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.
The first key with starting to integrate tretinoin is to know when to apply it. Tretinoin should be applied to the entire face nightly — AFTER washing your face and in combination with a moisturizer.
Tretinoin is often used to treat a range of skin concerns around your T-zone, which includes your forehead and chin, two common areas for acne. Tret is very successful in the treatment — and even prevention — of acne, thanks to its powerful cell-regenerating and exfoliating abilities.
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.
Avoid applying tretinoin directly to your lips, sides of your nose & areas close to your lips, as these parts of the face can potentially become irritated. Tretinoin is best combined with other topical creams including antioxidants, niacinamide & targeted skin care products.
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.
Fact: Most people can't tolerate retinols on the skin around their mouth or neck, as it tends to be thinner and more sensitive. Hence why I often call this area the kiss of death!
They can assess your skin's condition and recommend appropriate treatments or formulations that are safe and effective for this sensitive area. If your dermatologist does recommend you use tretinoin for under-eye wrinkles, apply a very small amount and avoid the direct under-eye area.
Option one: The sandwich technique
After washing your face, apply a layer of moisturiser. Allow it to dry down for 5-10 minutes. Then, apply a pea-sized amount of tretinoin to your entire face. Allow this to dry down for 5-10 minutes.
According to the FDA drug labeled guidelines, the most common adverse effects in topically administered tretinoin are the following: pruritus, skin pain, skin/subcutaneous irritation, erythema, and pharyngitis.
Tazarotene may get you results much faster than tretinoin, especially if you have a lot of very visible sun damage on your face, and in one study tazarotene worked more effectively for photodamage, fine wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, and coarse wrinkling.
How do you maximize tretinoin results? To maximize the results of tretinoin, start slowly, apply tretinoin at night on perfectly dry skin and between two layers of moisturizer, wear sunscreen with SPF 50 every morning, and combine with niacinamide or hyaluronic acid to minimize irritation.
It can be tempting to use your retinoid treatment to boost collagen production on your neck, chest or body, but you should only do this if you're told it's okay by a dermatology expert. The sensitive skin here is different from your facial skin, so it's easier to experience skin irritation.
When you first start using tretinoin, you may start with a lower percentage that you apply just two or three times a week. After two weeks, if your skin is adjusting well to the tretinoin, you can consider increasing use to every night as tolerated.
Once you've massaged the Tretinoin onto your skin, you can apply your serums and/or moisturiser if you use these at night. There isn't a golden rule about how long to wait before applying these as different formulations of Tretinoin take different times to absorb. If in doubt, wait for 15-20 minutes.
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.
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.
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.
Hyaluronic acid can also be used in combination with Clindamycin gel and Tretinoin when treating acne because it helps moisturize the skin. Hyaluronic acid can be combined with almost all other skin care ingredients because it helps to hydrate, plump, and protect the skin.
The main group that can help are retinoids and in particular prescription vitamin A derivatives like Tretinoin. They help to stimulate collagen production by your skin cells which tightens and firms up the skin around the eyes. Antioxidants and peptides can also nourish and protect the skin.
Used in combination with other skin care products, tretinoin can give your skin a more youthful appearance and reverse many aspects of the skin aging process.
If this medication gets into your eyes, flush with large amounts of water. Call your doctor if eye irritation develops. Wash your hands after using the medication to avoid accidentally getting it in your eyes.
Don't scrub your skin while using retinol products. Apply retinol in a thin layer to your entire face (be careful not to get it in your mouth, nose and eyes). You should use a dose that's about the size of a pea. For the first couple weeks of treatment, apply retinol only every other day.
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 ...
Overuse or Improper Application. Using too much retinol or applying it too frequently can overwhelm the skin, causing irritation and making it more prone to dark spots. Solution: Use only a pea-sized amount for the entire face and apply it to dry skin to minimise irritation.