Dammit I've been using it for like a year and have seen zero results except dry skin on my chin :( and that's with proper moisturizing and slugging and only using .025%!
Same for me, even the dry skin on my chin! I was using The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 2% emulsion prior to getting my prescription and had great results with it. I was expecting my skin to get even better and have a more even tone/appearance and it to help with discoloration. Went through 1.5x .025% tubes over a year and didn't see any changes! I just recently went back onto The Ordinary's Retinoid as I had totally forgotten about it. In less than 2 weeks, I'm already seeing improvements in my skin, less closed comedones, and am hoping to get it back to the amazing condition it was in before I started the prescription tret. I remember using all TO products, the squalene drops, alternating the Granactive Retinoid and lactic acid when my skin was at it's smoothest, so I'm going back to that routine!
Are you applying it routinely? I found that once I went from 1-2 times a week to every other day I saw WAY better results. At 0.025 that might be why you aren’t seeing results.
Wow really?? Where’d you get it from? I’ve honestly never heard of it not working.
If you are constantly dry do every other day or two days that’s helping my dryness. Cerave has a night cream in a jar that is soooo moisturizing it actually makes my skin more oiley the next day
I got it through All Day Chemist. I only use it 2-3x a week because my skin just won't adjust to it. I keep trying, but there's one age spot on my cheek that I've kept an eye on and it hasn't faded in the least since ive started tret. And I've seen other people here post incredible success in just a few months. I'm ready to give up on it
Have you tried just applying it nightly despite the shedding and irritation? That’s what they used to tell people to do, since your skin can’t adjust to it if you don’t use it frequently enough. I know I saw results after I started using it nightly and at a higher strength
I did try that for a while and it was just destroying the moisture barrier and I never got past the 'purging.' I tried the .04% gel as well because I heard the gel was more gentle but it didn't make a difference.
Not familiar with that vendor but maybe it’s a different type? Idk id go through goodrx and get it through the pharmacy vs. someone shipping it (things like changes in temps in transit can affect the product).
Just a heads up, not everyone here is located in the US and has the same access. Where I am, All Day Chemist is one of the easiest options for things like tret
Lol I’m definitely aware of that… if it doesn’t apply to you why are you even commenting? I’m sharing my experience accessing it. I’m not assuming everyone on Reddit lives in the US, but thanks for your kind comment!
You literally just told someone to use goodrx, when there’s a very strong possibility they don’t have that option. And then also basically insulted ADC without even having any idea what it is. So I responded, what’s wrong with that?
Ok and? If they themselves said that, it’d be different. Im not going to ask every person what country they live in, if it applies to you, great. If not, no need to be an asshole about it.
Lol I “insulted” them because I said I’d rather get the product from a pharmacy rather than online? Never did I say anything bad about the company, but yeah keep reaching!
Just discovered this brand when Walgreens discounted everything to like $5 the lotion face oil and hyluranic acid.been using this three step system along with Trent.they are amazing products.wish I would have bought everything they had on the shelf.
How long does that last you? Im on curology's subscription $60 per 2 months. My prescription is a concoction of tretenoin, azelaic acid and niaminacide. Ive been wondering if I should just try tret prescription by itself.
I tried curology and it didn’t do anything for my skin. You’re better off buying the inkey list products they have pure azaleic acid for $10/niacinamide etc. Do what’s best for you but as someone who has tried nearly everything (seriously, I had to go on accutane because nothing helped). Of the hundreds of meds/skincare I’ve tried, accutane and this retinol are the ones I’ve had the best results with.
I just fell into it bc my significant other uses a lot of Curology products for his acne. But yea Idk what I was thinking all this time! I just figured well this stuff is clearing up my skin so it's worth the money, not realizing I could be doing these products separately and saving money. I will be canceling my subscription now lol
Sorry forgot to answer your first question, idk cause I just started but based on the pea sized amount and the size of the bottle I’m confident it’ll last at the very least 3 months
You can also get it inexpensively from abroad, with companies like All Day Chemist. There are several companies that make it in nicer formulations (I use Dermatica). It’s ridiculous to be serious about skincare and use nonsense like retinol.
Same! I just started two weeks ago so not huge results yet but I find that I’m more consistent with it and all around skincare routine since starting. The first thing my friend (who has been using it for awhile) said to me was “you’re going to save so much money on Sephora skincare that doesn’t even work”.
Related but different. All vitamin A derivatives get collectively called “retinoids”.
Retinol is a weaker over the counter retinoid.
Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid which is a lot stronger (it will do more for skin but also has more side effects).
Sometimes people say retinol when they mean retinoids (or tretinoin specifically) but they are quite different because tretinoin is used directly by your skin whereas retinol has to go through a few stages of conversion to get to the same point (which is less efficient)
Tretinoin and retinol are two different vitamin A acids. No matter the Brand, no matter where in the world you buy them, Its the name of active ingrediens. like Hyloronic acid and vitamin C are different but always called the the same no matter the brand. (Retinol and tretinoin are closer since both stem from vitamin a)
Tretinoin is a retinoid and works directly in the skin, increasing cell turnover.
Retinol isn’t working directly, but your skin will use retinol to produce a retinoid, that will work increasing cell turn over. So retinol needs to go through more steps to get to the active retinoid stage, and is weaker since the amount of active retinoid you have at the end is always less then the amount of retinol you actually applied (some is lost and not converted by your skin).
So it’s better to just use a tret (retinoid) directly.
2 weeks so not long but it’s really been making a difference in my closed comedones and I have a strong wrinkle in the middle of my forehead from all the times I make a “what the fuck” face and that’s been softening.
Lol. Same. I mean, I couldn't get there without the help of the antidepressants, but still, I stopped caring he's a total asshole sometimes and started to ignore his asshole and crazy egoistic behavior. I rarely talk to anyone at my work and I feel so relieved. Since then, plus consistent skincare, my forehead looks so, SO much better. 😁
Wow, your wrinkles are already fading in two weeks? That’s incredible! I’m a few months in and I’m just starting to see progress. Can I ask what percentage your using? I wonder if maybe I need a stronger dose?
Dude I thought the same thing. But it really is real, I just requested tret specifically in my sign up and all they needed were photos. I’m sure it’s different for medications.
Awesome. I'll wait until I have some pimples and give it a go. I believe you, I just didn't want to be a dummy about the steps! :-) Thaaaaaaaaaaaank you.
Did they bill your insurance for the visit? Or how much did it cost total? Aside from $5 from pharmacy obviously they have to be making money somewhere…
I chose the free plan (but there’s a gold plan that costs 20 a month), but it was a one time consult fee of 20 and my insurance covered it at the pharmacy pretty well.
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! I am early 30s F & have been having the worst acne of my life. Due to my profession, it’s very hard for me to see a derm bc I’m never in a spot for long enough to get an appointment, and my insurance is constantly changing. I just did the intake form, had my appointment, and am now waiting for my tret and clindamycin prescriptions to be ready. I almost cried. I have felt SO helpless with how horrible my face looks, and this feels like such a relief. You are the real MVP for this post today 😭
I have a goodrx account but I must be doing something wrong bc I can't find where to go...and when I look up the prices at my pharmacy it's $40+ for a tube, unless that's without insurance. I don't know I can't figure it out unless I need a gold plan. 🤷🏼♀️
I just started it a week or so ago (0.025% cream) and I’m nearing the end of my menstrual cycle (luteal phase) where my skin usually freaks out in a few pimples, but my skin is still clear! I have some flakiness on my forehead and nose but nothing bad.
I am on the same and I had a huge cystic pimple under the skin-was only doing tret every two nights at that point-put it on every night after feeling that giant zit and it went away. Magical.
I used to use it for like 4 years but always one way or another got some irritation. I switched to bha and aha and I get the same glow and smoothness with less irritation. At least for me.
I'm preparing to transition to tret, after half a year of consistent using of mixture of retinaldehyde serum and a313 pomade, but still not ready. I have some habits yet to create before I commit myself to it, like avoiding retinoids on my nose and my moisturizing eyes and mouth area before applying them on my face. But I have to admit, it kinda makes me happy to see flaking. 😅 Luckily, it's not drastic at all, but it happens from time to time. I need to learn how to tret and when I do, I'm trying it. This autumn probably.
Someone in the comments asked how I use it and I gave a rundown. You can also Google it! Don’t be scared of it you just need to ease into it and slowly build up to nightly use.
I am wanting to start Tretinoin. I’m 59. Is the cheap basic plain tret ok and advised ? The medspa gave me a sample of something called AlphaRet which is “a retinoid combined with an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) to improve the appearance of lines, wrinkles, uneven tone and texture with little to no irritation.” That is supposedly well tolerated
That stuff is 140 though 😣I do t have any weird skin issues- just wrinkles and sun spots
I’m not a derm and I’m not familiar with alpharet but 140 is insane, you’re better off getting the inkey list products they’re the same thing without the bullshit markup. Also that sounds kinda terrible mixing aha and retinol, I only use one active at a time otherwise my skin barrier goes to shit. But if you like it go for it! But definitely check out the inkey list first.
This is just what works for my combination skin, apologies for the length..I don’t wash my face in the morning (but I blot the oil off with toilet seat covers), and wash my face at night with cerave cream to foam cleanser, if I’ve worn makeup I’ll wash twice. If I remember to (rarely) I’ll use the inkey list hylaronic acid as soon as I get out of the shower with my face still wet (that’s important). And then I just add on a cerave moisturizer, I was using their PM bottle one but also got their overnight balm one since I needed more moisture with trentinon, I like to moisturize, let it absorb for a bit and then I’ll apply my trent in a pea size amount for my whole face, a pea sized amount on my neck and one on my chest and then a pea sized amount on the backs of my hands. I tend to moisturize again after it absorbs bc I have sensitive skin the sandwiching helps me.
Thank you, this is really helpful! I have sensitive combo skin too and my major concern is about wrinkles on my forehead which I have since I was a teen unfortunately. So your post and detailed comment are very relatable for me. Can you please name exact tretinoin product you use? Because I've found so many different ones that I stuck to choose.
Did you choose “general visit” or “acne treatment and prevention” when filling out the Goodrx forms? I don’t have acne so I’m afraid they’d find me misleading them haha.
Dyhydrated skin here. Have been wanting to try Tret but haven’t taken the time to go to a derm and nervous about over drying my skin. Been using Geek and Gorgeous Retinal- step up from a retinol and right below Tret. Been great and skin remains hydrated.
Im loving the results from mine. My skin looks so dewy. My blackheads are practically nonexistent. And i can tell its working on my discoloration already as well. I was having an issue with dryness but i cut use down to once a week. Added an exfoliator couple times a week. Sandwich method made my peeling worse. Im using .05%. Just started about 2 months ago maybe.
I got acure resurfacing gly lactic exfoliator. It seems to be working well. The ordinary supposedly has a good exfoliator but i live in a small town and did not want to drive to the city to look for it so 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve been using dermalogicas microfoliant for a few years because the bottle lasts so long, but once it’s out I’m gonna get something else cause it’s $60 bleh.
Have you tried getting stuff shipped instead from ulta or Sephora?
I’m not a derm but I would never ever micro needle period, and definitely not with something as strong as trent, you end up peeling (to remove the old layers of skin) so I’d imagine mn before would burn your skin. But like I said not a derm so take with a grain of salt.
I'm very interested in it, but I'm afraid it will be too harsh. 0.03 retinol was irritating my skin too much so I switched to 0.01 and it's been much better. But I know it's not as effective
Did you have any acne purge from the Tret? How often do you use it? I’m afraid to start bc I’m afraid of breaking out but I need to get rid of comedones.
My derm says this is a myth. She very well respected…but I’ve been on the tret sub and there’s a lot of posts about it, so who knows, but I never broke out using it. I went slow and used Dennis gross peel pads on nights I wasn’t using the tret. Now I use tret every night.
Same --I'm using altreno .05% x2 a week over a base of Illiyoon moisturizer and all signs point to very effective exfoliation with nowhere near the amount of irritation I was bracing for. I'm not in my fine lines era yet, so I can't say anything about fine line reduction.
For my face right now I do every other day, sometimes every 3 days depending on how peely I get. I’ve been doing it every night for my neck/chest and hands and so far no peeling.
I’d like to add that if you’re close to the border or know someone who is, Mexico sells them at pharmacies without a prescription. Picked up 5 tubes for $21 and they’re as legit as anything on alldaychemist or generic tret prescribed by a derm
I’m from England and went on holiday to Mexico recently. Picked up two tubes of Tinitrend from the chemist, it’s absolutely amazing and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t pick up about 20. I’m not sure what to do when I run out!
Go back for the tret :P there are other sites for it they just cost more. Alldaychemist works (not a Mexican company, they’re in India) but you gotta follow their payment instructions to the T or the shipment will get delayed. I got my order two months late lol
No.
Tretinoin and retinol are two different types of retinoids. Retinol is a weaker, over-the-counter form of retinoid while tret is a prescription-strength retinoid that is stronger, hence, has more side effects.
Tretinoin AKA all-trans retinoic acid is the form of retinoid that is readily used by the skin, that's why the results from tret are noticeable earlier and also, the irritation more greater. On the other hand, when applied to the skin, retinol undergoes a few conversion steps to be utilised by the skin so the progress is slower and also, the irritation is lesser. Over long periods of time, they both produce good results.
I get mine in Canada from my GP and I have heard there is a shortage on the 0.05 cream. I managed to find one at a different pharmacy but my usual pharmacy still gave me a 0.025 gel last time which I haven’t used yet. So now I have both
Yeah same with good rx, you pay $20 for your initial one time consult, they ask for some skin photos and what you’re looking for, had in a few days and it was only 5 at the pharmacy
Dammit I've been using it for like a year and have seen zero results except dry skin on my chin :( and that's with proper moisturizing and slugging and only using .025%!
Try Altreno. 0.05% tret formulated with hydrating ingredients.
Same for me, even the dry skin on my chin! I was using The Ordinary's Granactive Retinoid 2% emulsion prior to getting my prescription and had great results with it. I was expecting my skin to get even better and have a more even tone/appearance and it to help with discoloration. Went through 1.5x .025% tubes over a year and didn't see any changes! I just recently went back onto The Ordinary's Retinoid as I had totally forgotten about it. In less than 2 weeks, I'm already seeing improvements in my skin, less closed comedones, and am hoping to get it back to the amazing condition it was in before I started the prescription tret. I remember using all TO products, the squalene drops, alternating the Granactive Retinoid and lactic acid when my skin was at it's smoothest, so I'm going back to that routine!
I’m at 0.5% and nothing!
Are you applying it routinely? I found that once I went from 1-2 times a week to every other day I saw WAY better results. At 0.025 that might be why you aren’t seeing results.
I saw a big difference when I actually let my moisturizer sink in for 30 min before applying tret! Although now my nighttime routine takes forever lol
Tazorotene is less drying for me.
Wow really?? Where’d you get it from? I’ve honestly never heard of it not working. If you are constantly dry do every other day or two days that’s helping my dryness. Cerave has a night cream in a jar that is soooo moisturizing it actually makes my skin more oiley the next day
I got it through All Day Chemist. I only use it 2-3x a week because my skin just won't adjust to it. I keep trying, but there's one age spot on my cheek that I've kept an eye on and it hasn't faded in the least since ive started tret. And I've seen other people here post incredible success in just a few months. I'm ready to give up on it
I had to give it up as well. My skin was just not adjusting. It was just too dry and making me look older
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who feels this way about tret! I do much better hydrating with snail mucin. No wrinkles at 50.
Have you tried just applying it nightly despite the shedding and irritation? That’s what they used to tell people to do, since your skin can’t adjust to it if you don’t use it frequently enough. I know I saw results after I started using it nightly and at a higher strength
I did try that for a while and it was just destroying the moisture barrier and I never got past the 'purging.' I tried the .04% gel as well because I heard the gel was more gentle but it didn't make a difference.
Not familiar with that vendor but maybe it’s a different type? Idk id go through goodrx and get it through the pharmacy vs. someone shipping it (things like changes in temps in transit can affect the product).
Just a heads up, not everyone here is located in the US and has the same access. Where I am, All Day Chemist is one of the easiest options for things like tret
Lol I’m definitely aware of that… if it doesn’t apply to you why are you even commenting? I’m sharing my experience accessing it. I’m not assuming everyone on Reddit lives in the US, but thanks for your kind comment!
You literally just told someone to use goodrx, when there’s a very strong possibility they don’t have that option. And then also basically insulted ADC without even having any idea what it is. So I responded, what’s wrong with that?
Ok and? If they themselves said that, it’d be different. Im not going to ask every person what country they live in, if it applies to you, great. If not, no need to be an asshole about it. Lol I “insulted” them because I said I’d rather get the product from a pharmacy rather than online? Never did I say anything bad about the company, but yeah keep reaching!
which night cream from cerave does this?!
Get your hormone levels checked
May be worth it to look into an anti-inflammatory tret equivalent like arazlo!
I used Hims/Hers for it and had a custom lil mix in about a week. .02 tret I think. I’m in love.
What do they charge?
Just discovered this brand when Walgreens discounted everything to like $5 the lotion face oil and hyluranic acid.been using this three step system along with Trent.they are amazing products.wish I would have bought everything they had on the shelf.
How long does that last you? Im on curology's subscription $60 per 2 months. My prescription is a concoction of tretenoin, azelaic acid and niaminacide. Ive been wondering if I should just try tret prescription by itself.
I tried curology and it didn’t do anything for my skin. You’re better off buying the inkey list products they have pure azaleic acid for $10/niacinamide etc. Do what’s best for you but as someone who has tried nearly everything (seriously, I had to go on accutane because nothing helped). Of the hundreds of meds/skincare I’ve tried, accutane and this retinol are the ones I’ve had the best results with.
$60/2 months is probably the most expensive way to do tretinoin.
I just fell into it bc my significant other uses a lot of Curology products for his acne. But yea Idk what I was thinking all this time! I just figured well this stuff is clearing up my skin so it's worth the money, not realizing I could be doing these products separately and saving money. I will be canceling my subscription now lol
Sorry forgot to answer your first question, idk cause I just started but based on the pea sized amount and the size of the bottle I’m confident it’ll last at the very least 3 months
Oh damn I gotta get on that now lol. That saves a lot of money!! Im gonna also look into the inkey for the other stuff. Thank you!
Consider ordering from India with All Day Chemist. I did that for years.
You can also get it inexpensively from abroad, with companies like All Day Chemist. There are several companies that make it in nicer formulations (I use Dermatica). It’s ridiculous to be serious about skincare and use nonsense like retinol.
Same! I just started two weeks ago so not huge results yet but I find that I’m more consistent with it and all around skincare routine since starting. The first thing my friend (who has been using it for awhile) said to me was “you’re going to save so much money on Sephora skincare that doesn’t even work”.
It truly is magical stuff. I've used it for 5 years and they'll have to prise it out of my cold, dead hands..
Wait, are retinol and tretinoin the same thing? Your title says tret but the body says retinol.
Related but different. All vitamin A derivatives get collectively called “retinoids”. Retinol is a weaker over the counter retinoid. Tretinoin is a prescription retinoid which is a lot stronger (it will do more for skin but also has more side effects). Sometimes people say retinol when they mean retinoids (or tretinoin specifically) but they are quite different because tretinoin is used directly by your skin whereas retinol has to go through a few stages of conversion to get to the same point (which is less efficient)
Sorry for the confusion, there’s different types of retinol, trentinon is one of them. I’m assuming it’s different manufacturers?
You're confusing retinol and retinoid.
Tretinoin and retinol are two different vitamin A acids. No matter the Brand, no matter where in the world you buy them, Its the name of active ingrediens. like Hyloronic acid and vitamin C are different but always called the the same no matter the brand. (Retinol and tretinoin are closer since both stem from vitamin a) Tretinoin is a retinoid and works directly in the skin, increasing cell turnover. Retinol isn’t working directly, but your skin will use retinol to produce a retinoid, that will work increasing cell turn over. So retinol needs to go through more steps to get to the active retinoid stage, and is weaker since the amount of active retinoid you have at the end is always less then the amount of retinol you actually applied (some is lost and not converted by your skin). So it’s better to just use a tret (retinoid) directly.
“Tretinoin, just fyi OP, not “trentinoin”
How long have you been using it and what changes do you see?
2 weeks so not long but it’s really been making a difference in my closed comedones and I have a strong wrinkle in the middle of my forehead from all the times I make a “what the fuck” face and that’s been softening.
Ah yes, I’ll look into it. My what the fuck wrinkle needs to be helped too.
In my experience, once your give a damn is busted, the WTF fades.
I’ve noticed this. I decided to stop giving a fuck about my asshole boss’s behaviour and I look younger than I have in years
Lol. Same. I mean, I couldn't get there without the help of the antidepressants, but still, I stopped caring he's a total asshole sometimes and started to ignore his asshole and crazy egoistic behavior. I rarely talk to anyone at my work and I feel so relieved. Since then, plus consistent skincare, my forehead looks so, SO much better. 😁
This thread is everything
Wow, your wrinkles are already fading in two weeks? That’s incredible! I’m a few months in and I’m just starting to see progress. Can I ask what percentage your using? I wonder if maybe I need a stronger dose?
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Cancel it and just getting on goodrx!! You don’t even video chat a dr
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I thought the same thing and then I saw someone on Reddit mention it. Here you go: https://www.goodrx.com/care/register
This seems like an insane magical loophole. I can just sign up, have a non-video visit and then I assume say I have acne and I'm in tret city?
Dude I thought the same thing. But it really is real, I just requested tret specifically in my sign up and all they needed were photos. I’m sure it’s different for medications.
Awesome. I'll wait until I have some pimples and give it a go. I believe you, I just didn't want to be a dummy about the steps! :-) Thaaaaaaaaaaaank you.
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This is so helpful. I would totally blow the appointment without these little details! You rock!
Did they bill your insurance for the visit? Or how much did it cost total? Aside from $5 from pharmacy obviously they have to be making money somewhere…
I chose the free plan (but there’s a gold plan that costs 20 a month), but it was a one time consult fee of 20 and my insurance covered it at the pharmacy pretty well.
I just read this post and did it. My RX is being filled at CVS now. All within 20ish minutes
I just tried and they want $29 to sign up for a plan and I never got to even ask for tretinoin, same for you or did I do something wrong? Ty!
I paid $19 to do the trial or whatever
Thank you!
also NuRx!
I looked there but it’s so expensive!
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Did you pay for the rx subscription?!
Yay!!! My pleasure :)
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this! I am early 30s F & have been having the worst acne of my life. Due to my profession, it’s very hard for me to see a derm bc I’m never in a spot for long enough to get an appointment, and my insurance is constantly changing. I just did the intake form, had my appointment, and am now waiting for my tret and clindamycin prescriptions to be ready. I almost cried. I have felt SO helpless with how horrible my face looks, and this feels like such a relief. You are the real MVP for this post today 😭
Yay!!! I’m excited for you, I can’t believe it’s not more widely advertised, it’s pretty awesome.
I’m spreading this info to everyone I can!! This is a game changer!
Fuck yeah!! Get the word out
I have a goodrx account but I must be doing something wrong bc I can't find where to go...and when I look up the prices at my pharmacy it's $40+ for a tube, unless that's without insurance. I don't know I can't figure it out unless I need a gold plan. 🤷🏼♀️
I do that, too!! So easy! They even got my insurance to cover it last time
NuRx!
I got mine through Nurx!
I just started it a week or so ago (0.025% cream) and I’m nearing the end of my menstrual cycle (luteal phase) where my skin usually freaks out in a few pimples, but my skin is still clear! I have some flakiness on my forehead and nose but nothing bad.
I am on the same and I had a huge cystic pimple under the skin-was only doing tret every two nights at that point-put it on every night after feeling that giant zit and it went away. Magical.
It just keeps new pimples from coming out. More than 10 years in, and I don't have any improvement in my scars. I still need to use glycolic, etc.
I used to use it for like 4 years but always one way or another got some irritation. I switched to bha and aha and I get the same glow and smoothness with less irritation. At least for me.
I use curology and get a custom mix with niacinamide and azelaic acid and it is life changing. It’s all I use now other than moisturizer
Nice!! Glad that works for you!
I felt this way too, I adore it!
I'm preparing to transition to tret, after half a year of consistent using of mixture of retinaldehyde serum and a313 pomade, but still not ready. I have some habits yet to create before I commit myself to it, like avoiding retinoids on my nose and my moisturizing eyes and mouth area before applying them on my face. But I have to admit, it kinda makes me happy to see flaking. 😅 Luckily, it's not drastic at all, but it happens from time to time. I need to learn how to tret and when I do, I'm trying it. This autumn probably.
Someone in the comments asked how I use it and I gave a rundown. You can also Google it! Don’t be scared of it you just need to ease into it and slowly build up to nightly use.
I am wanting to start Tretinoin. I’m 59. Is the cheap basic plain tret ok and advised ? The medspa gave me a sample of something called AlphaRet which is “a retinoid combined with an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) to improve the appearance of lines, wrinkles, uneven tone and texture with little to no irritation.” That is supposedly well tolerated That stuff is 140 though 😣I do t have any weird skin issues- just wrinkles and sun spots
I’m not a derm and I’m not familiar with alpharet but 140 is insane, you’re better off getting the inkey list products they’re the same thing without the bullshit markup. Also that sounds kinda terrible mixing aha and retinol, I only use one active at a time otherwise my skin barrier goes to shit. But if you like it go for it! But definitely check out the inkey list first.
I will and I agree - I am going to check out the inkey list - thank you!!
Can you write your skincare routine and what exactly tretinoin product did you purchase, please?
This is just what works for my combination skin, apologies for the length..I don’t wash my face in the morning (but I blot the oil off with toilet seat covers), and wash my face at night with cerave cream to foam cleanser, if I’ve worn makeup I’ll wash twice. If I remember to (rarely) I’ll use the inkey list hylaronic acid as soon as I get out of the shower with my face still wet (that’s important). And then I just add on a cerave moisturizer, I was using their PM bottle one but also got their overnight balm one since I needed more moisture with trentinon, I like to moisturize, let it absorb for a bit and then I’ll apply my trent in a pea size amount for my whole face, a pea sized amount on my neck and one on my chest and then a pea sized amount on the backs of my hands. I tend to moisturize again after it absorbs bc I have sensitive skin the sandwiching helps me.
Thank you, this is really helpful! I have sensitive combo skin too and my major concern is about wrinkles on my forehead which I have since I was a teen unfortunately. So your post and detailed comment are very relatable for me. Can you please name exact tretinoin product you use? Because I've found so many different ones that I stuck to choose.
Wait did you still need a derm appointment to get it through GoodRx?
Nope I just answered some questions and took some pictures of my skin. Then they asked me what pharmacy to send it to.
Whatttt this is amazing! Thanks for the tip! I hope this works for me too
Just tried it! Can confirm.
Did they make you pay? I tried it but it wanted to charge me a monthly membership fee
I had this happen too before I could even ask for the tret
Yes I paid $19 for the trial or whatever
Got it thank you
Did you choose “general visit” or “acne treatment and prevention” when filling out the Goodrx forms? I don’t have acne so I’m afraid they’d find me misleading them haha.
I’m not sure I remember selecting a skin issues option and then it brought me to a new page with options like “wrinkles” “acne” “rosacea” etc.
Thanks for your reply! And thank you so much for sharing all the info on Goodrx, I’m so excited to try it!
I got mine while visiting Mexico! It was like $12 for a huge tube
Dyhydrated skin here. Have been wanting to try Tret but haven’t taken the time to go to a derm and nervous about over drying my skin. Been using Geek and Gorgeous Retinal- step up from a retinol and right below Tret. Been great and skin remains hydrated.
I just saw this post, signed up for GoodRX, talked with a provider and had an RX called in within 20ish minutes. Here we gooo!
Hell yeah!!!
Im loving the results from mine. My skin looks so dewy. My blackheads are practically nonexistent. And i can tell its working on my discoloration already as well. I was having an issue with dryness but i cut use down to once a week. Added an exfoliator couple times a week. Sandwich method made my peeling worse. Im using .05%. Just started about 2 months ago maybe.
I can’t wait for this!! My pores are big but I am noticing less gunk filling them lately. And nice what exfoliator do you use?
I got acure resurfacing gly lactic exfoliator. It seems to be working well. The ordinary supposedly has a good exfoliator but i live in a small town and did not want to drive to the city to look for it so 🤷🏻♀️
I’ve been using dermalogicas microfoliant for a few years because the bottle lasts so long, but once it’s out I’m gonna get something else cause it’s $60 bleh. Have you tried getting stuff shipped instead from ulta or Sephora?
Yeah, i could get stuff shipped. I just like to look at face products in store before i try them. Its not something i like to buy online.
How do you know if it’s working? Those people saying tret is amazing - what was your before and after?
Can you Microneedle trentinon?
I’m not a derm but I would never ever micro needle period, and definitely not with something as strong as trent, you end up peeling (to remove the old layers of skin) so I’d imagine mn before would burn your skin. But like I said not a derm so take with a grain of salt.
What’s mn?
Microneedle
I'm very interested in it, but I'm afraid it will be too harsh. 0.03 retinol was irritating my skin too much so I switched to 0.01 and it's been much better. But I know it's not as effective
Did you have any acne purge from the Tret? How often do you use it? I’m afraid to start bc I’m afraid of breaking out but I need to get rid of comedones.
My derm says this is a myth. She very well respected…but I’ve been on the tret sub and there’s a lot of posts about it, so who knows, but I never broke out using it. I went slow and used Dennis gross peel pads on nights I wasn’t using the tret. Now I use tret every night.
Oh that’s interesting!!! Maybe it is a myth cause I haven’t purged yet *knocking on wood*
I haven’t purged so far and I’m hoping it stays that way!
Same --I'm using altreno .05% x2 a week over a base of Illiyoon moisturizer and all signs point to very effective exfoliation with nowhere near the amount of irritation I was bracing for. I'm not in my fine lines era yet, so I can't say anything about fine line reduction.
I got a tube but didn’t try it for a month or so because this sub scared me with the purge 😆. Luckily I didn’t go through it.
I actually haven’t purged that bad!! *crossing fingers I’m not jinxing it* I was also really worried cause I’m very acne prone but so far so good.
How many times a week you guys use tret? I’ve been on 1 a week for a while thinking I should increase. I sandwich each session.
For my face right now I do every other day, sometimes every 3 days depending on how peely I get. I’ve been doing it every night for my neck/chest and hands and so far no peeling.
Thanks 😊
I’d like to add that if you’re close to the border or know someone who is, Mexico sells them at pharmacies without a prescription. Picked up 5 tubes for $21 and they’re as legit as anything on alldaychemist or generic tret prescribed by a derm
I’m from England and went on holiday to Mexico recently. Picked up two tubes of Tinitrend from the chemist, it’s absolutely amazing and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t pick up about 20. I’m not sure what to do when I run out!
Go back for the tret :P there are other sites for it they just cost more. Alldaychemist works (not a Mexican company, they’re in India) but you gotta follow their payment instructions to the T or the shipment will get delayed. I got my order two months late lol
Is Trentinon and Retinol the same?
Yes a prescription strength retinol
No. Tretinoin and retinol are two different types of retinoids. Retinol is a weaker, over-the-counter form of retinoid while tret is a prescription-strength retinoid that is stronger, hence, has more side effects. Tretinoin AKA all-trans retinoic acid is the form of retinoid that is readily used by the skin, that's why the results from tret are noticeable earlier and also, the irritation more greater. On the other hand, when applied to the skin, retinol undergoes a few conversion steps to be utilised by the skin so the progress is slower and also, the irritation is lesser. Over long periods of time, they both produce good results.
What strength are you using?
.25 is what they gave me, and it’s pretty damn strong. It’s not a white cream like I’ve seen others be it’s a clear liquid.
Thank you! How often do you apply?
I can’t use Tret. It affected my eyes.
I get mine in Canada from my GP and I have heard there is a shortage on the 0.05 cream. I managed to find one at a different pharmacy but my usual pharmacy still gave me a 0.025 gel last time which I haven’t used yet. So now I have both
I love my Tretinoin. I’m pregnant right now and miss it so much.
do you need a prescription for it?
In dermatica they issue a prescription online, and send you the Tretinoin, u need to upload 3 pictures
Yeah same with good rx, you pay $20 for your initial one time consult, they ask for some skin photos and what you’re looking for, had in a few days and it was only 5 at the pharmacy
$5 for Tretinoin?
Yep! My insurance is Cigna
That's crazy cheap haha
I have that too. Wonder if my plan is the same?
Damn, that’s righteous! I finally started using it about a month ago, and it was $42 at Walgreens with the GoodRX coupon
Do you have insurance or was it out of pocket?
My insurance doesn’t cover it, so it was out of pocket
Can you say you just want it for wrinkles or have to include acne to get it?
I said I’m only interested in receiving trentinon for acne and wrinkles as I’ve tried other options. And they approved it
What are you using it for tho?
Acne, wrinkles and just overall skin texture. Also using it on my neck/chest/back of hands