Tretinoin confused how to use

[MangoGirll]

So i ordered tretinoin gel. I been researching how to use it and i get loads of contradictory advice on Google and from beautician

Some say to wait 20 mins before applying it to dry face at night , some say apply it over moisturiser, others say apply it first then moisturiser

If i start few times a night , what do i apply on alternate days ? Would hyaluronic serum and moisturiser do ?

Can i apply as i normally do Vitamin C serum followed by sunscreen in the morning be okay ?

Then when i went for facial , beautician told me just to apply Rosehip oil at night and nothing else if i use tretinoin ...
( she also told me not to order online and get pure tretinoin from her clinic but i still ordered, is there variations of tretinoin? she mentioned i need pure one ?)

I want to use it for firming skin and prevention of wrinkles etc as i heard it's much stronger then Retinol i normally use )

Please advice would be so helpful as my tretinoin arriving today ! What my routine should be?

Order from Dermatica - They combine everything you need and you can see real people’s results. They also give you a little booklet explaining when to apply and how etc :)

I've been using it for about 4, months. I wash my face, let it dry whilst cleaning my teeth, then apply my tret. Give it a couple of seconds to sink in then apply either nightcream or oil.
I use it every day but started using alternate nights. I've never had a reaction to it and I'm starting to see visible improvements.

As above @GettingStuffed

I use at night after cleansing, then use hydrating serum after. Any other products I use as part of my morning routine.

Thank you everyone

My beautician warned me against ordering from Dermatica or other sites that sell online as she says i need "pure golden standard " or whatever, without any additives, is it correct or doesn't matter?

I still got it online as i thought she just wants to sell me her more expensive products ...

Hi, OP -

I started recently with a compounded version of tret ordered through an online dermatologist and similar to Dermatica, but not on autorepeat. It’s fine so far, but it’s early days. I’m not over the moon yet.

Anyway, I saw my private derm for a mole check the other day and mentioned this. She is very good and down to earth and she does not sell anything. Turns out she is not a fan of compounded tret products either. She offered to refer me to a clinic that sells Obagi, a skin care line who do pure tret. She also said (‘but you didn’t hear this from me’) that the tret you can order online from Spain or buy there is excellent, and much cheaper.

That sounds like hard sell to me. Dermatica or skin & me is properly prescribed tretinoin.

I go to her clinic for microneedling and PRP facials and every time she says everything i use is wrong and after i finish my products to buy from her .

I use Medik8 which i love and i saw that Dermatica has brilliant reviews so I was sceptical why should i purchase from her clinic and only she has good proper products

So yes i agree it's hard sell imo ...

ohh thank you ! will take a look now 👀

So happy i asked for advice here !

Tretinoin is a prescription only medicine in the UK - what qualifications does she have to be able to prescribe and dispense and prescription medicine?

I would be questioning how her supply chain works before anything else. Secondly her ‘pure golden standard’ comment implies she knows nothing about pharmaceutical products and the associated regulations

oh dear. Maybe it's time to change beautician !

I agree with @safetyzone that dermatica etc are properly prescribed. My derm said she sees a surprising number of people who react badly to one active ingredient or another. It is hard to know which one. OTOH, the combinations are supposed to work together really well. We shall both see, OP.

I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘pure tret’. The strongest stuff is 0.1% active tret. The rest is the base, preservatives, etc.

She is probably suitably qualified for the treatments she is providing you but I find the smokescreen beauticians/aestheticians put over skincare products extremely frustrating and it cons people into parting with huge amounts of cash for products which can be bought in a pharmacy or prescribed by a doctor.

Tretinoin is no longer available as a standalone product in the uk via GP or from a community pharmacy on private prescription (ie not mixed with another drug). As a result, patients are forced to go via an option like Dermatica/Skin&Me or find a product from abroad such as the Spanish options. Obagi was mentioned and they do have prescription tret but they’re another one of those that are supplied by aestheticians, charge ridiculously extortionate prices which are justified through hiding behind ‘medical grade’ claim. As a prescriber myself, I would want to know who does the prescribing itself for this - where is the prescription, who is signing it and who is supplying..? I see far too many justifying these obscure prices due to the medical grade comment when items from the likes of Dermatica/GP (if looking at other actives) legally have to conform to the same standards.

I'm so happy i made this thread, so best option is Dermatica !

thank you everyone for explaining it all to me Xx

Tretinoin is the strongest retinoid you can buy. Retinoids are a complicated subject. Lots of high street products mention them but its hard to compare the actual percentages and strengths without a science degree.

I am very happy with Dermatica, having previously used Retirides from Spain. Its a much gentler formula. I apply it after washing my face at night, then over it putmoisturiser, though in the summer that's often not necessary for me as the formula is so gentle. Other formulas are not so gentle and Tret can be a hard thing to tolerate so there is loads of advice online about how to manage it - everyone has suggestions but ultimately its what works for you and just trial and error. And usually just lots of moisturising.

Dermatica are on hand to offer advice if you want your formula changed or if you are having any issues. My skin is in a much better state after three years, given I've actually got older in this time. Promise I don't work for them!

I use Retirides that I buy when on holiday in Spain,
I use it 3/4 times a week, I don't use a moisturiser before or after, only if I get some peeling, been using it for around 3 years now, started with the ordinary for around a year, then brought the cream of tret.

and £120 is a normal
price for this ?

seems a bit much ...

Wash your face
Pat face dry
Wait 20 mins until skin is fully dry rather than just towel dry
Apply pea sized blob of tret to face (avoiding areas close to eyes and nostrils)
Wait until it’s fully absorbed and you can then apply a bland moisturiser over the top

Do this twice a week to begin with so that your skin gets acclimatised.

I’ve been using tret for a decade or so now, so since before prescription services like Skin & Me and Dermatica existed. I buy it when I’m abroad.

I don’t think you’ve said what strength tret you’ve got?
I hope it’s 0.025. Please don’t say you’re starting on 0.1. Your face will fall off. My skin doesn’t like 0.1 even after having used tret for yonks.

much cheaper than that when you buy it in a Spanish pharmacy.

£120 seems very expensive. I did start with retirides at the lowest dose they sell but it massively aggravated my skin. I think I paid about 10 euros. I now use 0.009% from skin and me which is going well. I certainly wouldn't start with 0.1%.

I started on it last year, I bought 3 tubes in a chemist in Spain when on holidays - 0.25, 0.5 and 0.1 so I was able to start on the lowest level and work my way up. It only costs about €15 a tube there! Since September I used the first tube and have only recently started on the mid strength. I apply every other night to clean dry skin. I don't apply anything on top of it. I haven't had any adverse reaction other than I have found my skin to be a bit drier than usual so have upped the moisture each morning and on the nights that I'm not using the tret. I actually think I'll pick up another few tubes of the 0.5 and stay on that strength for a good while before moving to the highest strength. Of course you have to use a really good SPF every day, but I was doing that anyway. Definitely buy abroad if you can it's so much cheaper and you won't need a prescription you just have to make sure it's an acutal dispensing pharmacy as some places seem like they are but they just sell beauty products.

@MangoGirll I paid 20 euros in October last year, there was a earlier post on here when someone posted a link where you could buy it online from a pharmacy in Spain its 20 euros a tube plus £20 postage.

ps I've never seen it at that price £120

I use Retirides which I buy from Spain when we go on holiday. I last bought it about 18 months ago and think it was around €26 a tube so a fraction of the price you have seen online! I started with the lowest strength (0.25) about 4 years ago and for the last year have been using 0.5%. When I go on holiday in a few months I'll probably buy more of the 0.5 plus a tube of the highest strength they sell which is 1%.

I use it at night on dry cleansed skin and usually wait about 20 minutes before applying the tret about 4 times a week. I moisturise every morning with a SPF 50 moisturiser and with a night cream on the nights I don't use the tret.

At first I had dry skin and a little flaking so reduced the number of times per week I used the tret and built it up very gradually. I think it's a good product which works well on my skin and has removed some sun spots I had on my face from years ago (when I spent time sunbathing 🙈🙈🙈) but you do have to be careful to use a good sunscreen in the summer and especially if abroad.

I think different pharmacies must charge different prices as I couldn't find Retirides for €15 😂. I last bought it in Malaga

I think your beautician is taking the mick! Dermatica is £24.99 for approx 1 month’s supply. They will start you on a low dose of Tret to build up tolerance gradually so your skin can get used to it as it’s strong stuff. If you go in for a high dose right off the bat, you’re likely to have irritation, peeling and all sorts of problems! They also recommend you layer up till you get used to it - use a moisturiser first, then add the Tret, then more moisturiser on top. Also, start by applying no more than every other day. What qualifications does your beautician have to prescribe? If she’s recommending a strong dose from the start that’s very questionable. Let me know if you need a discount referral code for Dermatica!