Acne.org Products
Topical Retinoid
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Works about the same as the other two topical retinoids, tazarotene and adapalene, and lands in the middle of those two when it comes to side effects. Should provide partial clearing, but comes with sensitivity when you first start using it. It probably won’t be a total game changer but it should help reduce acne.
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 Tretinoin? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
September 24, 2016
After more than 5 months of use, no more
I started using Retin-A 0.050% in April and it is now September, so I've waited a while to see if it really works. Unfortunately for me, this does not seem to have helped at all. Week 1: major peeling
Week 3: still peeling + HORRIBLE BREAKOUTS (worst I've had in my life - I'm 33 and have suffered through acne since my teens)
Week 5: no more peeling, but very bad purging phase. I can't even go out anymore :(
Week 6: I went back to the doctor to ask for an antibiotic to use while my skin is still purging while on Retin-A because I couldn't take looking like Frankenstein's bride anymore.
Week 8: Skin got better, but probably due to Minocycline, which has always worked for me but gives me the worst side effects. I was willing to go through the side effects just to have clear skin this time.
Week 18: Finished my course of Minocycline. Skin is still better.
Week 20: Started breaking out again because I've stopped Minocycline.
Week 22: Skin looks worse than before I started Retin-A and I'm almost finished with my first tube. I won't continue with this anymore. I'm sure this works for some people, but it didn't for me. I went through a horrendous purging phase that was not worth it at all for me because even after 5 months, the medicine hasn't worked. I know a lot of people are saying to stick it out, but that will only really work for some. I don't want to give false hope. I only give it 2 stars because it is very affordable (I do live in Canada).
March 6, 2016
Decent product
Currently suffering from mostly acne marks, but i still have a few pimples. Am 22 now and have had acne for years, the last 4 years i've been getting a ton of leftover acne marks. My acne marks are on my lower face (cheeks/sides of mouth & under my chin) My dermatologist prescribed me Tretinoin microsphere .04% and clindamycin phosphate topical lotion 1%. Been on it for almost a month now (i use tret every other night and clind every morning), only change i've seen is my skin has gotten smoother but my acne marks are still there. I do believe they are fading but i'm not sure if its the medicine or just time. (I've had these marks for easy a year) I am also taking 500mg of Vit-C twice a day so that may be helping it as well. I do believe the clindamycin has really helped me stop breaking out, ive only got a few pimples now. I do have a question about the Tretinoin, everyone is saying they have a 'purge' but i've been using it for almost a month and have not broken out at all (not like i have a problem with that though!) and ive only gotten peeling skin a few times. Is this normal? I'm not sure if it's working or not.. I took this stuff years ago and the first week i broke out horribly, so maybe now i just don't have as much 'junk' in my face?
January 4, 2015
different experience than most
Ok, so I have combination skin, but mostly oily. My backstory: I got on birth control and it started to clear up, other than the few days before my period, id start to break out a little, but that was it.. then randomly my BC stopped working and my skin turned...... absolutely horrible. I had two large cysts on my face (they were super painful and about the size of a large pea under my skin) and i had dozens of blemishes, where i would usually have like one or two before. I was getting super worried bc i don't want scars! and nothing was working! I was pretty reliant on just washing my face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub. And that was all good until my BC stopped, then nothing worked at all. I went to the doctor and got prescribed Retin-A. I started my treatment December 15th. I was suuuper worried because i read all of the reviews of "its going to get a LOT worse before it gets better! just hang in there!" and i was freaking out bc i thought "it's already bad enough, i dont want to go thru more, even WORSE stuff." but i tried retin-a anyway.... with little expectations..... and here's the weird part. My skin is almost completely clear. after like 3 weeks of using it... ? I guess I'm still waiting for the 'awful' phase but like ??? my skin was getting progressively better within a week. I asked a friend who uses it too and asked how long they were using it until the "purge" phase came around and they said like 4 days. So im confused, but i guess this is good ??? Idk. I use it every night . I do a light layer on all my face then dab it on thicker on my trouble areas. It dries my skin out pretty bad ( warning to everyone who uses liquid foundation - moisturize before you put on your foundation or your skin will look like its peeling after you put your foundation on.) but yeah, i still have hyper-pigmentation, but thats no big deal to me bc 1) its better than not having acne 2) i use foundation anyway when i go out 3) my boyfriend understands my skin issues and he's super sweet. i just didn't like having painful acne. so yeah. i read something that said "don't trust anyone who says their acne got better in 2 weeks... they're lying.." but mine basically did. I'm still using it religiously, (every single night after i shower) and my skin just looks healthier. i don't know if this will help anyone but i wanted to share my experience, bc almost everything i read before i started using it said "it's gonna get so much worse before it gets better!!" and that wasn't the case for me. PS- im a 17 year old girl. thanks! (also: email me if you want to see my skin before and after - [edited out] ( wouldnt let me put actual link )
December 21, 2013
It works - when combined with a good moisturizer and exfoliate
Cons:
Irritating at first
Expensive
Hard to obtain
I'm 46 and have had acne since i was 14. I've tried everything out there and nothing has worked or lasted. this includes Accutane, antibiotics, sulpha lotion, benzoyl peroxide, laser, peels, and tons more. accutane worked for a few years but after the birth of my son, acne came back in a fury. i went on accutane again, but lasted a few months. This product with a combination of other products has helped resolve my problem. In the morning I wash my face with physoderm ph reducer. Then i apply a thin layer of reversa 8% glycolic cream (wait 15 minutes after washing to apply). Then i apply a second layer of Eucerin 5% urea face cream. Since glycolic can be irritating to the skin and also dries it out, this is the best cream that i have found to give me intense moisture without break outs. in the evening, i wash my face with sebcur 4% glycolic acid. Yes, this product is meant for dandruff, but the 2% face wash that are available on the market simply was not working. i needed something stronger. once my skin is completely dry, i apply .5 retinol cream to my entire face and add a second layer of eucerin 5% night cream (very very hydrating). Note that at the beginning, i had to apply the glycolic and retin a every 3rd day to give my face a chance to adjust. eventually it was every day without any irritation. By the 3rd week into this treatment, all pimples on my chin, cheek and nose disappeared. I had a few break outs and by week 6 nothing. I'm now on week 10 and still nothing. It is so nice now to get up in the morning, touch my face and no pimple can be found! its a miracle and i'm crossing my fingers that it will continue to last. the main benefit of this regime is that your skin will shed quite a bit bit without any irritation. however, it is important to manually exfoliate your skin every second day. The best exfoliating glove on the market is Renaissance. it costs more, but it can last several years (make sure to clean it on a weekly basis). i also purchased a small microdermabrasion machine and use it once a week for more intense exfoliation. This really helps with removing a lot of dead skin. Today, my skin is amazing. Many of my acne scars are barely noticeable. They are slowly disappearing and if you are in your forties, fine lines are also considerably reduced. My colleagues cannot believe how good my face looks, they indicated that i look so much younger and healthier. I wanted to share this regime as i have tried pretty much everything that exists out there.
May 21, 2013
Pros:
Clears acne
Stops oily skin
Lightens freckles
Cons:
Irritation, especially dry, sore skin
Initial breakout
I controlled my acne using the contraceptive pill for about 8 years, until constant headaches required me to stop to rule it out as a cause. At the time I was never particularly happy with my skin, always having a couple of spots, but after going off I remembered how depressing it is to have bad skin. After about 4 months off the pill, and a face like a pizza I finally went to the doctors to get some help clearing my acne. In New Zealand the Retrieve cream (0.05%) is under full subsidy so only cost $5. At first I thought my skin wasn't going to react negatively, but after about a fortnights daily use it made my skin dry and sore. My forehead because covered in tiny skin coloured lumps. After a couple of days off to rest my skin I started again, and now at week 7 I am starting to see my acne clear. Every day I can see it getting a little better, and hopefully within the next month or so my face should be clear. Before treatment my skin was extremely oily from going off the pill. This has now calmed right down, to the point I have dry areas on my face, especially my chin and jaw where most of the acne is. I'm hoping it also helps lighten my freckles :P My advice would be to persevere, even when it's hard watching your skin get worse to start with. The results in the long term will be worth it. Start of slowly, building up application, and use the minimal amount you can. Using a mild exfoliant in the morning can help clear up dry patches, but only start this once your skin has settled into treatment.
September 9, 2012
Pros:
Clears papules, pustules, whiteheads, blackheads, clogged pores.
Clears macules, hyperpigmentation, discolouration.
Exfoliates skin.
Cons:
Brings everything to a head at the start of treatment.
Not to be used if trying to conceive.
Skin is thinned & have to be careful what products you use in conjunction or else will burn skin.
Skin surface oily, is shiny but dry.
Started with 0.025% now using the 0.05%. After close to a year will feel like no longer effective. But stopping brought adult acne back so I will probably never get off this product again. Skin memory will kick in for this product so adjustment/break-in period irritation only severe for 1st time use. Subsequent returns to Retin-A again will be a breeze. Severe acne managed to clear and even the scarring/hyperpigmentation faded very well and skin is close to perfect again. Put this on after I turn the lights off to sleep because any form of light will break the formula down. Only way i know it's working is waking up in the morning and finding a layer of skin that can be rubbed off while washing. As weeks go by, acne is under control. Comedones dry up and can be extracted easily. No more pustules. New papules are flattened quickly. Scarring goes from red to brown, to pink as it fades. Took about 8 weeks to see that acne stopped surfacing & 28 weeks for discolouration to fade such that not really necessary to use foundation as cover-up. 1 x 25g tube lasts me 2 months, I use slightly more than a pea-sized amount.
August 17, 2012
Pros:
Very inexpensive with my insurance
Supposedly helps with wrinkles!
Easy to apply
Great results!
Cons:
Sunburn easily!
REALLY bad initial breakout and takes a while to work
Skin gets dry (nothing not fixable with a moisterizer)
I've had acne since seventh grade, and Im going to be a freshman in college so its been a very long 6 years! I've tried a lot of different Clean & Clear and Neutrogena acne products but they didn't really do anything for my skin (I think part of that is I didn't use them consistently when I was younger ;) I think my soph year of high school I was prescribed clindamycin phosphate & BP gel, since my acne consisted of mostly hundreds of little bumps at that point. Again, I don't really think I used it super consistently but I also don't think it was enough for my skin. My doctor put me on an antibiotic, but I kept getting weird side effects so I went off it. The start of this summer my doctor put me on birth control (ortho tri cyclen), tretinoin 0.025%, and the clindamycin gel still. I couldn't start the BC until 3 weeks into the retina a, which I think gave me an initial break out on top of an initial break out from the retina a! My skin started to get pretty bad, and I had full blown pimples instead of little bumps. I was so frustrated with it, but eventually got to a point where I could start using the clindamycin gel again, and I switch off between that and retin a every night. I'm almost to week 10 and my skin is basically completely clear! My one piece of advice is don't give up! I wanted to so badly, and I know all of the reviews on here said not to, but it was really frustrating. It takes some peoples' skin a long time to work with the product :) Also, I used Garnier makeup removing wipes, then a quick swipe of witch hazel (buy it, its amazing and kept my skin from flaking! About $7 at Whole Foods), and then I wait to apply the retina a or clindamycin gel each night. I also use Aveeno calming moisturizer! Don't give up on this! Its probably going to be a long process, but play around a little with the products you use and you'll see good results eventually! Good luck :)
July 23, 2012
Pros:
- Reduced pores
- Reduced blackheads / whiteheads
- 99% clear skin in 5-6 weeks
- Faded marks and scars
- Self-esteem returned
- No need to worry about having strict diets and sleeping time when you're on the cream (important!)
Cons:
- Skin gets oily easily
- Persistent pinkish skin tone on your face
- More sensitive skin
- Gets sunburnt easily
I'm a 24-year-old Asian from Hong Kong. I started my first application of tretinoin 0.05 when I was 22. My boyfriend at that time (now an ex-bf) is a dermatologist and I was so "lucky" to be breaking out while I was dating him. He gave me tretinoin 0.05 and an antibiotics (took it for around 1.5 months and went off it). So I used the cream religiously (day and night!) and all my breakouts subsided in 1 month. What's more - I continued to have good result with it. I had no initial breakout, no flaking or dry skin until I reached my 8th month, which was around January - the coldest and dryest time of the year. Then I got flakes and dry skin. I was stupid enough to keep using the cream without reducing my usage - All of a sudden, I developed an allergic reaction to it. My face got red and itchy. I cried to my bf (ex-bf) and he gave me Elidel cream. I applied for 2 days and recovered. After that I became paranoid about using tretinoin (how stupid!!) and started investing in products that are "natural" and "non-irritating" - Origins, Lush, etc. For the first couple of months, my skin was happy and easy - still breakout-free. Then I broke up with my bf, and stopped using tretinoin altogether. BIG MISTAKE!! My blackheads and whiteheads returned, followed by enlarged pores. Then out of nowhere, breakouts! At first it was just one to two acnes here and there - but then it got worse, and much worse after I started working (I'm an auditor). The thing about being an auditor in Hong Kong is you're working from 8 am to 3 am and it worsened my acne. Out of the blues I finally went to the derm in June 2012. He prescribed me Tretinoin 0.01, 0.025 and 0.05 (to switch flexibly according to skin condition), Minocycline for 3 months and Clindamyacin. Now I'm on 7th week and I am so happy that my skin is 100% clear! Even if I got an acne, it was so small and nothing like what I used to have. I swear I will never ever go off tretinoin! again! : )
April 17, 2012
Pros:
completely cleared up acne
Cons:
dries up your skin like mad
I would totally recommend this product. Along with Clindamycin, my skin was completely clear in 1 1/2 months. It's taking a little longer to work on my back acne but I can tell it is working. I find this also helps minimize scarring. However, do not go off of it. I tried because I thought my skin would be fine but my acne came back and it was frustrating getting my skin used to the drying aspect of these gels/creams again.
April 16, 2012
Pros:
Cleared my skin!
Cons:
Makes it worse before it gets better.
Takes time.
Drying
Can make skin more sensitive.
If you stop you're acne will come back, HOWEVER it will not be as severe as before.
I've been using this product for at least two years. I stopped for a moment then started back on it again with another medication. I have to say this (along with now, Clindamycin) has done miracles on my skin. Something my dermatologist told me (and I don't think most people know) is that your skin WILL get worse before it gets better. But after about 3-4 weeks of a major breakout the zits dry up and disappear. I still get acne, but they're minor and they move on fairly quickly. For drying and sensitivity I just take a day off (I apply twice a day) and put on a good moisturizer (like Eucerin).
Pros:
Works
Smooth skin
skin cell turnover