will get only a pimple or two a week. Cons of Tazorac - oily but it was a night treatment so didnt matter, works slowly on its own, occasional severe redness and flaking.
January 26, 2015
Love it
I have been using tazorac for almost two years now. I ended up getting acne out of nowhere at 21 it was moderate acne but it was the cystic painful kind all over my face. I went to the dermatologist and she prescribed be tazorac .05% cream. I didnt have the initial purge people mention or the super awful red skin. My skin did become a little more sensitive but with more moisturizer it was perfectly fine. I saw results after 6 months my face was almost completely clear with one pimple left behind. Then my dermatologist had me using tazorac with aczone and i was also put on birth control but my face is amazing now. I never break out or have a pimple anymore!! My skin looks amazing but i still have some dark marks and my skin can get a dry and flaky so i have to exfoliate often. Overall this product is amazing and also prevents wrinkles so thats a huge plus i definitely recommend it.
January 2, 2015
Pretty Good Product
I've been on this product for about a month. I switched over to Tazorac from Atralin. I am using the Tazorac at night and taking Atralin (an antibiotic). Tazorac has shown minimal clearance, but I am hoping it will start to work. I never went through the "purging" phase, though. I will keep this updated!!
November 30, 2014
A product that finally worked!
I have been using tazorac cream 0.1% for 18 days for papulopustular rosacea along with 200 mg. Doryx. I have been using a very small amount, about pea size, before bedtime. It made my skin extremely dry and flaky and, at night time, itchy. I did not use any moisturizer at all because moisturizers always make me break out but this would probably help if you apply moisturizer during the day. Also, I did not use foundation because of flakey & peeling skin. The first 11 days were the worst because of multiple breakouts (tiny pustules). In my case, this was the area under my nose and on my chin, which turned bright red after using it a few days. I guess this is the 'purging' other reviewers were referring to. A word of warning, do not begin using tazorac if you have a wedding, a reunion, or other big social affair to go to. I would highly recommend taking time off from work or school if you can. I had new breakouts every day and went into seclusion because I did not want to leave the house. After 14 days, I noticed a lessening of redness and breakouts except for a few large cystic breakouts on my chin, which I have been using ice on 2-3 times a day, for 3 minutes at a time, to help with swelling. Things seem to be calming down a bit. It wasn't easy sticking it out for the first 14 days but since I see improvement, I am hopeful tazorac is working its magic. Glad I hung in there!
May 30, 2013
Hopeful optimism?!
Cons:
Acnes worsens first (purge)
I am 45 and have been dealing with moderate to severe cystic acne since I was a teenager. :( I believe I have tried it all - OTC and prescription treatments. Accutane twice (once in my younger years and again last year at age 44), cleansers, topical ointments, antibiotics, and on and on. Doctor started me on Tazorac cream over two months ago. Acne definitely has gotten worse, but I have continued application I haven't experience any major problems with dryness or irritation. Doctor instructed me to NOT wash my face in the evening as I don't use makeup, apply CeraVe PM moisturizer and wait at least one hour before applying Tazorac. This is the first night I believe I see some improvement. I SOOOO want this to work.
April 26, 2013
Pros:
smooth skin
clears acne
clears everything wrong..blackheads etc..
Cons:
gives you oily skin
takes a VERY long time
expensive
I have had acne ever since the age of 13. I am not 21 years old! my skin is VERY oily. the first time i ever got prescribed something was my senior year of highschool and i was given Epiduo. It worked but i got used to it and suddenly stopped working. I went to my dermo a month ago and she gave me Tazorac cream for the night and cylndamycin phosphate for the morning. Thankfully i had NO side effects what so ever (peeling,redness,drying,flaking) I guess its because i have oily skin. I did get really bad breakouts, and i felt like the medication wasnt working. i still stuck in for the 4 week mark, because thats what the website said to do. and now im finally seeing improvement. I had mild acne and now i only ave one active breakout. Unfortunately because of the purging period, you will get more breakouts and more scars. but i have seen a significant amount of change in my scars as well.
Pros:
Decreased acne
Lighten acne scars/brown spots