Question for Tret users

[Itsnotraininganymore]

Hoping for some advice from seasoned Tret users. Dermatica started me on .05% around 4 months ago. Every time I use it, my face peels and flakes around 4 days later, and that goes in for 2/3 days. Am using an emollient which helped somewhat but didn’t solve it so now only using the Dermatica once a week. I keep pushing the next despatch date back but planned to contact them this month and ask them to reduce strength but unfortunately missed it by a couple of days and they have despatched my next order.

They have said they will reduce the Tret to .025%. What does anyone advise? Perservere with 0.05 for a few months or bin it and take the extra expense but get the 0.025 which might suit me better (they have offered to do it at 50% off). Hate the thought of the waste! Thanks.

No, you should start on the minimum strength, and work from there. So, start on lowest, it’ll peel and flake at first, but will settle. You are obviously sensitive to it. Then when your skin looks good, and it’s settled, ask to go up to the next strength, repeat as above. Go up gradually over a year or 18 months. It’s a long game.

You don’t need to use it every day. I don’t. I get a tube, and use it every other night, and I put the extra shot on my neck and décolletage and sometimes I put the delivery back.

In the summer use less and put the deliveries back. I go at it in the winter and autumn, and back off in the summer as I want a bit of sun on my face.

I had this problem. I found if I sandwiched the tret between two layers of moisturiser it made it less irritating. Also after cleansing make sure your face is completely dry then moisturise, apply tret and moisturise on top. Much less irritating

Use the stronger tube on your neck and chest sparingly.

Thanks all ... Great idea to use the stronger dose on neck and chest. Am already sandwiching it and hope that, combined with weaker strength, will allow me to work up from once a week but without the peeling which is so unsightly and looks absolutely dreadful when I put a light skin tint on.

I would just bite the bullet and go down to the 0.025%. No need to throw the 0.5% away, as once you are using the lower dose more frequently, you may be able to tolerate the higher dose better in a few months.

I have started on 0025% and have had not one issue so far.

This is what I do:

First I cleanse my face, but I only use mild cleansers now.
Then tone, serum and LRP Lipikar Balm.
Leave that to dry off for about half an hour
Then apply the tret, small amount over face and I do my neck too
Leave that for about 10 minutes
Another moisturizer on top, when I first started I used the LRP again, but now I just use my normal night cream.

I started out once a week, then twice a week and now I have just started every second night.

Maybe try the sandwich method and see if it helps at all before changing back down.

Apologies, I didn't see your post re sandwich method before I posted.

Do you exfoliate at all? I haven't as I cut out anything that seems like it might be too harsh, but I am wondering if there is a place for exfoliating in this new routine. But maybe someone more experienced could come along and let us know what they do.

I do know that in the past I would go a bit flakey under foundation if I hadn't exfoliated.

I’d also recommend going down to the lower strength for now, as it will be easier to tolerate.

It’s a myth that the higher strength will always give much greater results - here is a link to one study showing that people using the lowest strength (0.025%) and those who used the highest strength (0.1%) for almost a year had statistically very similar results, but more irritation with the higher strength.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7544967/

I think it’s more important to use it consistently, which is much easier when there is less irritation.

Also, just a warning that it took me about 2 years to fully tolerate tretinoin on my neck - I would get a red, itchy rash for days like I had hives when I used it. I stuck with over the counter retinol for ages and built up slowly, and still get some itritation there while my face tolerates it very well.

Go down to the lower strength but also get yourself a barrier serum, something like this: https://www.lookfantastic.com/p/the-inkey-list-ectoin-hydro-barrier-serum-30ml/15752394/

You can put it on before or after and it will help your skin repair itself. You should use it everyday regardless of whether you have put your tret on or not

How often are you using it?

I’ve used tret fo years and wouldn’t go up again. I did and I was peeling a not getting better I kept going trying to push through but nothing worked. Now I’ve stuck to a lower dose my skin is flawless consistently

Goodness .. so many replies and loads of advice - thank you.

Okay, so I've gone ahead and ordered it - encouraged by positive reports of using the lower strength.

Someone asked how often I'm using it - even once a week made me peel so that's the answer! Will see if I have any reaction to the new prescription and, if not, maybe try 5 days between applications. Will continue to sandwich - have a tube of LRP Cicoplast which I've just opened so hopefully that will do yhe trick!

Thanks again for all the tips!!

Hi OP. At 0.025% you'll actually be able to use it consistently, and consistent lower-strength use will always outperform sporadic higher-strength use in the long run. Your skin builds tolerance much better that way too!

I use 0.025% , have done for years and love it . I tried higher and my skin wouldn’t tolerate it.. also I read a paper that suggests lower concentrations are just as effective for anti-ageing in the long-term if they are used consistently for a long time.

Thanks @1emma19 and @shivermetimbers77 , that’s really encouraging. Am looking forward to getting the new prescription now, being able to use it as it should be used and hopefully seeing some good results in the fullness of time!

I e been using it for 20 years. I STILL peel. Not big horrible flakes but thin peeling that means makeup looks shit.

I dropped from 1.0 back to 0.5 but I still peel. I peel on every dose