If your skin is irritated, buffer with moisturizer You can help protect your skin with a layer of moisturizer before applying the tretinoin. This generally doesn't reduce the effectiveness of the medication, but can help to soothe and moisturize the skin.
Using Tretinoin Correctly
The best time to use Tretinoin is at night. This is because light can degrade Tretinoin and make it less effective. Even more importantly, your skin regenerates the most at night and so your skills will get the maximum benefits from Tretinoin when it is applied during this period.
On the other hand, an opened tretinoin tube that has not expired may be less effective than an unopened but expired tube of tretinoin. This can happen due to the chemical composition of tretinoin degrading, which can lead to a reduction in its potency and effectiveness over time.
Apply a base layer of your favourite moisturizer, then apply tretinoin. Studies have shown that the base layer does not dilute or reduce the efficacy of the retinoid, in fact it helps with tolerability.
Pro tip: you can buffer your retinol
People do this one of two ways – either by applying retinol after moisturizer or mixing them into one application. Buffering is especially effective when you are first getting started, as it is a great way to ease the skin into retinol usage.
Preventing irritation is where buffering comes in—answering the common question of whether you should apply your retinol before or after moisturizer. Answer: Try applying it at the same time instead. While it's more potent when applied beforehand, some complexions can benefit from an additional layer of moisturizer.
Skin experts always advocate applying actives on damp skin for better absorption. However, the same rule does not apply to retinol. While you must wash your face before application, make sure the skin is dry first. “On damp skin, the retinol will get absorbed more deeply and in turn cause irritation.
You should aim to use tretinoin every night, however, you must start slowly as your skin needs to get used to it. The first 2 weeks apply it 2 to 3 nights per week, after that try applying it every other day, and then if your skin can handle it, apply it every night.
The 15+ minute wait allows the skin barrier to recover and minimizes irritation. This helps reduce the risk of tretinoin induced retinoid dermatitis, a common issue for many tretinoin users.
Skin purging typically lasts anywhere between four to six weeks which is roughly in line with how long it takes for your skin cells to naturally turnover. During this phase, it might seem like your skin is getting worse but it should settle down and improve after you've passed this period.
It's true that some people with persistent acne use tretinoin for years, but generally speaking, most stop once they have clearer skin or if they're no longer seeing results. Other people may continue to use tretinoin after their breakouts subside for the most part for maintenance therapy.
Your Retinoid is Being Inactivated
Retinoids are inactivated by UV light, so must be applied at night. Additionally, retinoids can be inactivated by other topical skin care ingredients, most commonly salicylic acid. Avoid using products which contain salicylic acid in your night-time skin care routine.
The skin will be more prone to sunburn, dryness, or irritation, especially during the first 2 or 3 weeks. However, you should not stop using this medicine unless the skin irritation becomes too severe.
The tretinoin in Retin A cream is very prone to break down by exposure to light. UVA breaks down tretinoin the most but the peak wavelength that does this is 420nm, which is just into the visible light spectrum right outside of the UVA wavelength spectrum.
Starting with a lower-strength tretinoin cream is often recommended to allow your skin to acclimate to the product. As you build tolerance, you can gradually move to a higher concentration if needed. Here's a typical progression: Begin with 0.025%: Use this strength for several months, observing how your skin responds.
For experienced retinoid users and those with severe acne, hyperpigmentation or wrinkles, 0.1% Tretinoin strength may be needed. This highest concentration is up to 20X stronger than retinol. However, with increased strength comes a greater likelihood of side effects.
Option one: The sandwich technique
In this method we sandwich tretinoin between two layers of moisturiser. This buffers your skin from tretinoin and slows down the release. After washing your face, apply a layer of moisturiser. Allow it to dry down for 5-10 minutes.
The skin on the neck is thinner and more sensitive, so it may not tolerate tretinoin well, causing irritation. However, if you want to address signs of ageing on your neck, you may benefit from using tretinoin there. To avoid irritation, start with a lower frequency on your neck and build up as your skin tolerates it.
Buffer your Tretinoin by applying a thin layer moisturiser immediately before application serves to effectively dilute the concentration and make it less potent and more tolerated for the eye area.”
After 4-6 weeks, your skin will get used to Tretinoin and will begin to be noticeably smoother and more even. Depending on how often you use Tretinoin, you may begin to see full benefits by this point. A lot of the initial irritation will settle down and true “retinization” of your skin is in full force.
Dr Malvina Cunningham: Retinoids like tretinoin and vitamin C work well together as they both promote collagen production and enhance each other's effect. Vitamin C is generally less of an irritant so these can often be applied in combination. Retinoids like tretinoin and niacinamide work well too.
Some people may notice that this side effect goes away within a few weeks of use, while others may have flaky skin for up to two months. Regardless of how long it takes to subside, tretinoin peeling is temporary and will go away once your skin gets used to the product.
The La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 Multi-Purpose Balm.
It's a shea butter and glycerin-based balm, so it's super-rich and healing-- great for night routines. Tretinoin users have reviewed this product and named it the “holy grail of moisturizers.” It's helped countless people get through tretinoin irritation.
The Retinol Uglies: Fact vs Myths. Retinol can benefit skin in a myriad of ways. Often implemented into routines for anti-ageing and skin clearing, its potency can sometimes cause side effects in the short term. Termed 'retinol uglies', the skin shedding function of this ingredient results in sensitivity for many users ...