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Sun May 01, 2011 10:34 pm  |
So can retin-A be used on a face that is acne- and blemish-prone? If so, what is the recommended "dosage?"
Where can I get a non-prescription one in Canada? Or online? |
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Mon May 02, 2011 2:37 am |
| Retin-A is used once per day, or once every other day, usually at bedtime. The skin should first be washed with a mild cleanser. Twenty or 30 minutes after cleansing, Retin-A is applied to affected areas. This wait time is important to ensure completely dry skin. Applying Retin-A while skin is even the slightest bit damp invites irritation.Thanks… |
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Mon May 02, 2011 3:59 am |
2nd what paulspnao regarding usage.
Retin-a is an acne treatment however the gel should be used vs the cream. The cream contains potentially pore clogging ingredients but the gel is alcohol based so it can more harsh. If you have acne I'd probably go with retin-a micro instead. |
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Sat May 07, 2011 12:40 am |
| Retin-A is a derivative of vitamin A and a powerful acne treatment medication. It can be used to treat mild to moderately severe acne, and is especially effective for those with many blackheads and whiteheads. While you’re at it, avoid the area around the mouth (especially near the corners), the lips, and the creases around the nose. Use as little product as possible on the chin. These areas all have a tendency to become uncomfortably dry and flaky with Retin-A use. |
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Sat May 07, 2011 12:44 pm |
After the application when your skin is dry you can use a creme such as CICAPLAST from LA ROCHE POSAY (or a hydrating cream) to make your skin feel comfortable.
Be sure to use a hydrating cream with SPF protection during the day.
You can get a good price in Amazon. |
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Sat May 07, 2011 12:55 pm |
Yeah I just recently tried Cicaplast and it has definitely helped with my acne scars.
Does anyone know if Retin-A will get rid/cause shininess? I notice that when I use BHA/AHAs, my face becomes a bit shiny even though it's not actually oily. |
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Sat May 07, 2011 4:46 pm |
| I know exactly what look you are talking about- shiny like the peel of an apple. I do not experience this with Retin-A. My skin tolerates it very well, and it looks very matte even though I've been using it for several years. I do not use it every day, I wonder if every day users get the shiny appearance. |
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Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Sat May 07, 2011 5:42 pm |
Hi Ladies,
I have been using the Green Cream and have just progressed to number 6 from number 3 and will then progress to number 9 by the end of the year.
I started off using the number 3 every 3rd night then progressed to every 2nd night and then every night and have just started using the number 6 every night and haven't had any problems with shiny skin etc.
I do suppose it will depend on your skin type and the way that it tolerates retin A/Retinol. My skin has progressed rather nicely and I have noticed a huge difference in the texture and tone of my skin since introducing a Retinol product to my regime. I would suggest starting off slow and progressing from there.
You may want to purchase a product that is designed for Acne prone skin and start off slow, as if you over dry your skin it can have an adverse effect where your skin will produce more oil to alleviate the dryness and can cause your skin to have further breakouts.
Your skin can also have a period where it will purge to begin with if this is a new product for you. Just hang in there and you will hopefully see some great results.
Sorry I don't live in Canada so I can't help you out as to where you can purchase from an online pharmacy. |
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Sat May 07, 2011 7:58 pm |
| Ava with wings wrote: |
| I know exactly what look you are talking about- shiny like the peel of an apple. I do not experience this with Retin-A. My skin tolerates it very well, and it looks very matte even though I've been using it for several years. I do not use it every day, I wonder if every day users get the shiny appearance. |
Yeah it's like the "squeaky clean" look. I'm not using Retin-A yet, but I'd like to know if it can get rid of this weird non-oily shine. |
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Sun May 08, 2011 1:29 am |
Yes, so RA has definitely made my skin smoother, so it reflects light more evenly, perhaps related to the shiny/squeaky clean aspect you're talking about. But in the long run, RA is supposed to reduce oil production...
Where to get it: a number of people have used alldaypharmacy.com and like the gel (not the RA Micro knock-off) formulations especially. |
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30-ish, sensitive fair skin, oily and acne-prone, faded freckles; tretinoin since Oct 2010 |
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Sun May 08, 2011 6:01 am |
| Not alldaypharmacy.com, alldaychemist.com |
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Sun May 08, 2011 8:29 am |
| rockhugger wrote: |
Yes, so RA has definitely made my skin smoother, so it reflects light more evenly, perhaps related to the shiny/squeaky clean aspect you're talking about. But in the long run, RA is supposed to reduce oil production...
Where to get it: a number of people have used alldaypharmacy.com and like the gel (not the RA Micro knock-off) formulations especially. |
Isn't the gel called RA Micro? What is the knock-off? |
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Sun May 08, 2011 8:44 am |
| oasisjc wrote: |
| rockhugger wrote: |
Yes, so RA has definitely made my skin smoother, so it reflects light more evenly, perhaps related to the shiny/squeaky clean aspect you're talking about. But in the long run, RA is supposed to reduce oil production...
Where to get it: a number of people have used alldaypharmacy.com and like the gel (not the RA Micro knock-off) formulations especially. |
Isn't the gel called RA Micro? What is the knock-off? |
There is the Cream, Gel, and Micro Gel. The micro Gel is time released to minimise irritation.
There are brand name (I use J&J cream) and knockoffs. |
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I'LL SEE YOU ON THE DARKSIDE OF THE MOON.... |
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Sun May 08, 2011 9:37 am |
| Do you mean generic when you say knock-offs? Do they perform not as well compared to the brand names? |
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Tue May 10, 2011 4:24 pm |
| I had that shiny look- I backed way off AHAs, it went away completely. For me at least, it was a sign of unnecessary over-use of the AHAs. It doesn't behave that way with retin-a, probably because my skin all flakes off when I've gone overboard, the warning signs are a little more obvious. |
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Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Tue May 10, 2011 4:29 pm |
| Forgot to say something about the original question- I started on retin-a for acne, changed my skin drastically for the better. The first month was absolute hell. My skin turned bright red and flaked off everywhere. It felt like it was on fire, and this was at the lowest dose. Underneath that was really wonderful skin, I couldn't believe it. I should have done it five years ago. Good luck to you, and don't stop because the first few weeks are unpleasant, its worth it. Acne on my chest and shoulders was permanently cleared, i've never had to treat it since. I use retin-a on my face once a week at .1% to maintain. |
_________________
Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Tue May 10, 2011 7:23 pm |
| Ava with wings wrote: |
| Forgot to say something about the original question- I started on retin-a for acne, changed my skin drastically for the better. The first month was absolute hell. My skin turned bright red and flaked off everywhere. It felt like it was on fire, and this was at the lowest dose. Underneath that was really wonderful skin, I couldn't believe it. I should have done it five years ago. Good luck to you, and don't stop because the first few weeks are unpleasant, its worth it. Acne on my chest and shoulders was permanently cleared, i've never had to treat it since. I use retin-a on my face once a week at .1% to maintain. |
What dosage did you start off with and how often did you apply it? Did you apply anything to treat the red and dry skin? |
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Tue May 10, 2011 11:12 pm |
| Josh wrote: |
| Not alldaypharmacy.com, alldaychemist.com |
That's what I meant, thanks.
Oasis, I started off slow (2x/wk, then sloooowly up to 3x/wk), and I never had any redness, just mild peeling about once a week, mostly on the sensitive areas of my face, until about 4 months in. Cicaplast helped to reduce this. |
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30-ish, sensitive fair skin, oily and acne-prone, faded freckles; tretinoin since Oct 2010 |
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Tue May 10, 2011 11:31 pm |
| rockhugger wrote: |
| Josh wrote: |
| Not alldaypharmacy.com, alldaychemist.com |
That's what I meant, thanks.
Oasis, I started off slow (2x/wk, then sloooowly up to 3x/wk), and I never had any redness, just mild peeling about once a week, mostly on the sensitive areas of my face, until about 4 months in. Cicaplast helped to reduce this. |
How slowly did you go? Like when you stopped noticing there was any improvement, you would go up a notch? |
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Wed May 11, 2011 1:05 am |
To be honest, I saw an initial glow, but then no improvement in the acne until around month 4 and no improvement in fine lines until month 6. Instead, I tried to do as much as my skin could handle, and the main "rule" I ended up following was to not apply RA to freshly peeled skin. Because of this, I had to skip/delay nights, and this meant it took a while to work up to a steady every-other-night routine. I have sensitive skin, so you may have less trouble, and I might have had less trouble with a lower strength... Are you going to take the plunge?  |
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30-ish, sensitive fair skin, oily and acne-prone, faded freckles; tretinoin since Oct 2010 |
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Wed May 11, 2011 8:38 am |
| Hehe yeah I think so, but only after I have found my HG sunscreen! |
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Wed May 11, 2011 9:38 am |
| Yeah, it's good to have a workable sunscreen (and a backup or two) before starting. I had the experience of having to stop using my previous fave SPF 30 due to irritation the mornings after RA application, but fortunately I had two nice SPF 15s to turn to and have since found a decent SPF 30. You seem to be looking for a ZO sunscreen, so I think that will help too. And starting in the fall is a good idea, I think. Good luck in the hunt! |
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30-ish, sensitive fair skin, oily and acne-prone, faded freckles; tretinoin since Oct 2010 |
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Wed May 11, 2011 3:40 pm |
I started with the .025 cream, the lowest offered by All Day Chemist. Applied once daily to my face, twice daily to my back (I can hide my back). Back hurt when any fabric rubbed against it. When the sensitivity stopped, I moved up to the .05. I did not experience more ugliness and irritation with this change, nor when I graduated to the .1 three months later.
I used hemp oil to keep the flakes somewhat under control, and it had to be reapplied ridiculously often. The richest moisturizers did not work AT ALL. Anything creamy got stuck in the flakes, irritated the reddish skin, , sorry for the graphic nastiness. And even with the hemp oil, my face still looked like garbage for about three weeks. I still reapplied daily because I was sick and tired of acne, I remember the way the retin-a felt hot to the touch. It wasn't pretty, but I am SO glad I went the route I did. I wonder if this is how Obagi users feel.
I previously tried every OTC acne medication on the market, and two rounds of prescription (antibiotics as well as topical treatments). Make sure you wear sunscreen with a high SPF, you have about a minute before your newly torn apart skin starts to burn, and I don't burn typically. I use the .1 gel as needed when I start to feel congested, and use it as a spot treatment for the occasional hormonal breakout. I've never needed to maintain the results on my back, I haven't had an issue there since. |
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Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Wed May 11, 2011 3:44 pm |
| rockhugger is so right about the sunscreen. When I was starting with retin-a, the only thing I could tolerate was the chemical sunscreen by Philosophy (Hope in a Jar plus SPF). I do not typically use chemical sunscreens, I think they cause damage if used for long periods of time. I was able to go back to my regular Lavanilla ZO later. I do not necessarily think that I could tolerate the chemical more than ZO, its just that particular sunscreen is really really greasy, which felt good. |
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Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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Wed May 11, 2011 3:46 pm |
And since I can't seem to post one quote because I keep leaving out things I want to say- 
Whatever you use to moisturize, keep it in the fridge. It feels AMAZING after your skin has basically fallen off. |
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Late 30's, fair skin, dark hair. Retin A, DIY potions. Missions completed- acne, acne scarring, 11's, redness, contact dermatitis. Working on maintenence and cellulite. |
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