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
May 13, 2011
Cons:
-I suspect that it continuously caused more acne for me
-Redness
-Initial "purge" of acne never subsided
I was prescribed a combination of tretinoin 0.025% cream and finacea gel in mid to late February. I experienced an initial purge of acne a couple weeks into the regimen. I went on a vacation in early march, and due to sun exposure I felt it necessary to cut back on the use of the creams during my trip. After I got back from the trip, I have been using both since about March 16th (today is May 12th). My dermatologist told me it may take up to 6 weeks to begin seeing results. Well it's been over 6 weeks, even after my trip, and I'm continuing to get new acne on a very regular basis. I had virtually no acne before I started this regimen, only redmarks that didn't want to fade away. I quit using both creams two days ago and immediately my face is less red, and I haven't had a breakout since. I honestly believe my skin is naturally healthier without the use of these creams. I'm going to use this website's recommendation of BP regimen, because in the past my skin has done well with BP. This website has provided me with more information than any dermatologist has.
March 26, 2011
Pros:
-IT Works .
- very easy to use
- insurance covers it
- it would also do a little for scars. and smooths out complexion.
Cons:
-expensive without insurance but one tube last about 3 months
- works slowly
-dryness
-not 100 percent effective
- Got initial breakout the first month but it subsided with time.
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It didn't work for cysts that well but i was about 80 to 90 percent clear all year and there were even instances where i was clear all the way.
but my graduation is this year so i insisted my doctor to prescribe me antibiotics along with retina to clear me up totally. btw if u dont get cysts then this alone would be the best thing.
March 19, 2011
Pros:
Reducing pores, fading sun spots, and treating and preventing fine lines
Cons:
Does make your skin look worse before it gets better.
My story... I had a couple of sun spots show up right on the apple of my right cheek. I have others, but the location of these really bothered me. So I went to my Derm who performed Erbium Yag laser treatment just to the 3 spots on my cheek on 2/7/11. I'm happy to report the spots are gone! Still pink from the laser though. So anyway... My derm also prescribed .025% Retin A to help fade other spots and prevent new ones from forming. I started using it on 2/28/11 every 3rd night to begin, last week I bumped up to every other night. I was getting some flaking mainly on the cheek that was treated with the laser and had an initial breakout (been acne free for years) but this is all improving now. My routine... Wash my face with Cerave Hydrating cleanser, apply Cerave PM lotion immediately after washing, wait 30 mins and apply the retin A. I am already starting to see some improvement in the pores on the sides of my nose that were noticeably large. In the morning I wash again with my cleanser and put on the Cerave AM lotion with SPF 30. I have also tried Cetaphil cleanser, nutragena extra gentle and purpose. I find the Cerave really helps to reduce the side effects of the Retin A. So far I am still having some flaking, but I'm starting to see improvement in my skin already, so I will continue to use the Retin A :) Don't give up!! You have to push through the initial weeks of your skin looking worse and then it will get better.
December 6, 2010
Pros:
-Soft Skin
-Clears break outs fast
Cons:
-flaky skin
-burning
I have bad acne since I was about 23, after trying all of the over the counter stuff and proactive I saw a doctor who prescribed me differin and minocycline.....I used it for two years and the pills helped me alot! but after two years it made me really sick and induced lupus....I stopped taking it and just using differin but my skin got really bad again so two weeks ago my doctor prescribed me retinA. I have been using it for a week, everynight and on the fourth night all the big pimples on my forehead popped and my skin has no bumps...only the redness and scars which I am hoping will go away soon!
So as you can see it worked really fast!!! my skin feels super soft and it has only been a week!!!!
On the negative note....I used it everynight so on the fifth day I woke up with the whole lower part my face burnt!!!! super red like if it caught on fire.....I didnt use it on that part of my face for a couple of days and put the "Expert anti-blemish night moisturiser" from Boots on it....even thought it was for night I used it during the day...this thing is amazing...in two days the redness and burnt look are gone and now I use it as my main moisturizer during the day because it makes all the flakes go away...my skin looks super healthy! you can buy this at Target its only like $5......
Bottom line is...use it once every 2 to 3 days at night and a good moisturizer during the day...I totally recommend the night moisturiser from Boots ...this thing does take about 95% of the flaky look away!
I havent had the initial breakout, my face is super soft the only thing are a few red spots from the pimples I had but it is slowly fading away!
November 25, 2010
Pros:
-Clears skin eventually
-Makes skin soft and smooth
Cons:
-Will dry at first- don't be alarmed
-I grew immune to it, it doesn't work at all anymore ):
I first used it by mixing in with my moisturizer. After a few months of flaky, dry skin (which my dermatologist warned about), my skin started to clear up dramatically. At about 8-10 months of using it continuously, i noticed that it had completely stopped working. My dermatologist recommended to use it full strength by switching off trentoin, moisturizer, trentoin, each night. I've been doing so for almost 2 months and I still haven't seen an improvement from before. It starts bad, gets worse, then works, but eventually wears off.
July 31, 2010
Pros:
-Helped clear pimples quickly
Cons:
-Dryed out skin
-Made skin a little red
-Made skin more prone to sunburn
I used it as a spot treatment and all over, it overall had a good effect but dryed out my skin. It also got a little worse before getting better.
June 12, 2010
Pros:
While using it:
- dried up pimples quite fast
- gave me a funny glow
Cons:
6 Months later:
- gave me an oil slick
- made pores more enlarged
- gave me a shiny layer or skin that made me look very oily even when i just washed my face
- made me break out in cyst
- mutiplied whiteheads by 100
- made me break out in many places i never break out
- made me angry and obssesd to find cure
- never returned my skin back to "normal"
- made my skin so sensitive that when i wake up to brush my teeth, my upper lip would turn red
I've used Tretinoin Cream 0.025% for 6 weeks
broke out around the 2nd week
Kept on using for 6 weeks
When i stopped it made me break out worse than ever.
I didnt have bad skin to begin with, i just wanted to clear my whiteheads and i end up with a lifetime regret of using this crap.
6 months later, my skin is still shiny and 10xs more oily, i have severe whiteheads on both my cheeks and cyst on my hair line, temples and cheeks. I hate it, if i could go back in time, trust my i would have never used it, it ruined my life.
I hate it.
March 9, 2010
Pros:
-Skin More Tone
-Some Acne went Away
-It brings the crap out then got rid of some of it...
-Easy to Apply(but I miss being able to snuggle up in my bed because I have to be careful with my face lol)
Cons:
-Didn't help with blackheads on the nose.
-Tzone was still oily
-I got these red marks that were firm and bumpy, yet smooth and my derm said they were cyst underneath my skin, so apparently no positive results there.
-I am on my 12th week and I am still breaking out and even broke a cyst near my neck.
-Skin looks worst then before because of the redness on my skin that is still firm like I said before.
-Dryness [easily dealt with a good moisturizer]
-IB was really bad for me e
So in total I have been on this product for 12 weeks ~3 months.I used Retin-a Micro .1% right from the beginning. I would apply it religious every night right when I got it and surprisingly very mild irritation the first week and other than that just dryness and flakes after I use Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It was easily managed and especially with Cetaphil Moisturizer. I stuck with it for the recommended amount of time and it is sad for me to say probably I am one of those people who does not respond to this. I also took doxycycline, an oral antibiotic while on this to control the IB, but it didn't fair so well. So finally, I decided to see a real dermatologist and he is going to put me on Accutane. I definitely recommend it to everyone plagued with acne.Just try it out, if it works it works, if not go see your derm like me and he/she will either like my be dropped on accutane[Which I am glad, don't need to deal with topicals and acne(soon enough)] or find alternatives. Best of Luck! [side note: I got a 20 mg for free one month which got covered by my insurance, then next month policies changed and cheapest I got was for a $100... yeah sucks so that's why I put the price at 100]
November 26, 2009
Pros:
I love retin-a its been a life saver!!!!! Ive been using .1% for about 3 months now and all my acne is disappearing and the scaring is now slowly fading!!! I couldnt be more happy with my complection now!!
Cons:
So far none
I would recommend anyone to try it out and give it a shot, what do u have to lose except acne!! :-)
November 5, 2009
Pros:
Works on stubborn acne when other products don't
Cons:
Severe initial breakout; too harsh for fair/sensitive skin
Use with caution! Retin-A Micro 0.04% cleared up my stubborn bacne when nothing else (BP, salicylic acid, antibiotic pills and topicals) would. I didn't notice an initial breakout on the back, maybe because I couldn't see it, or because it was winter and I didn't care. I'm still using it and my back is crystal clear! Woo-hoo! There is some itching but it can be helped with moisturizer. I tried it on my face and boy was that a mistake. I have very fair and sensitive skin, and it made my face very red, scaly, and bumpy. I gave up at the 7-week point. It may have worked if I'd stuck with it, but it wasn't worth it in my opinion. The initial breakout was too severe on the face. It turned my mild acne into a red-hot mess. I barely recognized myself and cried every day.
Pros:
Fades red marks