Skin worse after using Dermatica

[Lou88x]

I am in my early 30s and have been using Dermatica for just over a month. It has made my skin worse. I joined because I get hormonal acne cysts on my chin but the rest of my face was clear. They prescribed Adapalene with Niacinamide and at first it wasn’t too bad but after about 3 weeks, I had broken out on my forehead and cheeks with little red spots and redness. I’ve stopped using their cream now and have gone back to my old routine but my skin is still getting worse.

I told them at my review about the side effects and they said it was normal and I should moisturise more often to protect my skin barrier (I was already doing this.) Now I feel very disappointed and worried that my skin has been triggered by the cream and I’ll have these problems long term.

Does anyone have any advice?

To be honest this is totally normal, tretinoin increases cellular turnover, so any blemishes or spots are going to come to the surface. I haven't used Dermatica but they should has explained this to you at the beginning. I have used tretinoin for 4 years, and the first few months I had redness and extreme peeling and quite a few blemishes around my chin etc. it did settle down eventually.

If you have stopped using it then your skin should settle down over the next few weeks, just use a gentle moisturiser and try and avoid harsh things like acid exfoliants on your skin for a while. You could try contacting them again as they are supposed to have dermatologists available for consultations.

its normal. It’s called ‘purging’ but I understand it’s annoying. Tretinoin is a real long game. Many do give up as they see their skin getting worse but it’s part of the process. It takes about 6 months to see results.

We keep being told purging is normal but top dermatologists will tell you it's actually not really

Have you tried Lymecyline from your GP or Accutane from your GP or a dermatologist

Also look into changing the pill to a more suitable one or going on it if you haven't already

Purging is not a thing. I stopped it as my skin was better on my previous routine and I'm not willing to look awful for 4 months or however until it adjusts because my starting point is good enough if my starting point was truly terrible skin then oh well nothing to lose but no... so I stopped it.

Also I used retinol for a while about 3 years or so and realised it was noticeably thinning my skin.

So I stopped as I was at the end of the tube anyway.

Carried on with Dermalogica Vit C every other day and REN Glycolic acid (once a week now) and Salicylic acid (Paula's choice lotion SA is very good for blemishes which DD uses and I do once every couple of months)

I was using SA a lot about 8 years ago or so after my skin turned to crap but that was due to face wipes back before we knew any better (thank you CH for steering us all in the right direction)

Anyway my skin is now more resilient and healthy, blemish free and wrinkle free

I've just started back on retinol as I have a spare tube but only every few days

I don't have wrinkles which I put down to wearing foundation for most of my adult life and moisturiser with spf.

My skin hates proper spf so I just wear a light foundation instead as it's done me no harm yet.

Tret works by increasing cell turnover so it brings any blemishes to the surface of the skin. Once they’re gone the surface is clearer. This process can take anything from a few weeks to a few months.

It varies massively per person. Whilst your skin is getting used to it you can also experience dryness, peeling and irritation.

What dermatologists disagree on is whether you need to go through this stage. If you take it very easy (say use a tiny amount once a week) and build up slowly then the skin won’t look as awful.

I didn’t get purging because I’m not acne prone. But my skin did look a bit worse (dry) before it settled down. I just backed off and increased moisture where necessary.

I get why people give up or can’t tolerate it. I carry on because it’s the only thing with any actual scientific evidence on anti-ageing (originally it was an acne drug).

Funnily enough I joined because I wanted Tret but they gave me adapalene instead. I think it’s the same as Differin.

I have tried almost everything to fix my chin acne. I’ve been on the pill but I don’t get on with it. My GP put me on Lymecyline about 2 years ago and that worked well. I was acne free for a year after that and now it’s back.

I know that some purging can happen but I wasn’t expecting it in areas I’ve never had problems in like my cheeks/ forehead. I’m wondering if strong retinol isn’t for me because I’m not prepared to spend months with bad skin while waiting for it to adapt.

My normal skincare routine is gentle moisturiser in the morning and I alternate between Paula’s Choice BHA and La Roche Posay redermic r cream at night. That’s worked well for me but the chin acne still persists.

Have you asked to be referred for roaccutane? Honestly I was also years ago put on Lymecline which made some difference but I said I didn't want to stay an antibiotics for a long time. Roaccutane was the best thing that ever happened to me, after suffering since a teenager suddenly not having acne anymore was life changing.

@EvelynKatie I did asked for a referral to a dermatologist in the hope they could prescribe something like this but my GP said my acne wasn’t severe enough. I also can’t take the pill for health reasons so I think they would be very reluctant to prescribe it unfortunately 😕

Dermatica wrecked my skin too. Not tret - I was on adapalene + niac + azalaic acid (sp?) and I came out in awful dermatitis. They claimed it wasn’t the Dermatica but it coincided with me being moved onto a new prescription. I had to cut back all skincare and just washed with Cerave (the creamy foaming one) twice a day. Then I got some cream from the GP (metronidazole) which really helped clear it up.

my skin has been great since then - although that might be more because I think I’m now in menopause so not having monthly hormonal fluctuations. I now just use a very simple routine and use the metronidazole to keep my mild rosacea at bay.

Niacinamide makes me break out.

I’m surprised they didn’t include clindamycin in your Dermatica formula. That’s good (antibiotic) for clearing spots whilst awaiting longer term results. Tretinoin is such a long game and a bit of an effort to work out a routine that works. Some people decide it’s not for them but I’d probably give it at least six months.

Purging is a tricky thing because it’s really hard to tell if it’s that or actually a bad reaction that won’t resolve itself. It is suspicious you have had spots in areas you wouldn’t normally and not in the traditional hormonal area of the mouth and chin.

Personally nothing I’ve ever put on my skin topically has fixed my hormonal acne - those under the surface cysts that take ages to come to a head, are painful and can scar. For me it feels like these are coming up from within regardless of what I do or don’t put on my skin. Dermatica has partly helped (especially with my scarring) but if it’s hormonal there’s a limit to what you can expect from it.

Just to clarify, I’m on Adapalene with Niacinamide and not Tretinoin. I am considering cancelling the subscription but they offer me another consultation when I go to the cancellation section. Not sure whether to accept this or give up with them. I will
be cautious about trying whatever they change the formula to because their ingredients seem very harsh for my skin.

The only thing that really made a difference was the Lymecycline. I also do blue LED therapy which helps a bit. Hate these chin cysts, they are so hard to get rid of.

I used to get Adapalene - Differin as you say, from the doc. It was ok for my cystic acne but not as good as Tret.

I know there’s a lot of disagreement about whether ‘purging’ is a thing but whatever label anyone wants to put on it, there’s definitely evidence (even if it may only be anecdotal) to show that people often experience it. My acne increased slightly at first and then settled.

I have the lowest dose of Tret (0.015%) in mine and always have done as I can’t tolerate any higher. I now also have niacinamide and AA (both 4%). And I never used to be able to use niacinamide as it always broke me out.

As a pp said, it can be difficult to work out whether it’s just ‘purging’. Other things can affect it too, like you might need gentler cleanser, moisturiser etc. Based on that, is ask them up front if you could try the lowest dose of Tret before you cancel your subscription. I’ve always found them helpful.

@Lou88x just read your update. I had mild but persistent acne primarily on chin for 20 years, after second baby it was worse than ever and really knocked my confidence. I had tried Dianette, antibiotics and countless creams. Ended up on roaccutane and honestly it was brilliant, lower dose for longer, that was 8 years ago and I’ve been pretty much clear since. 🤞
I use Dermatica but tret prescription so can’t comment on yours.
If you are open to trying roaccutane I’d book a private dermatologist appt locally to see options. Chin acne is primarily hormonal and persistent so I think needs more than a topical. Good luck.

Oh sorry, I thought you were on tretinoin. I'm not sure why you would need to have a subscription then - you can buy Adapalene (Differin) over the counter, same with Niacinamide.
The selling point of Dermatica is that they give out tretinoin without prescription, that's why people pay more.

You might be better to just cancel your subscription and try buying Adapalene yourself OTC and leave out the Niacinamide for a while and see if that helps.

@Farmageddon thanks, that’s a good idea. I joined because I wanted to try Tret but they prescribed adapalene instead after seeing my photos. I was disappointed but thought they must know best as they’re the experts 😂

I might request the lowest dose of Tret with no niacinamide as someone here suggested, then cancel if I don’t like it.

@Farmageddon you can’t buy Adapalene otc in the UK. Assuming that’s where OP is. You can buy it from online pharmacies but they’re generally more expensive than Dermatica. The cheapest place for it over here if you’re going to use it is the GP.

Apologies, I assumed you could buy it OTC everywhere, but maybe it's just the US. Yes I think you can get it online, but maybe some of those pharmacies are a bit dodgy I dunno.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but was wondering how you got on in the end OP?

Im suffering with horrific cystic acne on my jawline only and was considering Dermatica. I had treatment with Roaccutane in my early 20s, have had periods of up and down skin since (down mainly due to pregnancy/post natal hormones) and am extremely reluctant to consider it again. I have also used Tret 0.5% in my 20s right until I started trying for children but it is no longer available from GP. They gave me 0.025% and it’s been more than 6’months with no change.

Am interested to know if you found a solution and whether worth trying Dermatica

@prescribingmum hi, OP here. I ended up cancelling Dermatica after 3 months because I felt their product was compromising my skin barrier. I then tried my own routine based in what I’d learnt. It’s basically:

AM: The Inkey List Niacinamide serum followed by either E45 moisturiser or La Roche Posay Toleriane sensitive cream

PM: La Roche Posay redermic retinol alternated with Paula’s Choice BHA liquid and moisturiser. If I have a flare up I use a tiny bit of Differin cream (bought online).

I also cut out foods high in wheat and most dairy. I feel that my skin is a lot better now although I still get the odd cystic flare up on my chin sometimes, usually around the time of my period. I find that using the Differin gets rid of it quickly. I hope you find a solution. Maybe Dermatica will work for you but for me, sadly it didn’t.

Could you afford to see a private GP who could prescribe something?

My NHS GP was very helpful. I saw another GP privately who prescribed minocycline. Maybe the private GPs were just interested in the cash but they were more sympathetic than the NHS GPs. They also were less concerned about risks of long term antibiotic use when weighed against the benefits to me of being acne free.

I've seen a lot of people talking about Dermatica and tbh several of those posts just sound like a fake walking advertisement.
I love coca-cola but I know people who prefer Pepsi and I'm not blind to the fact Coke is sh*t for me. Dermatica sounds too perfect to be true, they're a business! So take it all with a pinch of salt.
Talk to a gynecologist first and then go and see a dermatologist. GPs know a bit about everything but aren't experts in anything. See experts instead of wasting money on this and that.

Thanks @Lou88x. Having tolerated tret for a while and used higher strengths in the past, I am fairly certain my skin will tolerate it but unsure whether it will make much of a difference. If I am honest, I don't have a clue where to begin with my own routine, my skin is so bad that I feel all the active ingredients are needed (and this clearly is not the way forward)!

GP suggested oral antibiotics - I used all of them in my teens (spent the entire time permanently on antibiotics for acne) with no success. Dermatology referrals take more than a year but using private cover is an option I guess. I am verging on desperate so may have to use it to see a specialist now