Tretinoin

[Schooldil3ma]

Hi, I've started using tret through a Skin + Me introductory offer. No progress with the tret yet but I've read great things about it so will persevere.
I'm completely underwhelmed by the rest of the Skin + Me box though and much prefer my own products, so where can I get Tretinion? I'm aware it's presumption only, how do others manage? Can I use retinol as well or no? My pores are the size of craters.

I buy mine from Thailand when I'm on holiday. Have also purchased in Dubai on a stop over.

Have you tried niacinamide for pores?

@Mercurial123 no exotic trips on the horizon for me I'm afraid.
I've been using niacinimde toner for about 4 months, with zero improvement unfortunately.

Tretinoin is prescription strength retinol so you use one or the other, not both! Typically you start with retinol then you build in % and in days, when you can do it every day at max. % you move on to Tretinoin. If you start fast and strong, your skin might turn red. Do it slowly over months or you could cause more damage to your only face.
Tretinoin hates the sun, so bathe in sunscreen, you can skip anything you want but never on the SPF, even if you have a bad day you need SPF. If you're going on a beach holiday stop all retinol a couple of weeks before. After you've stopped you still need strong SPF for a minimum of a week (I've heard people say for longer so go with the worst case scenario imho).
Ask your GP if you can get it prescribed there in the UK or ask at Boots if you can buy it over the counter, as it would likely be cheaper than with a subscription, recommended by somebody who gets 10 quid whenever sb like you joins... so it's not really free advice (but what do I know?!).
Tretinoin is prescribed for ACNE by GPs so do ask your GP. If you can get regular one instead of a beauty brand it should be cheaper (my opinion here, I'm not sure!).

@Oceanus my research has let me down here, I've got it wrong, thanks so much for the advice.

I'm going to cancel the subscription and just get myself some retinol then. I very much doubt I'd get prescribed tret as I've absolutely no acne just vanity 😂

You don't need acne lol though your GP might a bit reluctant to prescribe it for wrinkles. Still, ask! You never know. My point was tretinoin is an active principle used for regular conditions so you don't need one from Chanel or Shiseido you know? A regular brand will likely be cheaper, so check the prices first.

And I still don't know why I wrote ACNE instead of acne?! hahahah!

You can cancel the other products and just get the skin and me in the metal tube. I’ve been using for 5 months now and really rate it - I don’t have acne but use it for anti- aging and general glow. My skin is honestly the best it’s ever been.

You can buy tret from online pharmacies as well but all I’d say is the doses are much higher than with subscription services like skin and me and will be much harder to get used to - skin and me gradually increase the dose over months and months to avoid side effects.

And as another poster said, you absolutely do need to use spf. But if you care about your skin you should be doing that anyway.

all I’d say is the doses are much higher than with subscription services
A little common sense goes a long way in my opinion.
e.g. Ibuprofen is the main brand. You can also get white brands from Sainsburys, Tesco, or 4 or 5 from different ones from Boots/Superdrug which will be likely be cheaper or you can get the pricier Nurofen. The main active principle will be the same and some will actually have been produced in the exact same place as Ibuprofen but they'll put another name on the box...! Ibuprofen comes in different concentrations. Synthetic vitamin A is a drug, just like Ibuprofen, so apply the same logic to it!
I will also add this and leave it at that: I googled Skin+Me and all I get is a blog (!!!!) and a facebook page. Would you give your kids paracetamol bought off Facebook?! Why on earth are you buying Tretinoin (which in most countries can only be bought with a doctor's prescription) over the darn internet because a stranger who gets 10 quid when you use their bloody voucher/link/whatever recommended it?! Bloody heck! Bloody heck! Bloody heck! You only have one face! Shame on people trying to pass off sneaky spam as real advice. Shame on you! Shame on all of you!
I rest my case and I'm done! Bloody heck! 😡

I use Dermatica and get the one tube only, it's once every 6 weeks.

I wouldn't bother with any of the other products offered by Dermatica or Skin and Me. Their USP is they offer tretinoin (tret) without a prescription. No expensive private dermatologist consultation, and many people are reluctant (wrongly) to go to their usual doctor about spots and certainly not pores.

Tretinoin is the strongest retinoid you can get so you would only use this plus then mild cleanser and moisturiser of your choice (cheap is fine as long as emollient and ideally fragrance free).

You can buy tretinoin at some pharmacies in Greece or Spain for example, eg Retirides. I think the formulas are a little harsher but good (better) value if you are there anyway and they suit your skin.

You can just get the doser with the tret and not get the cleanser/moisturiser

I can't get it from my GP or OTC in the U.K.
So it's either dodgy foreign websites and fingers crossed or use skin and me
Works for me. And yes I've posted before about skin and me, I didn't add a referral code and I'm replying because I hate being called a bot when I shell out £20 a month for it

I went to 0.1 but found it a bit drying for me, the next month it was easy to go back to 0.05. There are benefits to it being month by month.

I will also add this and leave it at that: I googled Skin+Me and all I get is a blog (!!!!) and a facebook page. Would you give your kids paracetamol bought off Facebook?! Why on earth are you buying Tretinoin (which in most countries can only be bought with a doctor's prescription) over the darn internet because a stranger who gets 10 quid when you use their bloody voucher/link/whatever recommended it?! Bloody heck! Bloody heck! Bloody heck! You only have one face! Shame on people trying to pass off sneaky spam as real advice. Shame on you! Shame on all of you!
I rest my case and I'm done! Bloody heck!

If you Google skin and me the first few things it brings up are their own website, then a trust pilot, then an Independent article comparing Dermatica and Skin + Me. Both use drs to prescribe and you upload your pictures and medical information.

Your reaction is really unreasonable, quite patronising and entirely incorrect.

I did my research on how to use it and bought it online - it's in a sealed tube and I'm happy with my choice and it's working really well. I think it was from an online pharmacy in Turkey but I can't remember which!

I know this post is a couple of months old, but for anyone googling and coming across this 'advice' - it is entirely misinformed and downright incorrect. I've genuinely never heard someone spout so much wrong advice on MN pretending that they have a clue what they are on about.

You can buy tried online I’m in the UK and I Buy it and you don’t need a prescription

Tret I mean

Where from?

I get mine from spain when on holiday, 0.05 is best for me, I've been using it for two years now, and I still can't use it every night, I find if I moisturiser after I peel less.

Yes, I read that and thought - WFT is this person on about.

You can buy tret in varying strengths from Farmacia Tristaina in Andorra. See link below www.farmaciaenandorra.com/shop/retirides-crema-tretinoina-30g?search=retirides

I have bought from them successfully. €19.99 per tube and the name is Retirides. Postage is €14.99. very efficient and reliable. I ordered .05 strength and 0.1 strength on 26 November . They processed the order within 24 hours. Now a wait on the pesky postal service. I will report back when the package arrives.

Thanks @Petitebird. Did you have to email them to set up an online consultation? I'm getting a Spanish/Catalan message when I try to click through to purchase from your link which seems to be a request to email them (I'm not a Spanish speaker 🤷‍♀️).

After reading something on here I got some from tretinion world , it was too strong for me though and it was expensive.

Before that I've always bought it from skin and me, took a while to notice any difference though