Tretinoin- I really need help please

[Benjaminbraddock]

I’ve started tret two years running and given up because I can’t stand the tightness.
i have and always have had incredibly dry skin.
Mixed heritage, we are all prone to dry ashy skin on the body in my family but I’m the only one with an incredibly dry face.
each time I’ve started tret at 0.01 , using sandwich method, I’ve ended up with such tight and dry skin I can’t continue with it.
it leaves me with terrible under eye lines and my skin feels so tight as though my face will crack and that’s with expensive face cream and barrier cream on top.
i don’t have loads of money to spend and I don’t want to keep wasting the tret but I don’t know how to progress so I end up stopping each time and then trying to heal what feels like damaged skin.
each time I’ve tried, my under eyes skin has got worse and worse an I’ve aged incredibly since starting tret (other external factors at play too)

what can I do? Should I persevere and try to move past this drying process? It feels like my top layer of skin has been sandpapered and compromised and I feel it’s made me look older , not younger.

please help. The baggy wrinkly under eye is particular is getting me down

Keep it away from your eyes and lips.
Only use a pea size amount.
Don't use it every night.
Expect your skin to actually peel off!

Once you get past the shedding it should settle down. Just be judicious in how many times a week you use it.

Or accept it doesnt suit you and try something different.

Thank you. Does it always actually peel off? Even if I’m using all the more gloopy thick stuff on top of the tret in the sandwich method?

In my experience (and Im on the strongest percentage now) it always peels on about day 3 if Ive had a gap in using it. I think it works to speed up cell turnover so that makes sense. Usually around my chin and nose but sometimes cheeks.

But once the peeling ends my skin looks absolutely great. Its just getting through that period but it doesn't last long. I find I can get rid of the peeling skin without making my skin sore by using a cleansing oil for about 2 minutes and rubbing it over the peely bits. I use a Japanese one called Softymo from Amazon which is really cheap and brilliant. Or a face sponge over it gently with Dove soap.

Obviously this doesn't apply to the eye area so maybe avoid that bit.

I don't know anything about tretinoin but I do know about dry skin - have you tried, rather than an expensive face cream, a really thick emollient like the kind that a doctor would prescribe? My favourite is doublebase

Try a different base cream? I didn't get on with tret from Dermatica but have been fine with Skin & Me.

Oh yes thats a good point too. I tried Skin+Me and Dermatica and eventually settled on Renew+Me which has more of the moisturing cream. I think it was designed for peri-menopausal women who often have drier skin. Anyway it works well.

I used it and had stinging on my face for ages. That never went away. My skin looked great but then I developed bad eczema and stopped using it. The GP told me not to use anything on my face apart from moisturiser when my eczema was getting g under control so now just use Roche Posay Toleriane and my skin looks very good. It’s just not right for some people.

What creams are you using?

The classics are Aestura Ato Barrier 365 or Illiyoon Ceramide Ato Concentrate which both have a lot of ceramides.

Then LRP Cicaplast Baume or Avene Cicalfate for when it's going really wrong and you need something for redness/soreness.

Oh this is interesting, especially the comments from @Pineneedlesincarpet and the moisturiser recommendations from @AnnaMagnani.

I started Dermatica 0.05% with 4% Niacinamide at the end of November. Within a couple of days, the peeling started and lasted days. I started off leaving a week, then 6, 5, 4 etc days between applications but the peeling continued. Contacted Dermatica and they advised using an emollient until it settled and then resuming every 3 days - also using sandwich method. 5 weeks later, I still peel from day 4-6 and am still using it once a week, and still using LRP Cicoplast although have reintroduced my normal moisturisers in the last day or two.

I’m starting to wonder whether I should just bite the bullet and increase the frequency, or ask them to dial the strength down a bit. Any advice from seasoned users?

Im on the strongest level which I think is 0.1%. If I am going for it, I use it every day/every other day for a week until the peeling finishes. At that point my skin looks amazing and so I then just use it every 3 days or so and no more peeling occurs. If I stop (to go on a sunny holiday for example) and then restart, the peeling starts all over again. I'm often amazed how many times my chin can peel really! But I definitely think it makes a big difference.

I’d just love to get to the stage where I don’t peel … it makes makeup look horrible so I’m timing it around days I can pretty much hide at home!!

Currently using the cicaplast baume and some other ones I can’t remember. But not tried the ones you mentioned

Thank you

So Dermatica, Skin n Me or Renew n Me for a 60 year old with combination skin not particularly dry please?

Im sure they are all good. I just found Renew +me best for my 50 year old skin personally having tried all the others. But I have normal/dry skin and their cream was more comfortable. You can try each range for just the postage usually before committing?

Do you have dry skin everywhere or just your face?

if you want hydration I’d use hyularonic acid on damp skin out of the shower and a moisturiser / sunscreen

I like the ordinary for both. And I use sunscreen from aldi (in the brown bottle) as it doesn’t leave a white cast

of you are mixed race I’d start with adding bounce a moisture for dry skin before anything as aggressive as tretinoin

what do you use to moisturise after your shower ?

My derm recommended against the sandwich method. She said that a top layer of moisturiser, particularly an occlusive one, can cause irritation.

She also emphasised to wait for the pre-tret layer of moisturiser to sink in and dry down before using tret, so it doesn’t suck the tret more deeply into your skin.

These tips worked for me. I started with a heavier moisturiser and have swapped to a lighter one, as it does create a barrier for the tret. Studies show this does not change the results of using tret.

Now I only need to wait about 5 min between moisturising and using tret. At first I needed to wait 20-30 min.

An alternative would be to continue to sandwich but to leave 20-30 min between each step. Awfully time consuming, however!

My skin is horrendously dry all over . Always has been, I use whatever I can find, I rarely moisturise my body because I just don’t have time. I like thick things like palmers cocoa butter and occasionally use ordinary salicylic acid for body a sometimes body oil .
I try to use sunscreen on face usually a Roche posay one.
Ive got loads of Ordinary stuff, all the gear, no idea

Thank you 🤩

Is that the lowest level? I use Skin + Me and it’s fab with sandwich method and Simple moisturiser. Here is my referral link in case anyone wants a deal on a trial

If you decide to try it I hope it works for you, OP.

Whatever you do, I think my derm would also advise you to get your skin into good shape before starting tret again.

Best wishes

you need to be moisturising everyday after your shower make the time.

Use cocoa butter or shea butter and cover your whole body every day after your shower on lightly damp skin. if its still dry add a light amount of top oil.

if you use salicylic acid put a top layer of moisturiser afterwards.

see how it is after a month. you really REALLY need to moisturise daily.

If your skin is dry all over, what are you using to wash with (hair and body)?

I had ezcema for ages but managed to cure it by switching from shower gel, initially to using emollient like Dermol 500 to wash with, then SLS free products like E45 showergel and finally bar soap.

Shower gel, especially if fragranced or foaming is the enemy of dry skin. Even if it claims to be 'kind' - looking at you Sanex.

Everything SLS free really works - I changed back to an SLS containing shampoo and my back started itching straight away.

same,I use renew+ me no dry skin at all,my skin is actually glowing.

I know I do. I’m disabled and have multiple challenges, much as I hate my ashy skin I just don’t have the energy, power or motivation to moisturise my body regularly, I barely have wherewithal to wash , hence for is on my face as it’s the most manageable aspect .
its not a cop out, its my reality and I hate how my poor health is ageing me . I’ve always cared about how I look and now I’m just resigned to the fact I’ll never look how I want to ever again