Tretinoin questions

[GonnaGetGoingReturns]

I'm going to order some tret from Spain I think but what's the best level for a beginner? See below from a website.

Retirides is a Tretinoin (Retinoid) based Vitamin A face cream, also known by brand name Retin-A. Retirides is produced in Spain by Ferrer in 3 different strengths 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1%.

I currently use a lowish dose retinol from The Ordinary.

With tret - how much sunscreen should I use, say 10p piece size? I use LRP Antiheliois.

And also, could/should you use tret/retinol together or use every other day? or replace retinol with tret?

My skin is fairly good, combination dry but a few sun damage bits I think. Don't use other things like botox etc and don't want to!

Thanks!

I would start with 0.05%. To avoid the tret uglies you have to go very slow. Never use more than a pea-sized amount. For the first two weeks, use twice a week. Next two, use three times per week. Next two, every second day. You can string each time period out for longer if you want to avoid irritation, but don’t make it shorter. I also recommend using something like the Cerave Healing Cream which has ceramides and is thick and soothing.

I would not use retinol and tret, it would dry your skin out. As pp says start using tret every other day to build up tolerance and begin with the lowest dose. I use an SPF 50 every day come rain or shine. I like Ultrasun but use whatever your personal preference and follow the manufactures instructions.

@3peassuit @Fraaahnces thanks both for tips.

So another question, how does tret work in terms of results? Do you see them and if so, immediately/over time?

I saw a cheaper version (American?)with different brand on Amazon where some said they hadn't seen any results. The Spanish tret looks good for me though.

No, you wont see results immediately, it can take months to see results especially for something like sun damage/hyper-pigmentation. The key to making tret work is consistency.

You will need more than a 10p size amount of sunscreen even without tret. Rule of thumb is 3 fingers length worth for your face & neck.

I've never purchased or seen them on Amazon so not sure how well these would work.

There's no reason for you to use retinol if you're using tret. Tret is a retinoid and retinol is a derivative of retinoid in a lower dosage. So retinol would be redundant if you're using tret.

Results take time. I’ve been using tret since the early nineties and though I don’t look like teenager my skin is in great shape, no deep wrinkles and very even texture and colour ( I’m in my late sixties). I put it down to tret and sunscreen.

Do not start with .05. You need to go slow and start with .025 for many months and build up to .05 and eventually if possible the highest strength of .1. Stop using the other retinol products. Be prepared for peeling but know when it stops your skin will look fabulous.
I've used Tret for years but my skin will not tolerate .1 I've really good skin can cope with most products but it's just too much.
Cerave, skin food and cica paste are all good when you start to peel or get a burn from over doing it.
Use plenty of spf everyday and top up regardless of the weather or if you are outside. You'll end up with skin damage and age spots if you don't.
Good luck it's amazing stuff if used properly. I saw results after a couple of months.

Thanks @3peassuit ; @TarasChoc ; @RHOAD ! All noted.

Ditch the retinol you wont need it, tretinoin is supposed to be about 20 times stronger. Basically, retinol you buy over the counter has to go through two metabolic processes on your skin to get to retinoic acid (which is tretinoin). So tretinoin works quicker and is more potent, like a very concentrated version. But with that comes some side effects. There's a reason it requires a prescription in many places, it's heavy duty stuff. Don't forget it's basically medication in cream form, so I would read up on it a bit before using.

I would also say start with the lowest strength and work up, you really need to see it as a long term investment and maintenance rather than a quick fix, otherwise you will be disappointed/ frustrated.

I started with 0.025% a few years ago, went through a few months of horrible peeling/ redness/ irritation (thankfully it was winter time, so I used a big scarf up around my face to cover a lot of it at work, but it was still embarrassing, make up would slide off my face etc.). Anyway eventually I came through that, and when I moved up to 0.05% a year or two later, there was a bit more peeling, but nothing like the initial horrors. I can now wear 0.05% daily without much irritation at all. But I won't bother moving up to 0.1%, there isn't much research to say it's that more effective. The most important thing with tretinoin is consistent use over time, even if you use a lower dose.

Although not everyone gets the initial purging that badly, I would still start 'low and slow'. I would recommend starting once a week, or maybe twice at most. Do that for a few months and then slowly increase to every other day.

With sunscreen I use about half a teaspoon for my face and neck, I also use the Anthelios SPF 50+.

Stop the Retinol.

Start with 0.025.

It can take 6-12 months to see results.

Lots of Moistusier and lots of Spf

Do you actually see results on wrinkles ? Will using it soften crows feet?

Retirides is potent stuff, it took me months to get through the peeling. Effectively you are burning off the surface layers of your skin.

Dr Sam Bunting has some good YouTube videos on starting a retinoid. You might want to buffer with moisturiser after or before or both, especially round the eyes. Some people swear by waiting 20 mins after cleansing and moisturising before applying to make sure skin is not damp.

It's definitely a long game, I'd say three years in I have reached a good state of tolerance (I've since moved to Dermatica) and my skin looks a lot better than it did at the start and that's with ageing three years, but there were some very rocky patches. Finding a good plain occlusive moisturiser is key.

The American stuff you are thinking of is probably Differin. It is a different medication (Adapoline). It’s targeted more for acne, and it’s anti-aging effects aren’t as effective.

Tretinoin works in a couple of ways to improve skin’s appearance. Firstly, it encourages a faster cell turnover, so you shed dead skin cells quicker. This process (mildly irritating the skin) also helps you produce more collagen, which keeps it plumper for longer.
It also targets sebum production (hence the drying out if you’re not careful) and because you produce less sebum, your pores become smaller and clearer. It also helps to plump them up from underneath (more collagen) and that also improves the look of pores and wrinkles.

Also, despite having used tretinoin for 20+ years, I can’t use it on my neck or décolleté. It’s just too burny. I use a retinol instead, mixed with Cerave. Make sure you wear 50+ sunscreen every day. The faster cell turnover leaves you more vulnerable to the damaging effects of the sun and you don’t want skin cancer.

Is it cheeky to ask for before and after photos?

I use it for acne and skin texture and anti ageing
Before and now

Please can I ask how you're ordering the tret? I would like to order some too!

I used 0.025 for about two years. Then moved on to 0.05 for about another two years and now use 0.1.

Marathon and not a sprint etc. Small pea sized amount on skin 20 mins after washing face. Never apply to damp skin. As other have said ditch the retinol as it's just a weaker version of tret so will now be redundant.

It's powerful stuff so well worth reading up on so that you have the full picture.

@PeloAddict You look amazing.

@DaimDillyDoo - I've seen it from Spain here:

great-pharma.com/en/retirides

Only reason I don't get it from Dermatica or similar is I'd prefer not to subscribe and get sucked into that, and so that's why I'm quizzing everyone on this thread!

For info - my DM (never used anti aging products apart from some L'Oreal anti ageing face cream) is 81, she's used Nivea in blue pot most of her life, did sunbathe but always used sunscreen (spf 25 and higher) especially on face, but also had oily skin/maybe acne when younger. Her skin is amazing now. She does have wrinkles/ageing but looks great. She does eat avocadoes, includes olive oil etc. Her own mother at 90 had even better skin but said face out of sun or with high SPF and used Ponds Cold Cream. That's why I've never smoked, follow a good diet and always used a skincare regime in some form since I was a teenager.

I prefer to use Dermatica as I can change the dosage easily. I set it to every 6 weeks, I use it almost every night but it seems to last ages. It's easy to pause or stop it but I'm happy with the service and I'm not very trusting of some retailers.

www.dermatica.co.uk/referrer/Y2K0NE

I would have liked to use the subscription services (Skin & Me or Dermatica) but I'm not in the UK so can't.
There's a few benefits as far as I can see:

Apparently, you can pause the subscription, i.e. use a bottle for 6 weeks if you still have some left so it doesn't have to be that costly.
Also, even with using tretinoin for a few years, I still have redness etc. on my skin that bothers me, and if you have any other skin concerns, they can formulate something specific for you that deals with those as well.
And to honest, I prefer the idea of getting if officially, as there have been times I couldn't get it from the online pharmacy I tried, but got it from elsewhere and wasn't sure it was legit.
All in all it would be easier to get it from a proper source, but I don't have the option right now.

I buy it here:

www.farmaciaenandorra.com/shop/retirides-crema-tretinoina-30g?search=retirides&description=true&category_id=0&sub_category=true LL

I stopped Skin & Me after they gave my DD and I exactly the same 'prescription' despite her skin being very different to mine and 28 years younger.

Why not just buy the strongest tretinoin and use less? It’s cheaper that way!

I use retirides but not religiously. When I do use it I apply a very small amount and then about three or four days later my skin will peel. I wait for my skin to go back to normal which takes two days or so and then apply some more. I’m aiming to apply it weekly.

A tip for you (that I always forget!) is to not put it close to your nostrils because the peeling there can look very unattractive!

The Skin and me subscription seems like a reasonable price but when you look at the concentrations you’ll realise it’s very very expensive compared to retirides. I tried it for a month and you get only just enough to cover your face so you can’t do your neck.

That's where I get mine too, but a few times they were out of stock, and also I had problems with them sending packages and me not receiving anything. When I followed it up, there was some issue with customs and they hadn't filled out paperwork correctly, so it was eventually sent back. I got a refund, minus the postal fee (€20).
So while it's the only option I have right now, it's not very consistent.