Tretinoin help

[trecar]

I have bought some tretinoin from Spain. It's called Retrides.
I know you can purge for a long time with it but I am struggling. My chin is red and sore, I am cracking and peeling and it's also making me spotty.
I have been applying it most evenings for a month. I have had the occasional couple of days off (like now) because it's so bad but I figure that is postponing the inevitable. It's impossible to cover it up with make up.

I use a very gentle cleanser and day cream with spf.

I am also on oral medication (testosterone suppressant) for hormonal acne which was working amazingly but I am spotty again with this.

Does anyone have any advise? Do I persevere? The pics really don't really show very well, it is much worse in real life!

You never use tretinoin every day especially to begin with. You use it once a week for the first month, twice for the second and so on...you have gone in too fast and need to stop. This is serious stuff.

It’s not purging, you’ve damaged your top layer of skin hence the cracking and soreness.

Completely stop tret, get some moisturiser with ceramides in (I use Dr Jart Cerimidin cream when my skin is shot) and use a v gentle cream cleanser like Cetaphil for a few weeks to allow your barrier to heal. Absolutely no actives.

When you are healed, you can start again. Make you’re using 0.025% and start with one day a week and work your way up slowly to every other day.

OMG that's way too much! Start with every third day. I've been using it for several years and I'm still only using it every second day. If you've got the 0.05 Retrides, use it over moisturiser initially. Even when you're used to it, a little goes a long way.

I'd suggest sudocream instead for the moment until everything has healed.

It does work and you will get used to it but it's case of playing the long game.

Thanks for your speedy replies.
Everything I've googled suggests the dryness is tretinoin purging and I need to continue to get passed it, a dermatologist also said the same. It's too much though so yes I think I need to slow down with it.

The rest of my face is ok, could I just stop applying it onto my chin until it's healed?

Thanks for the recommendation, I use ceraVe, it does contain cerimides, it's fab stuff.

@moltonsilver

Thanks, good to get info from someone who uses it too!

Ok looks like I'll stop using it for now!

I agree with the other posters.

Stop using it immediately and get the Cetaphil hydrating cleanser. I'd also recommend La Roche Posey Cicaplast gel as it's designed to heal very damaged skin.

www.laroche-posay.com/cicaplast/cicaplast-gel-b5

I've just started using tretinoin, for acne and mild signs of aging, and I've taken all other actives out of my routine for now. I am using a pea-sized amount of 0.025% cream because it's the weakest concentration and I'm using it once a week, 30 minutes after cleansing with Cetaphil, and applying it before bedtime. Then I'm applying moisturiser around 30 minutes after the tret.

I use a La Roche Posay moisturiser that is very calming and I have the cicaplast gel above on standby in case of soreness and flakiness.

The gel is recommended for acne because it's less likely to clog the skin but because of that it has a stronger effect than the cream, so I am using the cream because I have sensitive skin and want to be as gentle as possible.

You need to concentrate on healing your skin barrier now and don't even think about touching tretinoin again for at least six weeks.

Not Cetaphil, brain fart sorry. CeraVe.

Yes I think I'm going to take heed of all your comments and use it much less frequently. I hear great things from la Roche posey products and have a French pharmacy nearby I can get it from.
On a positive note, I do like how smooth my cheeks and forehead feel!

Google perioral dermatitis and see if the symptoms and images are familiar - it could be this if you've damaged your skin barrier. If it doesn't clear up within a week or two you may need antibiotics.

If you're interested in trying a Roche Posay, their Cicaplast B5 Baume is a lovely soothing and repairing cream. It would probably be ideal to calm your chin.

@MoltonSilver That's the body cream version of the Cicaplast gel l've linked to upthread.

What strength are you using? Agree with others this is too far, too fast. I use 0.05 every night but only after a year building up

I somehow missed that link Bee. The gel sounds perfect.

Join the Tretinoin and Retinoids user FB group, you will get great advice there.

You need to use a proper SPF when using tret.

You need to increase your hydration too and might benefit from buffering. If you join the FB group you will get all the info you need.

The “purging” psrt of retinols is apparently not a necessary part of the treatment procedure, it is an avoidable side effect of “too much too soon”.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=gQqOa6QcjMQ