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
February 1, 2015
Product used: Atralin (Tretinoin (.05%) Gel)
Against acne or pro acne ?
This prescribed gel , i supposed it was created to treat acne. But...it seems to me that actually makes it worst.
First thing...you're not supposed to apply this thing during daylight or near any kind of light. You have to transform yourself into a vampire and use this only before going to sleep. The next day, week, weeks and one month your face is going to be the same. Or worst, in my case. Remember ....don't apply it during the day, your skin is going to turn very red, on top of your acne.
I understand that before it gets better, it gets worst. Well with this thing the ''better'' part never comes. Does it clog the pores ? Possible. It's very oily and if you have acne you're not supposed to apply any oily, greasy things on your face. This thing is based on Vitamin E. The worst thing to apply on your acne. Swallow Vitamin E, works for acne, but don't apply it to your face.
In 2-3 days it dries existing spots, but you will get more because this gel ''takes all the bacteria on the surface in order to clear everything''. My dermatologist told me that. Save your money and your time.
December 18, 2014
Just started using it..
I am going into my third week with using Retin-A and I am having the hardest time pushing through with this. I am 21 years old and have been battling acne since I was 15. I am reading all the reviews on how it needs to take roughly 6 months to be effective and to see results, but I am fearful that it will continue to make me break out in these purges which is resulting in these left over red spots. People that have cleared up.. is your complexion clear of the red left over spots that these purges create?
December 16, 2014
kind of clearing up
already been using tretinoin for 9 weeks and i get lesser pimples now and they go away much faster. nonetheless, i still get pimples and it sucks. my hyperpigmentation scars are lightening up so that's good. although i now have oily skin, i don't know if it's because of my puberty and my androgens acting up or because of the tretinoin. so if anyone could help me with the oily skin problem please do comment. thanks! will update after a month
April 8, 2017
update: used it for one whole year. had me breaking out more and made me really oily :( works wonders for a lot of people. just not for me :(
September 2, 2014
Tretinoin Cream 0.025%
I have been using this cream for 3 weeks today and I am not sure if it is ever going to work. I am 22 years old and I have always had perfect skin, but I have been battling acne now for about 6 months and I am just at my breaking point. My dermatologist prescribed me Minocycline 100mg and Tretinoin Cream 0.025% but 3 weeks after taking Minocycline I had some terrible reactions to the medicine so now I had to quit taking that and I am only using the cream. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient but that is EASIER said then done. I have let acne control my entire life for the past 6 months..I go to work and then I come home and get in bed. I feel like all it is doing is making my blackheads worst and it's just not working! Not to mention I already have horrible red spots all over my fave that I just can't seem to cover with makeup or ANYTHING. I'm hoping someone knows what I am going through and can calm me down because all of my friends still have perfect skin and they just don't understand what I am going through
August 14, 2014
Product used: Atralin (Tretinoin (.05%) Gel)
August 14
I live in Kampala Uganda where the air is very dirty and tends to clog up my pores like you would not imagine. My dermatologist gave me this and aczone i really like the aczone but atralin makes my face extremely oily and i have been scared to try it sense.
July 28, 2014
tretinoin 0.05%
I have been on this stuff for two weeks and my skin has gotten which is to be expected but I was wondering if anyone recommends the 1% instead of the 0.05 % to speed things along if not how long should I wait to see real results with the 0.05%. it has made my skin overall smoother but it has also made my skin oily
November 2, 2013
Have Patience
Cons:
Makes skin dry
Irritation can occur
Takes a while to see results maybe up to more than 3 months
I'm 15 years old and having to go through really bad break outs isn't the best. Last year in my freshman year of high school I decided to ask my doctor what I could use to get rid of the acne on my fore head. He gave me a prescription for Tretinoin Gel 0.01%. This product did help me a lot. I saw results in a month so it does take time for it to work. But since I only got three small tubes (what I call it) I ran out and sadly my acne came back! As time went by I never thought of asking my doctor for the same prescription. Just a week ago I went in to talk to my doctor again because let me tell you my acne has gotten worse than it has been before. Not only do I have acne on my fore head but also all over my cheeks which is really gross to look at! Yes that's how bad it is. My doctor prescribed to me again Tretinoin Gel 0.01% and on top of that 2 other medications to take in the day. I'm really hoping to see better results in about a month & it is uncomfortable at times but you have to be very patient.
August 3, 2013
Tretinoin .025 Gel: 1 Week Review
Pros:
Not sure yet....we'll see if it clears me up!
Cons:
Dries out skin
Makes skin SUPER sensitive
Get ready to switch your cleansers/moisturizers to super sensitive brands!
I've been using Tretinoin .025 Gel for about a week now. I apply it every other night for my little pink/skin colored bumps on forehead/T-zone. So far, it's dried my skin out and made it pink :( my breakouts seem to have worsened a bit but nothing crazy. I have read that there is an initial breakout but since I have VERY mild acne to begin with I can deal! BE WARNED: this product makes your skin SUPER sensitive since it sloughs away layers of your face like crazy. I've had to stop using my PanOxyl Cream Wash, because although it normally works for me, the Tretinoin makes my skin far too sensitive for the PanOxyl. I've switched to Cetaphil wash, Hibiclens wash and CeraVe moisturizer.
July 20, 2013
Unsure
Pros:
works
Cons:
breakouts
dry skin
lengthy
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.
June 18, 2013
no big difference
Pros:
Reduces very oily skin to a nice glow
Fades acne marks
Pimples that form go away faster while using it
Cons:
Makes you very sensitive to the sun
Easily irritates your skin if you use too much, or apply it to skin that's not properly dried
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.
Pros:
Gets rid of blackheads
Less inflammation
Isn't a hassle to put on