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
April 6, 2008
Cons:
VERY bad initial break out. It turned my skin stoplight red for a week. People laughed and said i didn't know how to treat my face. Peels a lot of skin. Makes your face tense. Costs a lot of money. Makes you vulnerable to usn damage while using
I'm in high school right now so I'm surrouned by people 24/7 with crystal clear skin and no acne. I, on the other hand, had mild acne(in the beginning). My face used to be clear then after a school break, my cheeks were COVERED in blemishes and pimples and what not. I was mortified. No one else looked like me. I visited a dermo and he prescribed me Retin-A micro 0.1%. I already knew of this product since i have been reading reviews on it from this website. I was very scared to start using it. During my first week, my face was HORRIBLE. My face peeled so much even though i constantly mosturized. MY face turned bright red like a stop light and it just kept getting worse. I even started breaking out more the next week. My face grew so tight, i couldn't even open my mouth. HOWEVER. The following week i woke up and all my pimples turned flat. Now on my fourth week I have the skin of a two year old. My blemishes GONE. It also evened out my skin tone. Don't hesitate. Clear Acne for good.
April 3, 2008
Pros:
Makes my skin feel soft and Smells good!
Cons:
Initial Break-Out is a bummer, but no pain to gain. Been using 0.025% cream on face and 0.01% gel on back for 4 weeks. FYI-using 10% BP Wash for back. No noticeable improvement on face & small red bumps (rash-like) occassionally on back.
I like the way my skin feels when I use this product. It does not over-dry & really feels like it's working deep below the skin to bring back that soft baby skin. I've only been using it for 4 weeks so I don't know the full effects. The rash on my back I also don't know for sure the cause...I may be leaving the BP wash on too long for it's very strong and only supposed to be left on for 30 seconds. I've use Clindamycin, Sodium sulfacetamide & Duac which is a mix of BP & Clindamycin in the past. I hated the Clindamycin for it felt like glue on my skin and I felt like it was making my acne worse. The Sodium sulfacetamide worked well in combination with Minocycline; however, the sulfur smell got to me. Whooo...stinky. Plus, one of my friends was allergic to sulfur. The minocycline I believe gave me stomach problems. The Duac wasn't bad - it was less gluey feeling than plain old clindamycin, but it smelled kinda salty tarty to my sensitive sniffer.
February 16, 2008
Pros:
smoother skin
Cons:
This medication really expels all the oil and grime under your skin. So expect an initial breakout.This also takes awhilee from what i heard, I honestly only used it for a month because I was going on accutane.
If you're patient and don't want to try accutane then this is the medicine for you.You need to give this medication MONTHS to see improvement. I only took this for a month b/c I was goin on accutane so I can't really vouch for it. I had really oily skin so my pores were constantly clogged. This made my moderate acne severe within 2 weeks. The initial breakout is normal, it shows you that it's working. I didn't like how much it made me peel. I still had oily skin but it was peeling..weird.I recommend accutane, I've only been on it for a month and I have clear matte skin. Good Luck!
December 29, 2007
Pros:
Somewhat minimizes my huge back pimples.
Cons:
Works really slow, does not prevent further bacne, and itches like hell!
I've been using this on my bacne on and off for about a month. I stop after using it for two days after a period of 3-5 days of using it because my back starts to itch like crazy. It's not working the way my doctor and I'd hoped for so I'm planning to start a new regimen with "maxi-peel", a depigmenting exfoliant from the Philippines (not sold here because of the strong concentrate of hydroquinone + tretinoin). I'll right a review for maxi-peel after one week.
September 19, 2007
Pros:
Does work after time
Cons:
Gets worse before it gets better
I had quite bad acne on my jawline and the anti-biotics I was taking were not helping so my doctor gave me retin-A and told me to wait 3 months to see results. Im glad he gave me this time scale or I would have given up because it makes your skin AWFUL at first. I would cry myself to sleep but didnt give up. Now after 4 months my skin is clearer and my scars are fading. Skin is still oily though.
September 4, 2007
Pros:
Not only does it help acnce from appearing again, it also makes old scars dissapear.
Cons:
Very expensive if ins. doesn't cover.The first couple of months you will sometimes have severe drying, redness, irritation.
I have been using this product made from different companies for almost 10 years. If you want a quick fix, this is not the product for you. It took my face a good 3 months or more to see positive results. My face was a nightmare the first 3 months. I could not even wear makeup because my skin would just peel off everywhere and look horrible. But if you can make it through a few months of h_ll, then it will be worth it. My face is so smooth, my husband said it feels like baby skin now. I still have breakouts around that time of the month, but for the most part my face could not do without retin-A. Also, you cannot miss even one night, you have to be very consistent to see positive results.
July 16, 2007
Pros:
It is great for clearing up acne and making you feel like you have a whole new type of skin (Baby soft)
Cons:
This IS NOT a fast acting medication but anything that is going to be effective in the long run usually takes a long time to kick in (for example accutane.
You have to get past the 1 month marker to start seeing any benefits but it is worth it. So many people post and potentially turn others away because they complain its not working but they have only used it for a couple of weeks. Didnt your doctor tell you that it gets worse before it gets better? Anyways, stick with it my face is so sensitive so of course it peeled, reddened, hurt really bad but all that is worth it if you have struggled with acne for as long as I have. I have been on it for a little over a month and there are areas of my face that are starting to benefit and it is so clear and smooth. It will take probably another month or two to get the full benefits. HANG IN THERE IT IS WORTH IT!!!!!!!!
July 12, 2007
Pros:
Cut way down on blemishes, especiallly cystic ones.
It was good for long-term use. A tube will go a long way. 2-3 was all I needed for an entire year.
Cons:
Not effective in preventing blemishes on my skin any more.
I am in my 50's and still have skin problems, so i've had way more experience with different acne treatments. I've used just about all of 'em. Retin-A worked well for 8-10 years which is a long time. Additionally, I found that the (newer) Retin-A micro did not work as well for me-it made my skin peel, whereas the Retin-A cream did not. Also, I found that GENERIC RETIN-A did not work! I don't care what they say, it is not the same and is not effective.
May 30, 2007
Pros:
It's great, I encourage anyone who suffers from acne to try this product!! It does take time though, but stick with it and your skin will be clearer than it ever has been!!
Cons:
It takes a month maybe two to really start working. It makes skin break out at first and causes it to become very dry, but this only last about a month. STICK WITH IT!
It works! My skin is clear, smooth, and radiant!
I can actually leave the house with no coverup! It was very hard to stick with it, I was about to give up after about a month and a half of using it, it was making my face so dry, but instead of giving up, I switched to once every other night, and used avveno night time moisture cream, it worked perfect!!
May 27, 2007
Pros:
Helps skin drastically, insurance covers most of it, one of the best I've used so far (and I've been on differin, duac, evoclin, countless over the counter...)
Cons:
dry, flaky skin-- sometimes bad enough I had to get off it for a few days (what use is acne free skin if it's one big friggin flake?) but if i didnt use it, acne came back, so that's a lose-lose situation. starting to feel dependent on it
It affects everyone differently. You should try it. My skin dries out very very easily, but for someone who doesn't, this may work perfectly.
Pros:
Clears skin like CRAZY! Makes your skin feels VERY soft and Tightens wrinkled skin and makes your face look absolutely younger! It also help prevent acne as well. If you have something that's going to turn into a pimple, this makes it dissappear.