This product has really worked great for me. I was SO nervous about the initial breakout but it actually never happened. The medicine started working instantly and cleared my existing zits. I had scars from a previous breakout and although they are still there, I've only been using the product 3.5 weeks, they are fading more and more each day. I started using less than a pea-size every other night because I was scared of the IB. Then I moved onto a pea size each night (30 mins after washing) and now my face can handle a bit more than that each night. I wake up with great skin but after washing and applying lotion it gets a little irritated and has a red tinge. Nothing that makeup won't cover. Also sometimes my skin will be flakey but I just wash with a facecloth to exfoliate and apply spf face lotion right after. Everyone has seen an improvement in my skin and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon! I hope this helps!

I love this medication! I have the 0.01% gel, and have been using it for almost 3 weeks now. I did not experience an IB but it did cause serious dryness (to the point I had to moisturize every 10 minutes) and had serious flaking. I was lucky and was excluded from School when I had my week of pure flaking and redness; and now I'm in school again, and have recieved lots of comments about how much my skin has improved. So happy :)

I never had completely flawless skin, but my acne was never so bad of a problem that I needed to see a derm or anything. I would get the occasional pimple but nothing horrible. Well, I decided to go on Ortho Tri Cyclen Lo birth control pills to get rid of the mild acne I had...BIG MISTAKE. After 3 months of taking the pill, my acne had gone from mild to moderately severe. I had huge blemishes all over my face and got pimples in areas I never had them before, like my cheeks and jawline. It was horrible :( After going off of the pill, my acne was still pretty bad so I decided to see a derm. She prescribed Retin A along with brevoxyl, minocycline, dove soap and nizoral shampoo. After almost 3 weeks, my acne is WAY better. No more blemishes at all. I use the Retin A every night before bed and it has helped me so much. The peeling is the cell turnover, which indicates that the skin is healing - and it shows. My skin is softer, smoother, and most importantly, acne free!! I think I got lucky on the IB front because the birth control pill had done a "great" job of bringing all my pimples to surface already, so that's probably why I didn't get the IB. The only thing is I still have PIH marks (red marks left from the acne). It's only been a few weeks so I'm still hopeful, and they have definitely started to fade a little. I'll post again in a few weeks. Bottom line, Retin A did wonders for my acne and once the red marks are gone my skin will be looking better than before I went on the Ortho. P.S. my derm told me that Ortho Lo is really bad for acne, and that the only FDA approved BC pill for acne is Ortho Tri Cyclen (regular, not Lo). P.P.S. I know this is a review for Retin A, but using the Nizoral shampoo as a facial cleanser every couple days has worked WONDERS on my acne too! Good luck everyone :)

I'm writing this review because reading reviews of retin-a, the side effects and the trials and tribulations helped me stick at it & get where I am today. Retin-a does work but yes, as everyone else says, it takes a serious commitment. I have been using it for just over 4 months and I am finally starting to see the results I want. My face was a state when I first started using it. I actually had folliculitus on my forehead and medium acne around my chin, but it just never got better. Everytime a spot started to go away, another one would come up. I decided to buy retin-a (off prescription and online - obviously I don't recommend this - you should probably see a dermatologist!) after reading about how it could help. For the first 8-10 weeks of using retin-a my face was pretty much a mess. Spots everywhere - skin erupting where it wouldn't usually erupt (cheeks), dryness, flakiness, redness, sensitivity etc etc. It was bad and I felt very self-conscious a lot of the time. Where as my face was relatively oily before, it was now super dry, so I had to go out and by all new skincare, makeup products. I used cerave moisturisers, and around week 4 ish I came up with a system to keep the crazy peeling at bay. Step 1: Wash face (using oil to remove makeup, then tea tree soap) Step 2: Apply rich moisturiser all over (I used a caudalie one) Step 3: After 20 minutes apply retin-a Step 4: After another 20 minutes apply cerave night moisturiser I did this for up until about week 12, which was when my skin finally to recover from the crazy dryness and I started to see the results I wanted. At this point I had A LOT of hyperpigmentation - all the scars from my breakouts over the last 3 months were so red, I also have pockmarks from some of the really bad spots, but not many. And now retin-a is taking care of both of those. Now my regimen is: Step 1: Wash face with an oil - either jojoba or hemp right now (I haven't yet found any other cleanser that works for my skin) Step 2: Let dry and apply moisturiser to only parts of skin that are very dry (not very many - usually around lips) Step 3: Apply retin-a after 20 mins In the morning, I wash face with water usually and then every other day I am using a 5% glycolic acid treatment to help with skin renewal and removal of dead skin cells. Yes my skin is still dry and I do still get spots - because it is hormonal - but overall I am very happy with the results. The scars are fading, my pores are clearer and my skin is smooth. It has also helped a bit with fine lines. I will continue using it, and I would encourage others, unless they have an allergic reaction to it, to stay the course for 12 weeks or longer to actually see any real improvement. Hope that's helpful!

So this is my 3rd review of this cream. I wrote one about 10 weeks into my use of Tretinoin, and then a second after 6 months. I'm now at 1 year of using this medication and I could not be happier. Sticking with this medication is really difficult for the first 4-5 months, because you don't see immediate results and there is a lot of flaking. But don't be discouraged. I went from having lots of acne and comedones on my cheeks and chin, to having maybe 1-2 comedones develop every 2 weeks. Because this medicine thins your skin, any comedone is very easy to extract, if you do so gently. My dermatologist recommended only make-ups and face washes and face lotions that explicitly say "non-comedogenic" on them, and that has also made a big difference. I freely use lotions and sunscreens on my face in order to keep my skin healthy and moisturized, and because they are non-comedogenic they are very effective. Getting through the first months of Tretinoin was so difficult, but I would come back to this site every couple of days looking for success stories. They really kept me going, and I hope that you will read this account, and find the strength to keep going. It will pay off, and you will feel so confident and attractive. Acne is so emotionally painful, but it doesn't have to be anymore! SUPER IMPORTANT: wash your face at night (I use Cetaphil), wait 30 minutes for your skin to be completely dry, apply pea sized amount to affected area. Do not apply near nose or mouth, unless desperately necessary. This medicine will cause more burning/peeling and won't be as effective if you put it on while there is any moisture on your skin. Don't use it in the morning, it's a bit greasy and doesn't work well under make up. Just apply a moisturizer (I use CeraVe with SPF) in the morning and whatever non-comedogenic make-up you like, and go! Also, buy and use a Clairsonic, it is a bit expensive but it is great in the morning when you're washing your face... it will get the dr

I have waited 5 1/2 months to write this review, using a generic retin-a cream nightly for that duration. I began with the .025% generic cream and experienced a dreadful initial breakout that lasted until about 5 months. I will rephrase that. The worst of the initial breakout began for me at two weeks in and lasted until around the three month mark. My skin pushed up painful inflamed acne on my cheeks, chin, and jawline. This decreased, but another bad breakout came and stuck around until just a few weeks ago. I never had experienced acne in these areas, and never this variety. One weeks ago, I asked the derm to bump up the concentration to the .05% generic cream and I'm so glad I did! The results are quicker now, and I'm excited to wake up every morning and see the improvements! I made several mistakes early on that probably affected my results: Don't pick (actives or resolving scabs) Be gentle with your skin (you might not be able to tolerate exfoliation or other products = bad reaction) Use a gentle cleanser morning and night, pat dry (I use a fresh paper towel!), no rubbing Apply evenly and pat in as opposed to rubbing it on! Work up to nightly use/more thorough application Avoid the sun, especially at first! With extended exposure, you'll not only have worse sun damage but also more redness, peeling, inflammation, and breakouts as a response. Expect the worst but anticipate the best...my skin got much, MUCH worse when I began using this product. I would cry and refuse to face anyone. This treatment requires courage and dedication. After almost six months, my skin is much smoother, and looks glorious with makeup. I still have a lot of hyper pigmentation to deal with, left over from the two bad breakouts I got at months 1-3 and 3-4, but I am confident the retin a + time will fade them. My skin personally began looking its best when I STOPPED using a moisturizer and stuck with a simple rose water and glycerin m

Morning Regimen -Wash face with Neutragena Fresh Foaming Cleanser - Moisturize with Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion. -Sunscreen Water Babies SPF 50. Night Regimen -Wash face with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser - Wait 30-40 minutes then apply Trentinoin Cream. I had really bad acne for a year or two & it was horrible. I went from being the most confident to having low self esteem, I hated taking pictures & people would alwasy reccomend something I could use. I tried almost everything! At first my doctor wouldn't give me a prescription, he told me to cut out sugar & drink only wat.er After a month of no improvememnt he gave a prescription for trentinoin cream 0.1%. The first night I read all the directions for about an hour contemplating if this was something I wanted to do. I was scared that my acne was going to wprese before it got better and what people would say or think (I'm in high school). Finally I decided to try it & for the first few weeks it was horrible! Yet, I kept pushing on. I was atleast going to try it for 12 weeks (3 months). It ACTUALLY TAKES 12 WEEKS TO SEE IMPROVEMENT. I broke out in week 6-9. My break out was horrible but I kept telling myself that it was pushing the impurities to the top of my face. Finally after 12 weeks I saw lots of improvement. My pimples werent there and my scars were fading. I am still using this product (4 months and counting) & still seeing improvements. Now, I feel so much better about myself. I'm going to continue to follow my dreams as being a model. I get compliments on my skin all the time & many people have told me that my skin has improved A LOT. I am so glad that I tried this product, I really don't know what I would do with out it.

This product is great. It works. If your doctor prescribes it, stick with it for at least 6months to a year. You won't regret it. I have sensitive skin, meaning I can't even use regular laundry soap or fancy lotions. It took a couple weeks to adjust to retin a. I used a 10% benzoyl peroxide face wash once a day, and in the beginning retin a every other night. Make sure you follow directions. Example, wait 20-30mins after you wash your face to apply cream, GO EASY with how much you use until your face adjusts. Also, you need to use a moisturizer! The first month or so I had to apply moisturizer at least twice a day which was weird because before I couldn't even use one without breaking out before. So, bottom line, if you haven't found anything to completely get rid of your acne give this product a serious try. And when I say serious I mean dedicate time to use it correctly and commit for a few months (aim for 6-12months). It will be bad in the beginning, but it will work. My face looks great. I just saw a picture of myself from two summers ago and in the picture my face is oily looking and has breakouts. Now, in pictures over the last year, my face looks GREAT. I don't even wear makeup because it looks that good.

I have had acne since I was 13 years old. I have started cyclines for antibiotics since April (It is now August '11) Began with doxycycline, now on minocycline. Acne was on face, shoulders, chest sometimes. Antib's did work to an extent, less whiteheads as they were every day. WELL TRETINOIN is a miracle cream. I have NEVER seen my skin so clear and I am now 24 years old. Incredible. I have been using the cream for one month. Results are approx 80%. I am waiting longer to see if everything heals. I feel like this was literally a miracle for me. 10$ with insurance, lasts a long time. Put it on at night time on days you will not be in the sun. As tolerated.

pricy ..even with insurance.. nontheless..the benifits are exceptional !