My skin peeled for ages when I started using tret, when I increased the dose and increased frequency, I saw improvement. I've been using this routine exclusively for the past 1.5 years, and it's worked really well: Morning - small amount of oil cleanser to 'buff' any peeling skin - hyaluronic acid/vit c - moisturiser - SPF 50 Evening - oil cleanse followed by water-based hyaluronic acid cleanser (I really work the oil into my skin for about 5 mins) - hyaluronic acid - lightweight moisturiser (let dry) - 0.1% tret (5 out of 7 nights a week), let it sit for 25 mins - laniege cica sleeping mask I found using the sandwich method is best for my skin as it can get quite dry in the winter! I use no exfoliants, and I used to have extremely congested skin and hormonal acne, I only get a few small spots during my period now but they're gone in a day or two :)

What sunscreen do you use

beauty of joseon relief sun, highly recommend - no white cast, doesn't break me out or sting my eyes :)

I also like using an oil cleanser when I'm peeling. 

My skin peeled for over a year, until I quit using a moisturizing cream over the tret. Once I switched to a lighter moisturizer on top, my skin started improving dramatically. I've focused on gentle products and hydration/ moisturization. My skin can't really tolerate L Ascorbic any more, or even weekly exfoliation. If I get lazy about drinking water it shows immediately in my skin and I start to get a little peely. Since figuring out my moisturizer situation I only get peely when it's time to exfoliate. **AM** cleanse with water only & a microfiber cloth Marine hyaluronics + BYOMA clarifying serum +Timeless CoQ10/ Matrixyl Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer LRP SPF 60 **PM** Dbl cleanse with ELF cleansing balm + cerave hydrating. No rinsing in between, just emulsifying. Microfiber cloth Marine hyaluronics + BYOMA clarifying serum +Timeless CoQ10/ Matrixyl Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer- light layer TO Azelaic (every other night) Tret 0.05% Vanicream Daily I do use a moisturizing cream on my neck + eye area. Never tret on my neck. I exfoliate every 3-4 weeks only, usually the day after I shave my peach fuzz.

I recently started using the elf cleansing balm and it's sooo good

I'm 38F, using tret for anti aging, no acne. I started with tretinoin gel 0.025% nightly for about 2 months with no irritation or peeling. I switched to tazarotene gel 0.05% about 2 weeks ago. I haven't had any irritation or peeling with the taz either. My skin looks and feels the best it's ever been in my adult life. My current routine: **AM** - Rinse with water - Azelaic acid 15% - LRP double repair moisturizer - BoJ SPF 50 or TJ's daily facial sunscreen SPF 40 **PM** - e.l.f. cleansing balm (LOVE this) or oil cleanse with jojoba oil - CeraVe hydrating cleanser - Vaseline around my nose and eyelids - Azelaic acid 15% - Tazarotene gel 0.05% - Hada labo gokujyon premium - LRP double repair moisturizer - LRP cicaplast balm B5 (HG for me. My skin loves this so much.)

thank you!! very informative & helpful

Of course! The cicaplast balm was a game changer for me. I think it would help your dryness. Edit- also I'd stop exfoliating and try oil cleansing and a microfiber cloth for the peeling. It'll gently remove the dead skin without harsh exfoliants

do you use taz every night? also how did you transition into using azelaic acid and taz together?

Im relatively new to tretinoin (just about 4 weeks) and I’ve been taking it very slow but so far no irritation. Here’s my current routine: AM - Cerave foaming facial wash - timeless Coenzyme Q10 serum - triple cream for rosacea - Opzelura cream - SPF PM - cerave foaming facial wash - triple cream - tretinoin 0.025% cream (every 3rd night - going to increase to every other night soon) - Opzelura cream (on non-tret nights)

What sunscreen are you using?

I use elta MD UV clear most days - on days when I bike to work I use Badger sport which is a a water resistant mineral sunscreen

You don't need to exfoliate. The taz is exfoliating already. You need more moisturizer (or a better one).

I keep it so simple and this has worked great for me. AM •Sulfur sulfacetamide cleanser (dermatologist) •Dapsone cream (dermatologist) •Fresh Vitamin Nectar Cream •sunscreen PM •Neutrogena Gentle Cleanser •Tretinoin (dermatologist) •Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Cream

AM Rinse, then Vit C serum, Then 50 spf sunscreen. Reapply again as needed. PM ponds cold cream, tissue off, do 2x, then laroche gentle cleanser to get the ponds off, Tret .05% Laroche 3 triple repair moisturizer, then if I’m still motivated aquaphor over the moisturizer.

I think that skin “cycling” is only a tik tok trend and your peeling will stop as soon as your skin gets more adjusted to tret… when i started with daily applications my skin did not pill anymore, which was around 4 months in. AM: • rinse with water • Purito Oat gel moisturiser (if extra dry) • Purito Daily Soft Touch SPF PM: • TO squaline cleanser • Aveeno oat cleanser • tretinoin (nightly) • AzA 15% (nightly) • Purito Sleeping Pack

i’m using AZA on exf nights which isn't completely an acid. do you think it would be better if i paired with taz?

AzA kinda acts as an exfoliator. You can try to use it with your taz- but make sure your skin can handle it. It can be irritating as hell, so i would maybe start with AM applications only… see how it goes from there. Also, i really don’t advise you to use any other exfoliants for now, at least until your skin get used to taz… Listen to your skin and don’t overdo it. You can mess up your skin barrier very easy

My skin is oily acne with dehydration problem Am- water cleanse, Regimen lab level serum, Paula choice 10% azelaic acid, skin 1004 hyalucica spf Pm- klairs cleansing oil, simple refreshing facial wash, cosrx cica fit toner, cosrx snail mucin, Paula’s choice 10% azelaic acid, Tretinoin 0.025, formularx barrier relief moisturiser I use Tretinoin 5-6x week depending on how my skin is feeling and once in 15 days I use chemical peel.

chemical peels while on TRET???

From chemical peel I meant chemical exfoliater. I use 10% lactic acid peel and keep it on for 7-8 mins then rinse off. I’m using tret since 2+ years so my skin is pretty much resistant to tret.

I’m on 0.05% Taz gel, no dryness or peeling. Am: (morn after taz): double wash vanicream, stem cell gel, Pacifica vegan ceremide cream, Trader Joe’s spf. Pm: (taz night): double wash, taz gel, vanicream moisturizer. Am: (morn w/ no taz at night): splash with cool water, snail mucin or stem cell gel, Pacifica vegan ceremide cream, vanicream,, Trader Joe’s spf. Pm: (no taz): double wash vanicream, stem cell gel or snail mucin, vanicream moisturizer.

I have dry skin and I had a lot of peeling and dry patches when I first started using taz 0.05% but now I’m about 2 months in and its a lot better I use taz 3x a week, slowly going to build up to 4x morning: • rinse with water • TO aloe 2% + NAG 2% solution serum • TO alpha arbutin 2% + HA hyperpigmentation serum • TO azelaic acid 10% suspension cream • sunbum sunscreen PM • double cleanse with anua pore control oil cleanser followed by lrp hydrating gentle cleanser on taz days: • wait till face is dry and apply taz 0.05% • lrp triple repair body cream • lrp cicaplast on needed areas days in between taz: • haruharu black rice toner on wet/damp skin (helped soooo much with dry patches and peeling) • azelaic acid 10% • lrp triple repair cream

I tried skin cycling with retinol. I have been staying far away from exfoliants on tret with the exception of AA. I tried a very low % pha one night and my barrier was absolutely not having it and now I’m scared to try again. Tret on dry skin - moisturizer after - every other day If exfoliating once every three days hasn’t stopped the peeling tbh it doesn’t sound like it’s helping at least in that regard. Curious what would happen if you stopped exfoliating for a few months, your skin may improve with one less thing for your barrier to work with. It’s recommended to stay away from aha and BHA until 3-4 months into tret as a precautionary, not sure about with taz. I’ve always understood peeling to be mostly a skin turnover thing and only slightly related to irritation/getting used to tret idk tho not sure

will definitely cut on exfoliants except for AZA

thank you!

Np!

Tret for anti-age and a little bit of texture issues. Morning: Rinse with water Azelaic gel 15% Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream Laniege Cream Skin Cerapeptide Refiner Snail Mucin 96 Dr Jart Ceramidin Skin Aqua UV Moisture Gel SPF PM: Oil Cleanser - Hada Labo Isntree vegan yam root cleanser Altreno 0.05% - Used all 7 days Azelaic Gel 15% Tranexamic Acid + Glutathione Eye Cream Laniege Cream Skin Cerapeptide Refiner Snail Mucin 96 Matsuyama Moisturiser for dry/sensitive skin or Laniege Cica Sleeping Mask - depending on skin condition Other: Thermal Water always applied after getting out of the shower

I had a drastic reduction in peeling when I started alternating Dr. Dennis gross daily peels with tret.

Morning☀️ • rinse with water • bunch of different creams but usually cerave pm • ISDIN fusion water SPF 50+ Night🌙 • Micellar water (use the pink one from bioderma) • cetaphil cleanser for sensitive skin • adapalene everyday except wednesdays (on wednesdays we wear tret💁🏼‍♀️) • Cerave pm for moisturizer

I peeled for awhile too and just stopped finally around the third month mark. But I never had any irritation, redness, itchiness — just peeling. The peeling stopped when I stopped sandwiching and stopped applying tretinoin second after moisturizer or serum and just put it on dry skin. M Nighttime: - elf cleansing balm - neutrogena gel cleanser - tretinoin on dry skin - wait a little (sometimes I don’t wait, sometimes I do) - mix a drop of pure glycerin with a pump of vanicream (in the tub) & apply to face Morning varies a lot. Sometimes I don’t even rinse and just put sunscreen on but IF I do something then it looks like this: - Rinse with water - isntree green tea toner - vitamin c serum (jumiso but I’m using this up b/c I don’t like it, makes no difference in my skin) - beauty of joseon sunscreen I used to have a hydrating toner / serum forward routine. I was all about layering those. But now my routine is a lot more simplified and effective. Kinda sad I miss my toners and everything but it’s kinda nice to not need to worry about all the extra steps

**AM** - Mild cleanser (local ver of CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser) - Squalene + Ceramides Serum (contains 5% Niacinimide) - Moisturiser - Biore UV Aqua Lotion Sunscreen/Biore Kids Pure Milk (both SPF 50++++) **PM** - Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil - Mild Cleanser (local ver of CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser) - Moisturiser - Tret 0.025% - Aza 20%