Avoid using skin products that can cause irritation, such as harsh soaps, shampoos, hair coloring or permanent chemicals, hair removers or waxes, or skin products with alcohol, spices, astringents, or lime. Avoid using other medications on the areas you treat with tretinoin topical unless your doctor tells you to.
Tretinoin degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight, meaning you probably won't get the best results by using it in the morning. Instead, the best time to apply tretinoin is at nighttime — usually 20 to 30 minutes after cleansing your face before you go to bed.
Some products that may interact with this drug include: hair perming solutions, alcohol/lime/menthol-containing products (such as astringents, toners, shaving lotions), medicated or abrasive soaps and cleansers, products containing sulfur, resorcinol or salicylic acid, products containing alpha hydroxy acid, products ...
Yes. It's perfectly safe to use a moisturizer with tretinoin. In fact, tretinoin without moisturizer is generally not recommended. Many dermatologists advise their patients to moisturize while using it to reduce their chance of developing dry, peeling skin.
The Retinol Mistake We Had No Idea We Were Making
But one such 'rule' we weren't aware of until now, is that retinol needs a decent amount of time to absorb. According to skincare guru and best-selling author, Caroline Hirons, you should allow 20 plus minutes before moving on to the next step of your routine.
Rouleau says the best time to use a scrub is in the morning. Overnight you've loosened up dead skin cells with your glycolic acid or retinol products, making the morning a perfect time to brush them off. After washing or scrubbing your face, move quickly.
Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, it is especially important to avoid using the following skin products on the same area as tretinoin: Any other topical acne product or skin product containing a peeling agent (eg, benzoyl peroxide, resorcinol, salicylic acid, or sulfur).
Dr. Mariwalla says coating your skin with Vaseline after applying retinoids or AHA acids would increase penetration of these ingredients, potentially leading to irritation.
In the morning, wash your face with a mild facial scrub or rough washcloth. This will help reduce the noticeable flaking. After washing, apply a good water-based moisturizer. The moisturizer will make the drying effect of the medicine more tolerable.
Generally, it is fine to use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to because of the initial side effects, especially when you first start. You should only use tretinoin as prescribed to avoid significant skin irritation, redness, and other side effects.
The truth: You can use vitamin C with retinol and retinoids. Get them as separate products so you can tailor the concentration of each and use them at the right time of day. Although vitamin C can be used day or night, it is ideal for daytime use, while retinol and retinoids should be applied at night.
Some products that may interact with this vitamin include: acitretin, alitretinoin, bexarotene, cholestyramine, isotretinoin, tretinoin, other products that contain vitamin A (such as multivitamins), warfarin. Avoid taking vitamin A at the same time as you take neomycin, orlistat, and mineral oil.
Vitamin A and vitamin K can have negative interactions with blood thinners, so you should avoid taking both. Some herbal remedies can also interact with the blood thinner warfarin (Coumadin) including: Cranberry.
Retin-A can improve skin texture and fade dark spots and freckles because it causes skin cells to turn over more rapidly. It shrinks dilated pores and improves cell turnover within the pores so they are less likely to clog and become blackheads and whiteheads.
As a result of its effects on your skin's cellular turnover speed, tretinoin reduces the appearance of wrinkles, evens out your skin's pigmentation and also treats skin issues such as acne. The end result is smoother, younger looking skin that's much less affected by fine lines, wrinkles or other common signs of aging.
Gently apply to the specific areas on your skin where you need it to work. The medication should fade into your skin right away. If it doesn't, try using a little less the next day. Keep in mind that using a larger amount of tretinoin or using it more often won't make it work faster.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."
Do not use this medicine in or around the eyes or lips, or inside of the nose. Spread the medicine away from these areas when applying. If it accidentally gets on these areas, wash with water at once. Before applying tretinoin, wash the skin with a mild soap or cleanser and warm water by using the tips of your fingers.
Tretinoin for acne. Apply tretinoin exactly as your doctor tells you to. You will be asked to apply it either once or twice a day. Your skin may become more sensitive to sunlight than usual.
But does it have moisturizing and calming benefits that can help ease irritation or inflammation? Yes. As far as my retinoid journey goes, Dr. Chen agreed that aloe vera's cooling ability and mild antibacterial benefits could likely help with the sensitivity and purging that comes with skin retinization.
Slugging and retinoids
Don't mix in the slug life when using a retinoid. Slugging while using retinoids could increase irritation. If you want to use a petroleum-based product to soothe irritation caused by a retinoid, that is fair game. But it's not a good idea to do both at the same time.
Mix your retinol with your moisturizer, or apply your moisturizer first and then your retinol. Always use sunscreen the morning after you apply retinol. Your skin will be especially sensitive to sunlight, so it's important to protect it.
Fortunately, it's safe to mix niacinamide and retinol. In fact, the combination is considered to have numerous benefits.
Use Exfoliants Sparingly After the Adjustment Period
After two to six weeks of using tretinoin, it's usually okay to start using an exfoliant. However, it's best to use exfoliating products as sparingly as possible while using tretinoin to avoid potentially irritating your skin.
Keep Your Face Clean
Touching your face or allowing oil or bacteria to build up can also increase the side effects of the tretinoin purge. Only touch your face with clean hands and leave your skin to do its thing. Also try not to pick at flaky or dry skin caused by the purge.