Differin users---please help
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free skin care · Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:08 pm

I have been using Obagi with 0.1% Tretinoin for the past 4 months and LOVE the results. However, the acne on my cheeks has gotten worse and my perioral dermatitis has gotten much worse. After searching through the threads here at EDS I discovered that the isopropyl myristate in the tretinoin might be aggravating my acne and the Sodium Lauryl Sulfate in the Obagi products might be worsening my perioral dermatitis. I have become tolerant of the tretinoin, but would like to try something that produces the "glow" without containing isopropyl myristate. I have a tube of Differin that I have been using for the past few days and I am wondering if using that alone will be sufficient or should I alternate with something such as Skinceuticals Retinol or Avene retinol?

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Sat Mar 03, 2007 2:22 pm

Im using Obagi too,if u use blender + Tretinoin daily im sure your acne will dry and peel out by itself,i used it daily for the first month and now im on maintenance which is twice a week.

free skin care · Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:15 pm

I've been using Tretinoin/blender daily for 4 months and my acne has definitely gotten worse.

free skin care · Sat Mar 03, 2007 7:22 pm

The differin should be stronger than anything you can get over the counter, but I would recommend tazorac -- much more effective than differin in my experience. Have you gone tothe derm about the perioral dermatitis? You need a full month of antibiotics to clear it up and any retinoids will just make it worse (I get it every year or so).

free skin care · Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:09 pm

yes I finally did go to the derm about the perioral dermatitis. I tried the oral antibiotics, but couldn't take the side effects(if ya know what I mean). I've been using topical metrocream and niacinamide gel and avoiding anything with SLS (toothpaste, cleanser, etc.)and it is now under control. Does the Tazorac give you the glow that retin-a does?

free skin care · Sat Mar 03, 2007 9:20 pm

noleRN wrote:

yes I finally did go to the derm about the perioral dermatitis. I tried the oral antibiotics, but couldn't take the side effects(if ya know what I mean). I've been using topical metrocream and niacinamide gel and avoiding anything with SLS (toothpaste, cleanser, etc.)and it is now under control. Does the Tazorac give you the glow that retin-a does?

I am addicted to the tazorac glow. It is actually the strongest of the prescription retinoids at this point. There are a lot of tazorac users on this board who love it also. I do short contact therapy (leave it on for 5 minutes and wash off) and it is still working beautifully after 2+ years. I took a 2 month break once when my perioral dermatitis was really bad (the tazorac made it flake like crazy) and I was in misery because I'd gotten so used to having that retinoid glow!

And yes, I do know what you mean about the antibiotics side effects!!! Hate them! But I've found some ways around it (have to be very carefully with dosage and type and whatnot), because the topical antibiotics don't work for me unfortunately.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:07 am

waffle wrote:

I am addicted to the tazorac glow. It is actually the strongest of the prescription retinoids at this point. There are a lot of tazorac users on this board who love it also. I do short contact therapy (leave it on for 5 minutes and wash off) and it is still working beautifully after 2+ years. I took a 2 month break once when my perioral dermatitis was really bad (the tazorac made it flake like crazy) and I was in misery because I'd gotten so used to having that retinoid glow!

i'm actually curious about the short contact therapy -- does it help you with acne as well? do you wash your face, then do the short contact therapy and wash with water? what do you put on after?

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:41 am

...and I'm curious as to what the exact difference is between using Tretinoin and Tazorac results-wise (apart from the acne). Does it thin the corneal layer in the same way and make you sensitive to the sun? Does it give you the thicker dermis without the associated sensitivities?

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 7:40 am

Thanks Waffle. I am going back to the derm. next week so I'll ask for some Tazorac then. Until I started using Obagi, I had never had anyone compliment me on how pretty my skin looked. I MUST have that glow back! Hopefully the Taz will produce the same results, but I too am curious if it helps with acne. I started using Proactiv about a week ago and have had no new breakouts Very Happy

. I know it is supposed to age you, but at this point I don't care--I just want the acne gone!

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:52 am

I haven't used Taz. but it has lots of fans on this board and others. I have used Differin. It is the most gentle of the retin-a products. Its primary purpose is to clean out pours (blackheads) it would also help with zits. As for the glow...I can't make promises but my skin looks better than ever. Because Differin is so gentle, it takes longer to see results.

In other words, it's good you're seeing your Dr. this week Laughing

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:18 am

la vie en rose wrote:

waffle wrote:

I am addicted to the tazorac glow. It is actually the strongest of the prescription retinoids at this point. There are a lot of tazorac users on this board who love it also. I do short contact therapy (leave it on for 5 minutes and wash off) and it is still working beautifully after 2+ years. I took a 2 month break once when my perioral dermatitis was really bad (the tazorac made it flake like crazy) and I was in misery because I'd gotten so used to having that retinoid glow!

i'm actually curious about the short contact therapy -- does it help you with acne as well? do you wash your face, then do the short contact therapy and wash with water? what do you put on after?

yes, the short contact therapy is for acne. The most obvious result is your skin becomes uncongested after a few weeks -- my skin was never terible but in bright natural light you could see that all the pores were clogged and bumpy. That is gone. However, since my acne is purely hormonal (I have dry skin), the taxorac can only keep my pores clean, but if my hormones want to go crazy, there's not much I can do about that. It helps, but is not 100%. Between tazorac and careful selection of the right birth control pills, I would say it s very much under control (couple of zits a month maybe, used to be all the time). It also speeds healing, prevents scarring, and red marks go away very very quickly.

How I do it: I put it on before I wash my face -- I wouldn't do this if you wear foundation or heavy sunscreen -- I originally started doing this because the day's oil and grime provided a bit of a buffer. I probably don't need to do this anymore since my skin is used to it, but it's a habit and it still works, and it cuts down on my bedtime routine since I don't have to rinse twice. Anyways, I leave it on for 5 minutes and wash my face like normal. That's it!
A 100 gram tube will last you about a year and a half if you are using it properly.

PS: if anyone needs help with selecting BCP, PM me!! I've done a lot of research and can help.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:24 am

Molly wrote:

...and I'm curious as to what the exact difference is between using Tretinoin and Tazorac results-wise (apart from the acne). Does it thin the corneal layer in the same way and make you sensitive to the sun? Does it give you the thicker dermis without the associated sensitivities?

They are very similar, and will have similar side effects. Tazorac works faster and is the most effective. They aren't sure why. The main difference is that tazorac is more "targeted" to certain receptors in your skin. The best way I can explain the difference is that retin-a targets receptors A, B, and C, and tazorac only targets A and B. So it has a smaller scope of action than trentinoin. Or something like that.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:28 am

noleRN wrote:

Thanks Waffle. I am going back to the derm. next week so I'll ask for some Tazorac then. Until I started using Obagi, I had never had anyone compliment me on how pretty my skin looked. I MUST have that glow back! Hopefully the Taz will produce the same results, but I too am curious if it helps with acne. I started using Proactiv about a week ago and have had no new breakouts Very Happy

. I know it is supposed to age you, but at this point I don't care--I just want the acne gone!

NoleRN -- unfortunately if you switch to tazorac, you may have some purging and it can take up to 3-4 months to really clear up acne (unless you were using the obagi for a long enough time to have really done most of the purging already). It's worth it if you ask me but it was kind of like having braces, where everyone tells you you'll be so happy when you're grown up but your 13 year old self is just tortured.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:29 am

Thanks Waffle. Do you actually know what each of the receptors A, B and C affect in the skin specifically? If I could find a retinoid that gave me the plumping without the barrier thinning I'd be delighted.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:34 am

Molly wrote:

Thanks Waffle. Do you actually know what each of the receptors A, B and C affect in the skin specifically? If I could find a retinoid that gave me the plumping without the barrier thinning I'd be delighted.

Nope, I'm not even sure dermatologists know. There's a lot of literature out there if you want to slog through it, but I can tell you that it definitely thins the skin, same sun senstivity, etc. The only difference I have found is that it works faster and more effectively, but the side effects have been the same (although I don't find it as harsh as plain retin-a)

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 11:38 am

Thanks Waffle - seems it has the usual problems.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 12:00 pm

thank you, waffle! i think i might like to try this myself.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:28 pm

Thanks Waffle and Donnababe. I think I will give it a try. Going through the uglies with the Obagi was definitely worth it so I'm sure I can stick it out with Taz.

Waffle, do you use it around your mouth? I am just wondering if the Differin wouldn't aggravate the perioral dermatitis as much as the Taz.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:52 pm

noleRN wrote:

Thanks Waffle and Donnababe. I think I will give it a try. Going through the uglies with the Obagi was definitely worth it so I'm sure I can stick it out with Taz.

Waffle, do you use it around your mouth? I am just wondering if the Differin wouldn't aggravate the perioral dermatitis as much as the Taz.

I do use it around my mouth, but my perioral dermatitis is cleared up right now (I get it once a year or so). I know that it doesn't cause my PD, but it has the same effect as when you use any kind of chemical exfoliant on a zit or a rash -- it causes it to flake quite a bit. So I wouldn't say it makes it worse, but it certainly made it more difficult to deal with/cover up. I couldn't tell you if the differin would make a difference -- I never found differin to be that much more gentle than taz. I would definitely do the short contact therapy at least around your mouth, I don't think you'd want it sitting there all night. All in all, if you could get your PD completely clear first, I think it would be the way to go.

free skin care · Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:19 am

Thanks Waffle!

free skin care · Wed May 30, 2007 11:17 am

i just went to my derm today b/c of redness/bumpiness around my nose and chin area as well as general acne concerns. she prescribed clindamycin phosphate lotion for a.m. and differin for night (3 nights/week), though told me to keep the differin away from the red areas until those clear up. should i leave the differin on overnight or can you do short contact therapy like you do with taz?
thanks!

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