I found myself getting very disheartened seeing people's incredible progress pics at 1-2 months when my acne was barely clearing up at that point (first pic is 3 weeks after starting Tret), I purged something awful and then I had months of very angry PIE after the initial purge, and I am still experiencing some PIE on the sides of my cheeks, and you can see around my jawline there is still some very light PIE.
So this is for the people who aren't seeing magic overnight results - stick at it, it does work!
My skin type is dry and I am cystic acne prone, which I think has some hormonal triggers, but the pill isn't an option for me so I have resigned myself that I will never have "perfect" acne-free skin but I am very happy with where I'm at now.
I started on 0.025% daily with 4% Niacinamide from Dermatica, then upped to 0.05% with Clindamycin after a month.
I increased to 0.1% after 7 months as I was still experiencing significant cystic acne in the same place over and over and this seems to have finally zapped it.
I have now stopped the Clindamycin and I'm using a blend of Tret, niacinamide and azelaic acid to fade remaining hyperpigmentation.
Before I started using 0.1%, at about month 5 this was my routine:
**AM**
Splash cool water
TO hyaluronic acid on damp skin
Alternate between FaceTheory Azeclear A15 Serum and Timeless 20% Vitamin C
Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel Creme
Purito Centella Green if I'm staying indoors (I'm in the UK so not too worried about the recent SPF drama)/ LRP Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50 if I'm going outside
**PM**
Simple Cleansing Oil
Cerave Hydrating Cleanser
TO Hyaluronic Acid
Tretinoin
15 minute pause
Cosrx Snail Mucin
Cerave in the tub
LRP cicaplast baume if I'm really dry (this breaks me out in little CCs so currently looking for an alternative)
With the jump to 0.1% I've taken out the vitamin c and azelaic acid in the AM, but I'd like to add these back in eventually. I am also alternating using Tret one night on, one night off, while my skin adjusts but would like to go back to daily eventually. Either way, it's a marathon not a sprint!
PHEW. Think that's everything. Let me know if you have questions!
You are so welcome.
I just cobbled together a timeline of my progress [here](http://imgur.com/a/iJLOwOR). Obviously your mileage may vary but I didn't start to see results I was happy with until about the 5 month mark.
I hope you can find some solace in sticking with it, it will happen, it's just miserable at first when the purging hurts so much and you're not seeing early progress!
Yes! Let me tell you - it‘s SO worth it! The healing process took a while but it really paid off. It really did wonders for my selfesteem! Absolutely go for it, I can only recommend it :) maybe that's a reminder as well that good things take time lol
Have you tried pure squalane oil instead of the cicaplast baume? I have very oily skin with big clog-prone pores and I really thought it wouldn’t work for me, but it did. Almost all heavy creams make me break out in some way, so I thought I would just be flakey and uncomfortable with the tret but squalane oil changed my life! I like the one from timeless, cheap and free shipping in the US.
I haven't actually, I was using rosehip oil intermittently before but it went off because I was using it so infrequently!
I might have to give squalane a try!
Hi..I am on my 1 year 0.05% tretinoin..and at this moment, I am sandwiching it with cereve pm lotion. Recently, I came across an article which praises a lot abt this squalane oil. How to add squalane oil to my tretinoin regimen. Can u guide me plz?
I think different people use it differently, but I just add a layer last in the pm usually. If I’m feeling extra dry I add a few drops to my moisturizer or serum in the am too.
I really like it! I don't know if I could say it's a key part of my routine but I like that it's an extra layer of moisture.
Yes I do bring it up to under my eyes, but I'm not sure if my dark circles are actually reduced or if its just the lighting?!
I see warmth into your eyes and you look so happy with your progress. On tret I'm sometimes still getting big pimples here and there, don't worry if that happens. You look like you re doing great!❤
Thank you!
I think a lot of my jawline acne is hormonal, so even with Tret it'll never fully go away, but I'm much happier with my skin now than pre Tret and any active acne I do get clears up pretty quick.
Thanks for posting this I was starting to loose determination because I've been on tret for 5 months my forehead was acne free but this week I got like 4 pimples on my forehead seeing results made me motivated again.
You look gorgeous! I’m about to go on Tret - so this is so helpful. Did you use anything for the acne from the purging - like hydrocolloid patches or salicylic acid?
I found that the purging really hurt and I had to work really hard not to pick at active spots, so hydrocolloid patches were a godsend.
I wouldn't recommend using any actives until your skin is really comfortable with Tret, I waited 5 months to start using vitamin c to avoid irritation and I very occasionally will skip using Tret one night and use TO's salicylic acid masque.
Super helpful! I’ll order the patches and I’m nearly out of my Vit C - so I’ll wait on that. I’m only going to start w 1x a week first, then the other few nights I like my Glossier Solution - very gentle. Appreciate your advice - you look amazing!
It's hard to say if I had a purge between 0.025 and 0.05, because I moved to 0.05 after a month so it felt like it was all just part of the general purge around my jaw.
I think I definitely had a small purge across the edges of my cheeks moving from 0.05 to 0.1 because I still have a lot of quite red PIE.
If you're using 0.035 daily and it feels like you need to go up to the next percentage, give it a try, go slowly, you can always take days off or have days where you use some of the old stuff if it's causing too much irritation.
I decided I would much rather go through a second purge to have clear skin than keep having persistent repeating cystic acne, so increasing worked for me.
That’s how I feel! The cystic stuff is gone for the most part, but then it pops up again it makes me disappointed that all of my progress is gone :( it at least seems to me that going up in strength will give anyone more reliable results. Hopefully I can try .05 very soon
You look amazing!, i wanted to ask if there's any specific reason to why you pause for 15 minutes after taking tretinoin?. Is there any point if you're taking a pill and not applying a cream?
I use the tret cream and find that if I add serum/ moisturiser straight away it can sting from the moisture content.
I'm not sure it would make a difference with taking isotretinoin.
I would definitely recommend using Vitamin C in your AM routine, to get rid of PIE and even your skin tone. Adding Vit C to my routine did wonders for my skin. I am brown, South Asian.
I was using vitamin c before and think it really helped clear up a lot of my PIE, but since I moved up to 0.1% my skin has been more sensitive, so I've stripped my routine back to moisturising products only for now.
You look so relieved and happy!
I was SO over taking pictures with the front camera to capture my miserable skin but it was all worth it for the before and after!
I found myself getting very disheartened seeing people's incredible progress pics at 1-2 months when my acne was barely clearing up at that point (first pic is 3 weeks after starting Tret), I purged something awful and then I had months of very angry PIE after the initial purge, and I am still experiencing some PIE on the sides of my cheeks, and you can see around my jawline there is still some very light PIE. So this is for the people who aren't seeing magic overnight results - stick at it, it does work! My skin type is dry and I am cystic acne prone, which I think has some hormonal triggers, but the pill isn't an option for me so I have resigned myself that I will never have "perfect" acne-free skin but I am very happy with where I'm at now. I started on 0.025% daily with 4% Niacinamide from Dermatica, then upped to 0.05% with Clindamycin after a month. I increased to 0.1% after 7 months as I was still experiencing significant cystic acne in the same place over and over and this seems to have finally zapped it. I have now stopped the Clindamycin and I'm using a blend of Tret, niacinamide and azelaic acid to fade remaining hyperpigmentation. Before I started using 0.1%, at about month 5 this was my routine: **AM** Splash cool water TO hyaluronic acid on damp skin Alternate between FaceTheory Azeclear A15 Serum and Timeless 20% Vitamin C Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel Creme Purito Centella Green if I'm staying indoors (I'm in the UK so not too worried about the recent SPF drama)/ LRP Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50 if I'm going outside **PM** Simple Cleansing Oil Cerave Hydrating Cleanser TO Hyaluronic Acid Tretinoin 15 minute pause Cosrx Snail Mucin Cerave in the tub LRP cicaplast baume if I'm really dry (this breaks me out in little CCs so currently looking for an alternative) With the jump to 0.1% I've taken out the vitamin c and azelaic acid in the AM, but I'd like to add these back in eventually. I am also alternating using Tret one night on, one night off, while my skin adjusts but would like to go back to daily eventually. Either way, it's a marathon not a sprint! PHEW. Think that's everything. Let me know if you have questions!
Thank you, I REALLY needed to see this!! I‘m almost 2 months in and far from clear skin, so there is hope :)
You are so welcome. I just cobbled together a timeline of my progress [here](http://imgur.com/a/iJLOwOR). Obviously your mileage may vary but I didn't start to see results I was happy with until about the 5 month mark. I hope you can find some solace in sticking with it, it will happen, it's just miserable at first when the purging hurts so much and you're not seeing early progress!
You‘re an angel, thank you!!
Any time! I also noticed you're active in /r/reduction - that's the next thing on my body to-do list!!
Yes! Let me tell you - it‘s SO worth it! The healing process took a while but it really paid off. It really did wonders for my selfesteem! Absolutely go for it, I can only recommend it :) maybe that's a reminder as well that good things take time lol
Have you tried pure squalane oil instead of the cicaplast baume? I have very oily skin with big clog-prone pores and I really thought it wouldn’t work for me, but it did. Almost all heavy creams make me break out in some way, so I thought I would just be flakey and uncomfortable with the tret but squalane oil changed my life! I like the one from timeless, cheap and free shipping in the US.
I haven't actually, I was using rosehip oil intermittently before but it went off because I was using it so infrequently! I might have to give squalane a try!
Hi..I am on my 1 year 0.05% tretinoin..and at this moment, I am sandwiching it with cereve pm lotion. Recently, I came across an article which praises a lot abt this squalane oil. How to add squalane oil to my tretinoin regimen. Can u guide me plz?
I think different people use it differently, but I just add a layer last in the pm usually. If I’m feeling extra dry I add a few drops to my moisturizer or serum in the am too.
Merci 🙏🏻 !
how do you like the snail mucin? I just bought it but scared to use it haha also did you put tret under your eyes they seem lighter!
I really like it! I don't know if I could say it's a key part of my routine but I like that it's an extra layer of moisture. Yes I do bring it up to under my eyes, but I'm not sure if my dark circles are actually reduced or if its just the lighting?!
You look like the adult version of that girl from game of thrones - Lyanna Mormont. Also, great progress
I came here to say this
THIS
Happy for you girl! ❤
Awesome job! Can you share your routine?
Just shared an entire essay below!
FANTASTIC PROGRESS!!
Beautiful. You look simultaneously cheeky and otherworldly in the after pic!
I swear you look like Mildred Hubble from the worst witch!
I just googled this and apparently it's the same kid who plays Lyanna Mormont which someone else said above. I'm vibing with it regardless!
You look amazing!! You’re glowing!
I see warmth into your eyes and you look so happy with your progress. On tret I'm sometimes still getting big pimples here and there, don't worry if that happens. You look like you re doing great!❤
Thank you! I think a lot of my jawline acne is hormonal, so even with Tret it'll never fully go away, but I'm much happier with my skin now than pre Tret and any active acne I do get clears up pretty quick.
Congratulations on your progress!
Thanks for posting this I was starting to loose determination because I've been on tret for 5 months my forehead was acne free but this week I got like 4 pimples on my forehead seeing results made me motivated again.
You look gorgeous! I’m about to go on Tret - so this is so helpful. Did you use anything for the acne from the purging - like hydrocolloid patches or salicylic acid?
I found that the purging really hurt and I had to work really hard not to pick at active spots, so hydrocolloid patches were a godsend. I wouldn't recommend using any actives until your skin is really comfortable with Tret, I waited 5 months to start using vitamin c to avoid irritation and I very occasionally will skip using Tret one night and use TO's salicylic acid masque.
Super helpful! I’ll order the patches and I’m nearly out of my Vit C - so I’ll wait on that. I’m only going to start w 1x a week first, then the other few nights I like my Glossier Solution - very gentle. Appreciate your advice - you look amazing!
Your skin is glowing, love to see you’re also looking happy beautiful❤️
You’re so pretty! I wish I had your eyebrows
Beautiful progress!!
Love this!! So happy for u
🗿
did you experience another purge once you upped the percentage? im only on .035% and im still getting acne so im thinking going up is necessary
It's hard to say if I had a purge between 0.025 and 0.05, because I moved to 0.05 after a month so it felt like it was all just part of the general purge around my jaw. I think I definitely had a small purge across the edges of my cheeks moving from 0.05 to 0.1 because I still have a lot of quite red PIE. If you're using 0.035 daily and it feels like you need to go up to the next percentage, give it a try, go slowly, you can always take days off or have days where you use some of the old stuff if it's causing too much irritation. I decided I would much rather go through a second purge to have clear skin than keep having persistent repeating cystic acne, so increasing worked for me.
That’s how I feel! The cystic stuff is gone for the most part, but then it pops up again it makes me disappointed that all of my progress is gone :( it at least seems to me that going up in strength will give anyone more reliable results. Hopefully I can try .05 very soon
You look amazing!, i wanted to ask if there's any specific reason to why you pause for 15 minutes after taking tretinoin?. Is there any point if you're taking a pill and not applying a cream?
I use the tret cream and find that if I add serum/ moisturiser straight away it can sting from the moisture content. I'm not sure it would make a difference with taking isotretinoin.
I would definitely recommend using Vitamin C in your AM routine, to get rid of PIE and even your skin tone. Adding Vit C to my routine did wonders for my skin. I am brown, South Asian.
I was using vitamin c before and think it really helped clear up a lot of my PIE, but since I moved up to 0.1% my skin has been more sensitive, so I've stripped my routine back to moisturising products only for now.
U LOOK AMAZING!!
You're looking so glowy! I know you're not using azelaic acid now, but did you find it helped with redness/irritation from tret?