Tretinoin

Clear, soft, glowing skin
Evens tone
Fades scars/hyperpigmentation
Unclogs/refines pores
Re-texturizes skin
Smooth wrinkles and fine lines
Anti-acne AND Anti-aging... two-in-one product!

Cons:

You MUST BE PATIENT for results
Dryness, peeling
Initial â€œpurgingâ€ phase
Sun sensitivity

Retin-A has literally transformed my skin. This product is a miracle, but ONLY if you are patient, motivated and committed. Month 0-1 ½ Initial purging phase- breakouts and white heads, skin is dry and sensitive. I'm not going to lie- this part sucks. I think this is the reason so many people give up and never see results. DON'T GIVE UP! If you are patient and committed you'll be glad you stuck it out and pushed through this bad phase. It is worth it! Month 2-4 Significant improvement. Skin is 95% clear, with only minimal and short lasting breakouts during my period and a few small whiteheads now and then that are easily extracted. Skin appears smoother, softer and clearer. Pores appear less clogged and smaller. I'm using less makeup. I have less dryness and little to no irritation. Scarring and hyperpigmentation is slowly but surely fading. I literally notice more and more improvements with each passing week. It just keeps getting better. Keep in mind; they say it takes 6-9 months for major results. I'm so impressed by the results so far- I can't even imagine how amazing my skin will look in the months to come! Tips You need a routine and you MUST BE PATIENT!! I gradually increased my use from 1x/week up to every other day' Start slowly and increase use over time. This minimizes side effects. Base your use on YOUR SKIN's reactions; everyone is different. Use a gentle, non-medicated cleanser. I like CeraVe's foaming cleanser. ONLY apply Retin-A at night, 30min after cleansing. GENTLY exfoliate morning and night to remove flaking. I use a wash cloth made for babies. It removes dry skin but is super gentle. Use lots of moisturizer and sun block. I also use Jojoba oil a few days a week to loosen dry flakey skin and add needed moisture. Drink lots of water and eat a healthy diet (fruits and veggies). Nourish/heal/hydrate your skin from the inside out. Omega-3, Vitamin E and Zinc are a

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Jane

July 24, 2012

Pros:

Clears up MY FACE COMPLETELY
Made my skin smooth
Smaller pores

Cons:

Takes time
patience required

I've been using Retin a for about 9-10 months now. For the first to 4 months, your skin will be a mess, flaking everywhere, redness and everything. But if you're patient enough till you get to 6 months, your skin will be wonderful. No acne, smaller pores, and smooth skin. Trust me, it works, so just keep using it, you must not give up. Up until i discover retin-a, I've gone to many doctors and try many cosmetics. But it doesn't give much result and nothing work like retin-a. Now I use many home remedies with retin-a. After shower (sometimes i use baking soda), i just put fresh aloe vera gel until it dries, and i wash it with water, then i put lemon juice as a toner, then use moisturizer and sunblock (i use clinique). At night, after shower i use the same routine with aloe vera and lemon juice, then i use retin-a every other night, the night i don't put retin-a, i just use serum and night cream overall i think this is the best treatment that i ever used, and people should try it instead of those expensive treatment and cosmetics

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Lari

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! : )

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Dee

July 19, 2012

Pros:

Shrinks pimples overnight
Reduces occurence of blackheads and whiteheads
Improves apperance and tone of skin

Cons:

Redness and peeling intially
Dry and oily patches

I hade moderately severe cystic axne, and nothing seemed to work. Retina-A has definitely improved my skin. I found the my problem had to do with oily skin, persistent blackheads and large pores. The cream helped shrink the size of my pores, and has reduced the blackheads and whiteheads on my skin as a result. The frequent peeling action has also drastically improved the tone of my skin and has faded my scars. I would highly recommend first determining your type of skin and your main problems and then choosing the product the suits your skin best. Discussing your concerns with your doctor and considering all your treatment options should help too.

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skinpro6

July 13, 2012

Pros:

Heals all types of acne (for me)
Prevents new acne
Slowly fades scars
Clears pores

Cons:

Very oily skin (but that's good!)
Takes a while to work
Need to be disciplined

I'm 31, half Asian/half Caucasian. Got bad adult acne in Feb 2012. Chin and jaw line were swollen and bumpy with deep painful cysts. Large bloody cysts on forehead. Cheeks exploded with deep painful bloody pimples. It was aggressive. Using since 6/1/2012: Tretinoin Cream 0.025% before bed I had no bad reactions. No burning, peeling, tingling, or redness. The tretinoin I'm using is the weakest prescription strength. It comes in a metal tube, it's off-white and has the consistency and slight odor of glue. The first couple weeks I still had the acne but no new ones were forming, skin was "shedding", it was painless and would wash off in the morning. Slowly, the acne cysts shrank and pimples dried up. Now, 6 weeks into it, all the acne is gone completely and the scars are starting to fade slightly. No more shedding, but skin gets oily very quickly. I used to use Biore pore strips frequently, like every couple weeks on my nose. Pores would just clog right up the next day. After 2 weeks of using the tretinoin, the pores would ooze all day long, but the oozing has slowed down and now my pores have shrunk considerably. Advice: You must wait for your skin to dry completely before applying the tretinoin (20-30 min) I don't know what Bas from Netherlands bought off the internet for $200 but it sounds like snake oil. Hair loss and tiredness, alcohol in it? Mine was prescribed from a doctor and it cost $47 for a tube that'll probably last 3 months. (insurance did not pay)

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Daniel Hall7

June 17, 2012

Pros:

Clears up acne and will make your skin look brighter and healthier.
I have been using this for a few weeks now and have noticed a really nice difference.

Cons:

You have to really use it properly or the side effects can be very bad.

It IS possible to use this product without having your face get all red & peeling!! A few things: 1.) Do not use any other products with benzoyl peroxide or with any type of acid-- salicylic acid, glycolic acid, alpha hydroxy acid, etc. Take a look the ingredient lists on all your washes, moisturizers, pimple creams. GET RID of any product that contains these things. Your skin will freak out if you use the retin-a with one of these acid-containing products. You will break out, get red, start peeling. Just use a very gentle cleanser morning and night. I use Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser. 2.) Moisturize like crazy. I know those of us with oily, pimply skin are sometimes hesitant to use a lot of moisturizer, but it is a MUST. I use a good amount (maybe 4-5 pumps) of Clinique Definitely Different moisturizing gel at night & Aveeno Smart Essentials with SPF 30 in the AM. 3.) Use the retin-a once per day before bed. Use just a pea-size amount. Put a 1/4 of that amount on each cheek, 1/4 on your forehead, 1/4 on your chin and then spread it around. This way you will be able to more easily spread the pea-sized amount over your whole face. More is not better!! It will just make your face burn & peel. 4.) The concentration matters! The weakest concentration is 0.01%, then 0.025%, and the strongest is 0.05%-- which is way too strong for anyone starting out. Ask you doctor for the weakest concentration first and work your way up only if you need to. If you start with the 0.05% you are asking for a red, burning, peeling face with reactionary breakouts. Stronger is not necessarily better!!! 5.) Protect yourself from the sun. Seriously. You will get a sunburn if you don't. I use an SPF 30 daily, and reapply if I'm spending longer than 20-30 minutes outside, plus I wear a big sunhat. Good luck!! This stuff can work miracles but you have to be careful and use it properly. I hope this helps.

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SmTwnGrl

June 6, 2012

Pros:

clears acne

Cons:

very dry skin the first couple weeks
must wear sunscreen
face will look red for a while

this cleared my acne 95%. i still get a few pimples before my period. i went from severe acne to very light. the tube lasts about 6 months and my derm gave me a couple prescription renewals so i don't have to go in every six months. i use to go on this site all the time until my acne cleared so i thought i would at least leave a review for the product that worked for me.

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Lys (:

June 1, 2012

Pros:

CLEARS ACNE
eventually fades scars
nice texture

Cons:

dry skin (sometimes)
Sunburns ):

Sooo I've been using it for a couple months now & let me just tell you it is a LIFESAVER. I used to cry over my acne & I thought I tried everything. Differen, Epiduo, Clindimacyn ( I think that's how you spell it) antibiotics, birth control & I seriously love retin a. Let's be honest here, if you have pretty bad acne, nothing is going to fully CLEAR it (except maybe accutane) but with a little bit of make up your skin looks flawless. It has made my skin soooo much clearer. The best advice is to get a good routine & STICK WITH IT! YOU WILL SEE RESULTS I promise!!! Your skin will get dry/ flakey sometimes, but usually it's only if you use too much. Make sure you are only using a PEA SIZE amount. As for the sun, that's probably the biggest con. your face will burn VERY easily, but if you wear sunscreen you should be fine. IT'S SOOO WORTH IT! GOOD LUCK. P.S. my acne used to be moderate to severe, but now it's VERY light. (:

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danielle

May 16, 2012

Pros:

Cleared acne

Cons:

Initial breakout
Takes time to work
Oily skin

I am 23 and had adult ance for nearly 2 years. Lots of deep cysts on my jawline and pimples on cheeks, along with constant black heads all over the face. I have been using the 0.025% cream along with clindamycin and minocyline for 4 months. I have had completely clear skin alomost 3 weeks now. There was a pretty bad initial breakout and I continued to break out daily up until a few weeks ago. It was frustrating but worth it in the end.

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Ella694

April 20, 2012

Pros:

Cleared 98% of my ance
Dark spots are fading
Brings back confidence

Cons:

Dries your skin out bad
Flaking & burning for the first month
Acne gets worse before it gets better

Morning Regimen -Wash face with Neutragena Fresh Foaming Cleanser - Moisturize with Cetaphil Daily Advance Ultra Hydrating Lotion. -Sunscreen Water Babies SPF 50. Night Regimen -Wash face with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser - Wait 30-40 minutes then apply Trentinoin Cream. I had really bad acne for a year or two & it was horrible. I went from being the most confident to having low self esteem, I hated taking pictures & people would alwasy reccomend something I could use. I tried almost everything! At first my doctor wouldn't give me a prescription, he told me to cut out sugar & drink only wat.er After a month of no improvememnt he gave a prescription for trentinoin cream 0.1%. The first night I read all the directions for about an hour contemplating if this was something I wanted to do. I was scared that my acne was going to wprese before it got better and what people would say or think (I'm in high school). Finally I decided to try it & for the first few weeks it was horrible! Yet, I kept pushing on. I was atleast going to try it for 12 weeks (3 months). It ACTUALLY TAKES 12 WEEKS TO SEE IMPROVEMENT. I broke out in week 6-9. My break out was horrible but I kept telling myself that it was pushing the impurities to the top of my face. Finally after 12 weeks I saw lots of improvement. My pimples werent there and my scars were fading. I am still using this product (4 months and counting) & still seeing improvements. Now, I feel so much better about myself. I'm going to continue to follow my dreams as being a model. I get compliments on my skin all the time & many people have told me that my skin has improved A LOT. I am so glad that I tried this product, I really don't know what I would do with out it.

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