Tretinoin topical and Irritation: What Users Say

• EPP...
• March 9, 2014

For Acne "I started breaking out when I got to college. I decided to address the problem before it got worse, even though the acne wasn't that bad. She gave me a prescription for Tretinoin cream. I put it on every night. The first week, I felt like someone had rubbed sandpaper across my face. It was AWFUL. My skin was red and irritated, and it hurt like hell even when nothing was touching it. The next week, the pain and irritation slowly subsided. The following week, my face erupted in pimples. That lasted into the fourth week. It was worse than it had ever been. After that, my face magically cleared up. It was amazing. Except for a very few minor spots, my skin is nearly flawless. The beginning sucks, but STICK IT OUT. You won't regret it."

• Jos...
• December 29, 2013

Retin-A (tretinoin) for Acne "So, about five months ago, I asked my esthetician for some Retin-A (tretinoin) cream, and she gave me the 1% concentration. I had moderate acne when I was younger, but I didn't leave it alone. Haha. I picked at it, and so I have some 'mild' (Or so I'm told - I think it's terrible!) scarring now, even though my acne went away with age. I'm 25 now. Acne went away at about 19. Some are pockmarks, and others just discoloration and a little uneven texture. I jumped straight to everyday use. Expected irritation and redness, but none came. My (sensitive) skin handled it awesomely. Product works great. Skin peels off every morning. Haha. Scars are fading nicely. Pockmarks much less depressed. I get compliments on my skin now!"

• san...
• November 26, 2013

Retin-A (tretinoin) for Acne "I started getting small bumps (not exactly pimples, but should be taken care of immediately, else, it would grow into pimples later) on my forehead and chin areas. It started to spread to my cheeks too. I first started using Retin-A cream. Initially, I had lots of new breakouts, but didn't give up my patience. New breakouts started to fade out on continuous application at only nights after cleansing with Episoft lotion. After a month I started applying Retin-A, my skin texture, pimple marks, and uneven skin tone have improved drastically. The only thing is to use this product only at night after proper cleansing. Initially, this will cause skin peeling and irritation."

• Car...
• September 26, 2014

For Acne "20-year-old female. I have been using this for more than 12 months. The first few weeks, my face was slightly red and irritated, so I added an oil-free moisturizer before applying. I also experienced an initial breakout, but after a little over 2 months, my face started to clear up. Now I'm 100% clear, and it's helping me get rid of scars and red marks. Patience is really the key with this treatment."

• Liv...
• August 1, 2020

Retin-A (tretinoin) for Acne "Retin-A... wow is all I can say. This product is amazing. I had small, stubborn little bumps (clogged pores) and just overall comedonal acne. Retin-A has completely cleared my skin and made it look even better than it did before I had acne. My skin is so smooth, and it just continues to boost my skin confidence. I've been on Retin-A for about a year and use “Retin-A Micro Pump Gel 0.06%.” I did purge a lot and had slight dryness/irritation in the beginning, but I didn’t mind it because I WANTED to get rid of the small bumps that were clogged pores. My top advice about this product is using it consistently! This product works slowly (but effectively) and will take some time to produce the wonderful results. Also, I still get a pimple occasionally, but nowhere near what I had. The pimple will usually come and go quickly with this product. I use a moisturizer and a good SPF sunscreen. This is the BEST, so stick it out during the purging phase because it is WORTH IT."

• Pia...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2013

For Acne "I've had pretty bad acne since I was 12, now I am 18 years old. I would usually get it between my eyebrows, cheeks, jawline, and chin. My nose and forehead have always been clear, just a few blackheads on my nose but never bumps. I have tried so many things, I was prescribed antibiotics first, and it didn't do anything because they were not bacterial. I started using tretinoin cream 0.025% for only one week, and my skin is better than ever. I had surface scars, not deep ones, and they are already lighter. Also, the acne that was present has gotten a lot smaller and lighter, and I have not gotten any new bumps in a week! I usually have a couple of new ones every morning. I have also not had any irritation or peeling."

• Mer...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 7, 2020

Retin-A (tretinoin) for Acne "I am 51 years old, and after years of remission, had a recurrence of acne. I took Accutane when I was in my late twenties. The oiliness of my skin has not abated with age, so I researched possible treatments and decided to try Retin-A. The doctor prescribed 0.05%, and I started using it. After about a month of use, my skin was very irritated, and I experienced a worsening of my acne. I continued to use it and changed my skincare routine by using Cetaphil to wash my face and CeraVe moisturizer SPF 30 in the AM and CeraVe PM at night. I also had to buy a foundation for normal/dry skin. As of now, I have no new pimples, and scars are gradually fading. More than satisfied with this treatment."

• Anonymous
• October 6, 2011

For Acne "I have had acne since I was about 12 years old. I am now 50. I have tried all acne medications out there. I am now using Doxycycline (oral antibiotic) twice a day, Clindamycin phosphate in the morning, and tretinoin at night. For the first time in my life, my face is as smooth as porcelain. Hope never to stop using this combination of medicines. No breakouts, peeling, or irritation. Please just try and see for yourself."

• Bec...
• January 23, 2017

For Acne "I've used this product before, and it did wonders for my skin. My skin did start to get red and irritated, so I just used it every other night or skipped a few days in between. I had a lot of scarring on my cheeks, large pores, and oily skin, and it completely cleared my skin. I remember my cousin's girlfriend asked me if I had makeup on. (My skin was flawless.) The first time I tried this product, it was 0.1 percent cream, and now I just started using 0.05 percent gel. I hope it has the same effect-keeping my fingers crossed."

• Anonymous
• July 12, 2009

Atralin (tretinoin) for Acne "I started out on Differin, Duac, and an oral skin antibiotic, which improved my acne about 90%. About 2 weeks ago, my dermatologist took me off the oral antibiotic and switched me over to just Atralin. So far, I am breaking out again, but I am hoping it is just the initial adjustment period causing it to do this (getting better before it gets worse). I will give it another week or two, and then I will probably go back in if it doesn't improve. The upside is that it does not cause a lot of peeling or irritation, as did the other creams. I have very sensitive and maturing skin, so I thought this would be a great choice for me."

• Lau...
• July 25, 2019

For Acne "Have been using it for approx. 2 weeks and experienced absolutely zero irritation or dryness using it (I have normal/dry skin which has had issues with flaking in the past). I did use some retinol for a month or so prior, which might've helped. So far, I cannot comment on acne yet as I only just got off the pill (which cleared my acne). However, little individual pimples I have had have healed really quickly, so I suppose that's due to tretinoin and I'm hoping it'll help my acne too when it breaks out again. Just decided to comment on this so people know, irritation and dryness don't always happen. I started using 0.05% every night straight away due to no irritation, and the first night or two nights I moisturized right before, then moisturized an hour beforehand, and now I apply it to a dry face and wait 20 or so minutes before applying Nivea crème and almond oil over the top."

• Kim...
• March 3, 2021

Retin-A (tretinoin) for Acne "I’ve been using Retin-A for the last 5 months now. The first 3 months were awful as I got the worst acne breakouts of my life, and they came in the form of cystic, pus-filled, painful acne spots. My face looked horrible, I dreaded going out. It was a nightmare, but after reading reviews of people's experiences, I decided not to stop. Fast forward to 5 months now, and there has been tremendous improvement, most especially in my skin texture. My acne is now 80% under control, but I am dealing with intense hyperpigmentation, but overall my skin has never looked better. My skin texture is really amazing now. So my advice to anyone about to start: stick with it and buffer with a heavy-duty moisturizer when you’re about to start to minimize irritation and purging. And lastly, don’t rely on tretinoin alone. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide in combination with Retin-A would give you better and faster results, so talk to your dermatologist about what works for you."

• Kat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 4, 2021

For Acne "I have been using 0.05% cream for about 4 months, along with 100 mg of spironolactone. Due to the drying and irritation that the tretinoin causes, I started off slow, only using it once every 3 days, then every other day, and now I use it every night. It really doesn't dry my skin out much anymore. Just make sure you're exfoliating regularly and moisturizing. The first 3 months my skin 'purged' horribly. I had bumps all over my face and spent most of my summer hiding out from embarrassment. It was really painful and hard to deal with! This is your skin's way of clearing all the yucky stuff out. Now, 4 months in, and my skin looks beautiful. I still get a zit here and there, but it's so much better. Start off slow with this and hang in there. It will probably get worse before it gets better, but it'll be worth it in a few months when your skin is gorgeous and clear. This also prevents wrinkles too!"

• Nay...
• July 17, 2015

For Acne "I am 16 years old, and I am a junior in high school. I started using the acne cream in 9th grade, but I stopped over the summer and was on and off during my 10th-grade year (I just lost track). But my overall experience is great. I love it. My only problem is that after a couple of days, my chest gets sort of like a rash, and it turns really red and hurts. And my face gets painfully irritated. But I have made an appointment to follow up with my dermatologist, so yeah. But overall, it's a really great cream."

• chr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 8, 2021

For Acne "First of all, it works. But there's a lot of risks that outweigh the benefits. After using for almost a year, my skin glowed, my pores appeared smaller, my skin texture improved. However, it made my eyes extremely dry to the point I couldn't open them without needing eye drops and had to stay home all day without looking 'high' on drugs or sickly out in public. Going from 0.025 to 0.05 made my skin appear better, but it exacerbated the dry eye symptom that I cut it out completely. Two weeks later, I am 90% back to normal but thankfully still have the glow. In summary, it makes my skin appear nice, but still broke out because it is very irritating, thus causing overall redness. I will probably give it a try again at a lower strength and instead of nightly, maybe once a week. Unfortunately, I have to say the same exact thing for adapalene. I guess I'm one of the unlucky ones!"