I use the tretinion in the evening and the acne.org regimen in the morning. I waited until my skin was clear (thank you acne.org) before introducing this product. I did not have any issues of initial breakouts. I think because I was using BP in the mornings. I would highly recommend using the acne.org regimen first for a few weeks before introducing this product. My face is clear and I couldn't be happier.

I have only been using this product for a couple weeks but it is merciless when it comes to surfacing all those zits lingering in your pores. I don't think it is causing any new acne, it is just bringing out what I would get in the future because I am breaking out around my chin and jaw which is where I would normally break out but my cheeks and forehead are still clear. Most of the reviews I have read were positive and reassuring, however most of the authors have been using it for over a year. If you think you are strong enough to handle the monstrous breakouts coupled with dry skin and peeling for months at a time, then this product for you. But if you're like me -- impatient and eager for instant results, I do not recommend you board this train ride.

I have been using Retin-A for about a year now, and the results have been truly amazing. I am a 15 year old female who struggled with acne as all teens do, and my derm prescribed me with Retin-A, Clindamycin lotion, and gave me a list of lotions and facial washes be recommended. I will tell you my routine, but if you don't care, scroll down to see the actual review. I use Retin-A .025 every other day because I'm a red head with sensitive skin at high altitude. Every morning, I wash my face with cetaphil, and apply my moisturel face lotion immediately after. Note that the lotion and face wash neither have acne fighting ingredients in them. I then apply sunscreen, and after either my makeup or the Clindamycin if I'm not wearing makeup. At night, I take my make up off If I wear any, and wash my face and use the moisturizer again. I then apply Clindamycin lotion. If I apply Retin-A that night, I wait 30 minutes after moisturizing to apply Retin-A. My derm told me this step is extremely crucial!! And then go to bed. When I first started using this product, my acne never got extremely severe, but my face peeled pretty seriously for about 5 months. I was embarrassed to be in public with my flakey skin, and no matter how much moisturizer I used, it wouldn't go away. No matter how much I exfoliated lightly, the flaking wouldn't go away until about 2 months ago. But truly for me, this was the only con. I had acne and I was ashamed and extremely insecure. But retin-a has changed my life. My skin is completely clear now, and on the way to recovery from my old scars. I would completely recommend this product to a VERY patient person, who follows their dermatologists orders. And remember everyone's skin is unique and may not be as pleasant ad mine was during the process. Many people's acne gets extremely worse before it gets better with Retin-A. But if you use the product properly and adjust it properly to your skins needs, then this product will work similar as it did for me and for you. Disclamer: just because I had much success doesn't mean everyone will. Some people's initial break out lasted 6 months before it got better. But whatever you do, if your derm prescribed this, DO NOT discontinue use! This is an extremely Long process, please do not give up! :)

My dermatologist prescribed me this and it was awful, it caused me more comedogenic acne:(

My doctor told me to try this out since my skin can't handle BP and SA is not doing anything for me. I apply it to areas where i tend to get acne every night before bed. I noticed that the large pores on my nose started to get smaller, but other than that nothing happened.

Retin-a both cream and Gel broke me out quite significantly, and continued to break me out for 5 months until I discontinued usage. This product is not for everyone.. but the aging benefits would be very useful for someone clear of acne.

i had horrible acne all over my cheeks and neck and i finally asked about retin a. i put a little on every night and my face started to look really dry with skin peeling but my doc said that was normal. it was more normal after a month and my horrible cyst like acnes was gone. one time i carelessly used to much and it burned sooooo bad. i was iceing my face for releif. so use a tiny amount. barely any. i used retina for a year or less and quit using it and the acne never came back. its weired because ive been plagued with it since 13 and didnt start using it till 23. your face will be sore and embarrassing for the first part but acne is embarrassing anyway. i say go for it. what do u have to llose.

So this was actually my second time on tretinoin cream. The first time was around 2.5 years ago when I was a sophomore in college. I was extremely stressed out and it showed in my face. Deep pimples began appearing and my doctor put me on tretinoin cream 0.1% immediately. It worked wonders but left some scaring near my temples possibly due to 0.1% being too strong of a prescription to start off. Soon after my face cleared up (6-9 months) I completely stopped using tretinoin cream. I thought that it was over but little did I know my acne would return with a vengeance. So this brings me to my junior year of college. Once school started and side effects of school (stress, sleep deprivation, eating unhealthy food, etc) appeared, my face broke out badly everywhere except my forehead. This time, my face broke out much worse than the first time. I'm talking like all over my cheeks, under my chin but especially bad along my jawline line. They were very painful too and I was miserable and self-conscious once again. So I waited a few monthes until I had a doctors appointment with a new doctor this time and I told him about my problem and he put me on tretinoin cream 0.1% again. Knowing I had to wait around 6 months to see results was a huge bummer. I would look at myself in the mirror and feel like sh*t. But I persevered and used the cream. My routine consisted of washing my face with alba botanica natural hawaiian facial wash around 30 mins (have to make sure your face is dry) before I would apply tretinion cream. I would also wash my face with the same facial wash in the morning. At first, washing my face was a hassle. Scrubbing my broken out face hurt so badly and my pimples would pop leaving my face a bloody and puss filled mess. This purging period will leave your skin extremely sensitive and your face will hurt but after you get past this period, you are in the clear. I did not see result until around 3 months after I began using it and almost full results until 6 months. The point is to be patient! This stuff works but it takes time for your body to push the gunk up from deep underneath your skin. During this purging period, apply sunscreen to prevent sun burns. Do not listen to those that bitch about this stuff not working. Most did not give it enough time to work. I still get a couple pimples every now and then when I eat greasy foods but I could care less about them because they clear up very quickly. It has been almost 13 months since I started my second round of tretinoin cream and now, I am much more confident and could care less about the minuscule scar marks on my face that are essentially too small to notice. Stick with your routine and keep applying the cream. Oh and drink lots of water keep you body hydrated and try not to eat too much greasy food. I also found the other positive reviews on here very inspirational in my own journey. I hope that my story can inspire and help others to persevere. I wish you all the best of luck through your own journeys and remember to keep your heads up, things will get better!!

I had an initial breakout with this that lasted a few months, it was awful. Afterwards my acne returned to how it was before as if I wasn't using anything on my skin at all. My skin was really soft to the touch after the initial breakout, the old marks I had were faded a bit and overall my skin was less oily... BUT I was still breaking out regularly. My skin was also really tender, it always felt like I had a really hard scrub and I barely had skin left. I burned very quickly the one time I spent some time in the sun with no sunscreen. I kept using it because my doctor told me it would take some time to kick in but it didn't after almost a year my acne was just as severe as it was before I started, I was just less oily. The fact that it faded marks didn't matter in the end because I had so many new ones that formed while I was using it. I only recommend because I've seen it work on someone with mild acne, so maybe it's good if the acne is mild.

Ive been prescribed retin a for years and years now and never had success with it. It causes a very bad purging stage in the beginning which I am fine with. But I could never use the product as recommended because it would make my skin raw from the extreme peeling. I got chemical burn when I used it as recommened and didn't realize what was happening with my skin. It makes my skin very sensitive and burns when ever I use it. It's not the product for me..