I have previously covered Tretinoin a bit in my core skincare routine, but this post will break it down in depth. We will discuss what Tretinoin is, how it works, and what it does.
We will also cover usage, further options, and cautions to remember as well as my personal experiences using Tretinoin.
Tretinoin is key in many skincare routines for lots of reasons. This post will give you an amazing understanding of it.
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What is Tretinoin?
Tretinoin is a Vitamin A derivative that when applied topically to the skin is used for treating acne. It also happens to be heavily researched and is also proven to be effective for use in preventing and correcting aging skin.
It can also be referred to as “all-trans retinoic acid”.
Did you know that the isomer of Tretinoin, Isotretinoin, is used orally for acne and is known as Accutane?
What Tretinoin Does
Tretinoin is very heavily researched in terms of acne and photoaging.
Tretinoin treats active acne while also helping to clean up the redness that acne leaves behind. It also reduces the type of inflammation associated with acne. Tretinoin binds to receptors within keratinocytes and improves follicular keratinization leading to fewer micro-comedones. In English, this means that Tretinoin improves and stabilizes skin shedding allowing for less junk to build up leading to less acne overall.
It also works well for aging skin and improves collagen creation, skin thickness, and overall skin health preventing abnormalities like hyperpigmentation.
Tretinoin Usage, Options, & Cautions
Before reading the following 3 sections, please remember that Hardmaxing.com is not giving you medical advice, always consult a qualified medical professional when making medical decisions or if you have any questions.
Usage & Options
There are lots of different options, schedules, and questions about using Tretinoin. It’s hard to know where to start, what to use, and why.
Strengths
In terms of strength, the most popular Tretinoin versions you will commonly see will be .025%, 0.05%, and then .1%.
Before I researched this I just thought 0.1% would be the ultimate goal to work towards however there are usually tradeoffs to using higher-strength products as we will see. In terms of anti-aging, it has been shown that .025% is equivalent to higher strengths like .1% over the long term. Given side effects and irritation like redness, burning, and peeling, which may (and has been shown) happen with higher percentages if you just want anti-aging effects I would personally stick with the lowest efficacious dose possible for anti-aging (.025%).
Higher percentages are more efficacious in terms of amounts of acne, overall skin quality relating to acne, etc. If you still have acne, scarring, or bad skin quality at lower strengths working up to higher strengths may be beneficial.
Even if you do ultimately want to use .1% many people do work their way up from lower to higher percentages as this gives their skin time to adjust and get used to the product.
Starting & Adjusting
Tretinoin can be very harsh, especially for new users.
When starting with Tretinoin for the first time or when increasing the percentage you may opt to use the product every other day to start. This allows the skin to adjust. You will work your way up to using the product daily with no redness or peeling. You can also choose to put the product on AFTER moisturizing providing a slight barrier for the skin to use while adjusting – ultimately working up to using the product before moisturizing.
Gel vs Cream
Just like different strengths, tret can also come in different forms. There is a gel form and a cream form.
This is ultimately a personal decision and may just come down to trying out different products. There are some general anecdotes to keep in mind though. The Gel form may be more drying and potentially more irritating compared to the cream. This is because the gel contains a type of alcohol (drying). So if your skin is more oily, the gel could be better while normal or dry skin may benefit from the cream more. Some even find the cream slightly moisturizing.
Now to add to the complexity: the cream may clog your skin due to it being a cream in nature causing a few comedones. Again this is just up to personal experience and how your skin reacts.
Finally, we have the Tretinoin microsphere gel which delivers the product in a different way to the skin reducing irritation that you would normally experience. This may also reduce the shine you get when applying other types of Tretinoin. Preferable for acne.
Cautions
As we mentioned before, the medication can be intense for some users. Here are some things to keep in mind before and while using.
Pregnancy
Tretinoin should be avoided while pregnant. Although it is a topical there have been a few reports of birth defects similar to birth defects that have happened with the oral isomer of Tretinoin called Isotretinoin (Accutane). Study
Photosensitivity
Lots of people state that Tretinoin causes photosensitivity however this may not be the case. It may just be that the skin thins out a bit when starting out and the temporary skin thinning, redness, and peeling when adjusting is what linked it to supposed photosensitivity.
Recent data supports the idea that this is more of a myth. You should be using sunscreen either way, so not too big of an issue either way.
Just something to consider before spending the entire day in the sun.
Dryness
If you have ever read about Isotretinoin you know that one of the main side effects is dryness of the eyes and lips. The same can go for Tretinoin if used irresponsibly.
If you put it near your eyes or lip areas they may become dry potentially for long periods. Sometimes even indefinitely. Permanent dry eyes are something we all want to avoid so no matter how tempting it may be to use around the eye area (ironically) avoid it. Many users online complain about this anecdotally, so be careful here. I have not experienced this but I am extremely careful with the product and don’t place it anywhere near the eyes or lips, even my hairline area.
Remember, this medication spreads cellularly under and inside the skin so you don’t need to get every area as close as possible, this happens due to the nature of the compound itself.
Tretinoin “glow”
You may have seen the famous Tretinoin “glow” or “shine” which you may either want or despise.
At a point, it may look uncanny. Not to worry, I think this “glow” effect is just the result of products people are using besides Tretinoin. Such as an actively applied serum in the morning for example. It may also happen more with higher strengths.
I can personally attest that my skin does have a healthy “glow” to it now, but nothing crazy.
Hair thinning
Some online users claim potential hair thinning from Tretinoin. This may be because Vitamin A toxicity (hypervitaminosis A) may be implicated in hair thinning. We see similar side effects with Isotretinoin (Accutane) in some cases.
However, this still seems extremely unlikely to me unless you are taking a large dose of a Vitamin A supplement, applying absurd amounts of Tretinoin, etc, and even then it seems like a stretch. Still, something to be aware of. To clarify if this did occur the shedding would be temporary.
On the contrary, Tretinoin is often used topically in the hair to stimulate the area and enhance topical solutions like Minoxidil. Many studies have been done using Tretinoin to enhance topicals for hair growth. Take of this what you will.
I don’t find it to be an issue but just because there are some user reports and because of the similarity/confusion with (oral) Isotretinoin (which is much stronger) I still wanted to include it.
Potential Side Effects: Conclusion
These side effects or cautions may seem scary but all of them are easily avoided and that is exactly why I wrote about them! To be honest these are just points to look at if you are concerned about something in particular. The biggest thing most people will likely experience with Tretinoin will be the initial redness and skin peeling.
With proper knowledge, Tretinoin is a great product.
My Experience With Tretinoin
I have been using .025% cream for 11 months now, around 3 times a week.
I expected more anti-aging results but I am happy overall. Maintenance and prevention of skin age is good enough for a product this simple to use. I’ve experienced less visible pores and overall higher-quality, smoother skin.
Due to the occasional acne and large pores I still get and have I may try a .05% gel and just see what happens. The logic being .025% → to .05% may completely fix the acne and pore issues I still have. I also still get blemishes or maybe some type of scarring that can be seen in harsh light from past acne. If nothing changes with the .05% I’ll just go back to .025% in gel form for the lowest side effects with the best anti-aging effects.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully, you learned a lot. Especially for people new to skincare as all of this can be confusing.
You may start and not get the results you want because one slight thing was incorrect. This information will prevent that and allow you to maximize your results.
So, good luck!