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Side Effects
Tretinoin is a vitamin A derivative called a topical retinoid. It helps clear acne by promoting skin cell turnover.
Tretinoin is usually applied once a day around bedtime.
Used Tretinoin? Rate It:
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April 16, 2016
MIRACLE
My acne was so bad and this stuff healed it after 6 weeks. No bull, like this stuff is amazing and reliable, just have to be patient.
June 5, 2016
Did you use the gel or the cream? What strength?
February 25, 2016
Works very well
After years of being on various topicals and antibiotics, I've finally found the right combo of medications for my acne. I have cystic & nodular acne, but it has always just been a couple of active cysts at a time. My acne is pretty much limited to just my t-zone, which is super oily. The rest of my face is normal/dry skin. I currently use Retin-A at night, Finacea in the morning, and wash my face with over-the-counter salicylic acid face wash. I've been on this combo for about a year and a half and my face is 90-95% clear. Any pimples I do get these days go away quickly. They never turns into those massive cystic pimples I used to get. I am in my early 30s and am really glad that Retin-A helps prevent wrinkles. I don't have to worry about adding any other products to my routine. With Retin-A, less is more. Too much product will cause dryness, redness, and peeling. I (gently) use a rotating facial brush every morning to help slough off some of the flakiness. I also use a moisturizer every morning before applying makeup.
January 7, 2015
3 months of terrible break-outs
I've been on .05% Retin-A for 3 months now... 3 months of consisten break outs! Just when I think it is getting better, BAM! acne all over my face again. My acne is hormonal and even though I'm on birth control pills, nothing is working. About a month ago my derm suggested using 10% benzoyl peroxide on the opposite time of day I use Rein-A; the acne goes away quicker but 3 more show up where one dissappeared. I'm waiting for my .1% to get in so I can use that for a month or so, but if that doesn't work I'm just going to use Accutane. Has anyone else had Tretinoin take this long to work? I am a pretty healthy person, drink lots of water, wash my face twice a day every day and try not to touch my face as much as possible.
October 21, 2014
Definitely works!! (after months)
After using many acne medications ( never used Dan's BP though), Retin-a (0.025%) stood out as the solution to clear my acne. Every night I put a lot of Retin-a (0.025%) on my skin for 3 months and my skin was almost clear. I knew in a few more weeks I would be completely clear and It turned out to be true. Retin-a is one of the few products that clear my acne. The Retin-a I got from the doctor was a very easy to spread cream, very creamy ( 0.025%). Definitely recommend it!! Pros:
Clear acne completely
New skin ( made my skin very white) Cons:
Takes along time to work ( 3 months at least)
Irritates skin at first ( redness, itchiness)
Makes skin oily and shiny ( at least for me) ( its shiny because it makes your skin very thin)
Dry flaky skin ( only at beginning)
August 17, 2014
VERY good product!! Patience is key
So I have struggled with acne since 12, it stopped around 16-19 and 6 months ago came back really bad! I am a 19 year old male and broke out pretty damn bad. Cystic acne all over my jawline and cheeks. I started taking tretinoin .025 and doxycyline for the first month. I am 9 weeks in and my face has changed a lot! I am breaking out a little but not nearly as bad as I was, I'm dealing with hyper pigmentation and some breakouts which is awesome! I have a great regimen that has worked great for me because I use couple other treatments on my face in conjunction with tretinoin. It takes time! I was like you sitting on my computer at night because I'm pissed how my skin looks and don't know what to do. Give this a try and give it time, I broke out and did have the initial breakout but so worth it! My skin can only get better from now, switching to retina-a .05 in couple weeks since my skin is easily tolerating the .025, if anyone has any questions on my regimen feel free to ask!
June 18, 2013
no big difference
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.
January 16, 2013
Pros:
Smoother skin
Fades scars
Bye bye black heads
Fades lines
Cons:
Flaky skin
I'm on 8 weeks, I wrote a review in December. I'm so ecstatic to say I just about have CLEAR skin! My confidence is up, I had 3 dates last weekend, I'm more upbeat to start my day! Some things that worked for me. I mix 1 pea drop of retin a with 3 pumps of cerave pm face lotion every night after letting my skin relax from washing (good old ponds cold cream, massage onto dry skin for a min and then gently remove with warm water And wash cloth). When applying the retin a/lotion mix I work from my neck up and keep it away from mouth, corners of nose, and eyes/eyebrows. Once every day in the am I will use my clarisonic to help lift away dead skin. I do the believe this treatment has lifted all the clogged pores and dead skin and now I'm just in the process of watching my scars disappear. Good luck everyone, don't give up on retin a and be VERY gentle to your skin! I also began using smashbox BB cream which my healing skin loves!
October 22, 2012
Pros:
Pimples gone
Improved skin texture
Confidence
Cons:
Patience is required
The first 6-7 weeks were extremely difficult, i was breaking out like crazy and was about to consider accutane.
It WILL get better, it took about three months to see great improvement. Ive had acne for 6 years so i still have red marks but no more breakouts :-D
September 26, 2012
Pros:
Clears up skin
Skin looks smooth
Does wonders for my skin
Cons:
LONG initial break out
Increased oiliness
Cystic acne
Dries out skin
Long process
Requires patience
I've always had clear skin, but this past summer, my acne started flaring up really bad. It was terrible and I couldn't even look at myself in the mirror. People also said hurtful comments about my skin. I've literally tried everything on my skin, but nothing would consistently keep my acne at bay. So I decided to give tretinoin a try. I started using tretinoin cream 0.05% about two months ago and I'm currently on my 8th week.
-In the mornings: I wash my face with Clean & Clear Advantage 3-in-1 Exfoliating Cleanser and apply Cetaphil Dermacontrol Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30.
-At night: I wash my face with Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Control Foam Wash. Then I wait 20-30 min, and take the same moisturizer and mix it with a pea sized amount of tretinoin cream, then apply it to my face.
During the first couple of weeks, EVERYTHING GOT WORSE. I developed multiple cysts on my face daily. One time, I counted up to 25 pimples on my face. My acne went from moderate to severe. My face would get flaky and peel, no matter how much moisturizer I applied. Somehow, at the end of the day, my face was super oily, and I always had like at least 3 pimples that turned into whiteheads. It was painful to wash my face and I could no longer make eye contact with people because I was so insecure about my skin. I had to cake on my makeup every morning because I didn't want anyone to see my acne.This took an even bigger toll on my self esteem. But I kept telling myself that it would get better and everything will pay off, and it has..kind of so far. The major breakouts stopped around week 5-6 for me.
From then on, all my pimples started to flatten out and it got less and less painful to wash my face. I am currently on week 8, and I have about 3 small pimples and the rest are scars. The scars are fading slowly, but the texture of my skin is generally really smooth. I am really excited for the final results!!! I can't wait to have clear skin again! The wait will be worth
August 20, 2012
Pros:
-makes skin smoother
Cons:
-HORRIBLE initial breakout
-drying
-sunburn easily
-face constantly red
I really tried to have high hopes for this product. After reading all these reviews, I was skeptic to use it. I decided to try it...it was the WORST decision i have ever made in my ENTIRE life. Seriously. I used it for 3 months and just stopped it last week because I couldn't handle the emotional and physical pain. It made me breakout, and the breakout never stoppped. For three months straight. I am left with acne in areas I never had before and deep purple marks all over my cheeks and chin. Every time I look in the mirror I want to cry. I'm trying the holistic approach now, and it's doinf much more then retin a micro has done in the past wasted months of my life. I don't know if I'll ever be able to heal mentally or physically from this. On some people this product might work, but for me and some others, it doesn't. Acne should be treated from the inside, not the outside. These chemicals are way too harsh. I wish i could reverse time :(
Pros:
Reduces very oily skin to a nice glow
Fades acne marks
Pimples that form go away faster while using it