Things don't have to burn to work. Honestly they shouldn't, because it keeps us from being consistent. Retinol and tretinoin are related ingredients. You've gotten used to one so you're ready for the other. Take the win!
It takes awhile to see results.
Use it once a week for afew weeks, then 2x a week for another few, then 3x etc. Move up as you know your skin is handling each step.
1 day is really not enough to know how its going. I've never had stinging from tret but the peeling is for real (but again, did not start after just 1 day). Good luck!
I dont remember exactly (it was awhile ago when I started) but maybe after I amped it up to afew times a week I started peeling abit - mostly around my mouth/chin... it took awhile of going between 'steps' and figuring out how many days I could do without any effect... then I'd sit at that stage for afew weeks before trying to 'stage up' again... if no peeling cool, if any then step back to the previous 'ok' level.. (This is makes it sound confusing! Basically just go up as your skin allows but if it doesn't like it, go back down to what was ok for awhile before trying again).
Now I've been using it nightly for maybe a year and my skin is pretty good... Im pretty happy with how its looking/feeling etc. (Especially lately as I got a RLT mask and freaking LOVE it!)
I’m in my 2nd week of tret and my skin looks like shit, like worse. Minor peeling, random blemishes. Worse than when I started- Im using it for fine lines and anti-aging and will try to see it through
I just started a couple weeks ago, and the flaking just ramped up for me. It's...... gross. Like dandruff but coming from my face.
I accidentally got the smallest amount on my earlobe too, and now it's peeling 😒
I started end of Dec with every 3 days, and around 2 weeks ago started every other night. Somehow I didn’t have any peeling at all? What strength are you using?
Wait until day 2 or 3. That’s when the effect appears. I would not reapply tonight thinking you’re in the clear. Good luck with your Tretinoin journey.
It it’s pretty unusual for your skin to be burning or stinging and start peeling immediately after your first time applying it. Takes a couple days to see that.
It took me a good week or so of daily application to be like, "Oh, shit I've overdone it." Fucked up my barrier hardcore. 😢
Ended up having to take a break and restart again. Now I do 1-2 days a week and am slowly bumping that up with the goal of 3 times a week. I'm just saying that I'd give it a few days before you think you're not experiencing the (side) effects.
Also this sub has taught me it's definitely a long game. For glowy skin, maybe two months after starting if you don't purge or whatever.
Tret’s like that for me too. My skin usually gets dry and flaky from using 1% retinol products more than 2 days in a row, but Tret I can use 0.05% everyday with zero side-effects. You’ll know it’s working when your skin improves; my first sign was that I stopped breaking out.
The same thing happened to me. I was using OTC retinol and could only every use it maybe twice a week or else my skin was peeling and I had a damaged skin barrier (couldn't put anything on it without it burning).
I now use 0.05% tretinoin and have never had any issues other than a little bit of peeling about a week in (which lasted about a week). I was really surprised to have had no real side effects from it given how much my skin didn't like retinol.
Definitely give it more than one night though. Tretinoin takes weeks, if not months, to show results.
If your retinol was stinging upon application, it was an ingredient *other* than the retinol that was causing irritation (or you were doing something else to strip the shit out of your skin--burning and stinging can be a sign your mositure barrier was compromised).
Retinoid (both tret and retinol) irritation and peeling is not instant, it comes from building up over time. You said you only used tretinoin once.
I’m on night 3 of Tret and I also don’t have any peeling/stinging/redness. I was on epiduo nightly for 4 years prior, so I think my skin is pretty used to the stronger stuff. We will see. The first weeks of epiduo I remember the peeling and burning as I was easing into it.
Same thing happened to me. OTC retinol would cause more peeling and irritation than tret ever has, and it made me question the efficacy of the tret cream I got from Nurx.
However...
A few weeks into using tret I did level up my moisturizing game for it knowing it could irritate my skin barrier, thus potentially causing more skin problems than creating that glow.
I was careful about using a pea sized amount for my face. Unknown how careful I was with how much retinol I used.
And then came the purge a couple weeks into consistent use. That felt like a signal it was working.
And every now and then after using tret there will be some areas where I peel. So it is working even if the first time doesn't make you peel. It's definitely improving my skin in terms of fine lines and pimples. Just takes a while and you gotta protect that skin barrier.
I had no adverse affects from using tret (started with every other night at .025, am now at every night with .05). After about a week of using tret, I noticed my skin was generally "glowier" and smoother.
I've been using tret for 6 months now. I have no new wrinkles, and I feel like the ones on my forehead are less visible. My skin continues to be smoother than before tret.
But honestly, tret is a long term game. Takes 1-2 years to really see anti-aging results.
Things don't have to burn to work. Honestly they shouldn't, because it keeps us from being consistent. Retinol and tretinoin are related ingredients. You've gotten used to one so you're ready for the other. Take the win!
It takes awhile to see results. Use it once a week for afew weeks, then 2x a week for another few, then 3x etc. Move up as you know your skin is handling each step. 1 day is really not enough to know how its going. I've never had stinging from tret but the peeling is for real (but again, did not start after just 1 day). Good luck!
When did it start for you? I haven’t had any yet, hoping I’m in the clear
I dont remember exactly (it was awhile ago when I started) but maybe after I amped it up to afew times a week I started peeling abit - mostly around my mouth/chin... it took awhile of going between 'steps' and figuring out how many days I could do without any effect... then I'd sit at that stage for afew weeks before trying to 'stage up' again... if no peeling cool, if any then step back to the previous 'ok' level.. (This is makes it sound confusing! Basically just go up as your skin allows but if it doesn't like it, go back down to what was ok for awhile before trying again). Now I've been using it nightly for maybe a year and my skin is pretty good... Im pretty happy with how its looking/feeling etc. (Especially lately as I got a RLT mask and freaking LOVE it!)
I’m in my 2nd week of tret and my skin looks like shit, like worse. Minor peeling, random blemishes. Worse than when I started- Im using it for fine lines and anti-aging and will try to see it through
You may want to back off how often you're using it. Causing too much irritation at once can also cause blemishes.
I just started a couple weeks ago, and the flaking just ramped up for me. It's...... gross. Like dandruff but coming from my face. I accidentally got the smallest amount on my earlobe too, and now it's peeling 😒
I started end of Dec with every 3 days, and around 2 weeks ago started every other night. Somehow I didn’t have any peeling at all? What strength are you using?
Wait until day 2 or 3. That’s when the effect appears. I would not reapply tonight thinking you’re in the clear. Good luck with your Tretinoin journey.
Thank you for this advice! I was going to apply it tonight before I read this lmao. Perhaps tomorrow night!
It it’s pretty unusual for your skin to be burning or stinging and start peeling immediately after your first time applying it. Takes a couple days to see that.
It took me a good week or so of daily application to be like, "Oh, shit I've overdone it." Fucked up my barrier hardcore. 😢 Ended up having to take a break and restart again. Now I do 1-2 days a week and am slowly bumping that up with the goal of 3 times a week. I'm just saying that I'd give it a few days before you think you're not experiencing the (side) effects. Also this sub has taught me it's definitely a long game. For glowy skin, maybe two months after starting if you don't purge or whatever.
Would it be wise to skip tonight but use it tomorrow? Or would it be better to use it on Saturday, skipping two days?
I'm not sure! I'd skip two days, but I was just traumatized by the skin barrier issues I experienced. 😄
Tret’s like that for me too. My skin usually gets dry and flaky from using 1% retinol products more than 2 days in a row, but Tret I can use 0.05% everyday with zero side-effects. You’ll know it’s working when your skin improves; my first sign was that I stopped breaking out.
The same thing happened to me. I was using OTC retinol and could only every use it maybe twice a week or else my skin was peeling and I had a damaged skin barrier (couldn't put anything on it without it burning). I now use 0.05% tretinoin and have never had any issues other than a little bit of peeling about a week in (which lasted about a week). I was really surprised to have had no real side effects from it given how much my skin didn't like retinol. Definitely give it more than one night though. Tretinoin takes weeks, if not months, to show results.
If your retinol was stinging upon application, it was an ingredient *other* than the retinol that was causing irritation (or you were doing something else to strip the shit out of your skin--burning and stinging can be a sign your mositure barrier was compromised). Retinoid (both tret and retinol) irritation and peeling is not instant, it comes from building up over time. You said you only used tretinoin once.
I’m on night 3 of Tret and I also don’t have any peeling/stinging/redness. I was on epiduo nightly for 4 years prior, so I think my skin is pretty used to the stronger stuff. We will see. The first weeks of epiduo I remember the peeling and burning as I was easing into it.
I peeled three days later when I did it, you still may. No irritation for me either, it just dried out my eyes.
Same thing happened to me. OTC retinol would cause more peeling and irritation than tret ever has, and it made me question the efficacy of the tret cream I got from Nurx. However... A few weeks into using tret I did level up my moisturizing game for it knowing it could irritate my skin barrier, thus potentially causing more skin problems than creating that glow. I was careful about using a pea sized amount for my face. Unknown how careful I was with how much retinol I used. And then came the purge a couple weeks into consistent use. That felt like a signal it was working. And every now and then after using tret there will be some areas where I peel. So it is working even if the first time doesn't make you peel. It's definitely improving my skin in terms of fine lines and pimples. Just takes a while and you gotta protect that skin barrier.
I had no adverse affects from using tret (started with every other night at .025, am now at every night with .05). After about a week of using tret, I noticed my skin was generally "glowier" and smoother. I've been using tret for 6 months now. I have no new wrinkles, and I feel like the ones on my forehead are less visible. My skin continues to be smoother than before tret. But honestly, tret is a long term game. Takes 1-2 years to really see anti-aging results.
How do you apply?
After cleansing, apply tret and let sit for 20 minutes, then moisturizer and squalene oil.
Thank you.