I've been using it for 3 months. It got rid of sun damage on my forehead, I mean completely got rid of it.

BE CAREFUL that you only use a small amount, the size of a pea for your whole face, as others have said, it is very drying.

And if you get accelerated aging around your eyes, don't worry, it's not permanent. That happened to me, my eyes creped up, looked like I had aged ten years overnight, I was horrified, but it's because of the initial reaction of retin a with no moisturizer, and most people tend to overdo the retin a at first. It goes away, do not panic! Just stop using the retin a around your eyes for a week or two, and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize!

If you want to avoid this wrinkly eye phase altogether, you can mix the retin a into your face with another oil. I like to apply the retin a very lightly after I've applied a moisturizer or moisturizing oil.

I started using Bio Oil a month ago and that's had really good results with my skin tone too. For me, these two products really complement each other.

Not sure if I would go any higher than .05% - that's strong enough for me. My face would really peel off if I upped the dosage. Not very expensive either, one tube is only $20 and lasts about 6 months.

Hands down the one product that has made the biggest change in my skin of all the skincare products I have used. I have used retin-a .05% for almost 5 years and it has made the biggest change in my skin....more even, reduction of fine lines, pores smaller. There was a time I couldn't even get close to a mirror as I didn't like what I saw in regards to the texture of my skin. I looked horrible....after several months of retin-a use, it became smoother and younger looking. I have not stopped using it since and it has kept my face smooth and youthful. It's not the easiest thing to get your skin used to...I had lots of irritation around my mouth and chin area, but if you use it correctly, your skin will get used to it no problem. This is the one thing in my skincare arsenal that will NEVER change. I will always have a tube of retin-a on hand!!

I wanted to do an update on the gel 0.05% since I switched to that. Crazy that I am in winter but I have been on Retin A since June and I am happy to report I now have clear skin. This is what I did and still do just now with the gel which I will get into. I wash in the morning with an oil cleanser ala Josie Maran,Shi,or Shu or I'll use a cleansing cream I really like the Asian ones like Tony Moly and Skinfood. I find right now I need cream based or oil based cleansing because my skin got so dry before I switched to the gel. So in the morning after cleansing I use Ren Global Protection for sensitive skin. It moisturizes dry patches and leaves my skin feeling so good I love this stuff. I then prime with Clarins and apply a moisturizing BB Cream like Skin79 or Skinfood Rose Lemon Tea. I find the moisturizing BB's work great and do not show dry spots.

At night I wash my face or will use my Clarisonic Mia with that I use MISSHA Chocolate Latte face wash it's decadent and full of moisture. The Mia used at least 3x's a week helps the Retin really sink into the skin. I then tone with Orange Blossom or Rose Toner. After 20 minutes it's time for my Retin now to the gel. I like that it still has a white base and is still moisturizing not as much as the cream but I find no difference really except I like how my skin looks with the gel over the cream. After an hour I us Origins Night a Mins and that really helps with skin turn over. The gel gives you a velvety feel whereas the cream would make me produce more oil. The gel does not I find I produce less oil and it's working better on shrinking my pores or it could be that I have been on it long enough where I am truly seeing the benefits. The 0.05% is perfect for my skin and what I started out on.

I have no pimples at all nor hyper pigmentation you can barely see it now my scars are getting smaller and the red spots are gone. My skin is even toned and very soft I get an RX from my Doc but have it filled through a Canadian pharmacy I save a fortune that way and it ensures I can use this for as long as I can. This treatment works if you stick with it. I had purging and it was gross but now it was all worth it because i can wear a light coverage BB with no problems now. People ask what I did to make my skin look so good and it did make me look younger. I'm 33 but look in my early 20's so the anti aging benefits are really there.

I really love this RA Gel and recommend either the cream,gel, or micro as long as you hang in you will have beautiful skin. I never thought I could have clear skin and now I do so give this a try I highly recommend it.

THE BEST investment you can make for your skin. I've been using .1% retinol for years & I strongly recommend starting out by using it every other night because it is STRONG! Now you may not be as crazy as I am to start off with the highest strength but I figure if I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it right! Lately, I've switched to the .5% & I'm really liking how much more gentle it is! Ok, I've used the generic version (Tretinoin) & I will never try to save money by using the generic again! Here's why: It is normal to experience skin problems, such as dryness, redness, itching, breaking out and blistering for the first 2 weeks of use but after the initial 2 weeks of use of the generic Retin-A those side-effects did not go away! In fact, I used the whole tube every night which lasted me almost a year & it was as if I just started using it =( I've been using the brand name every night for the last 6 months & my skin is in the best shape ever!!! =) For the first 2 weeks that you have to suffer for your skin to adjust, my doctor recommended: Cortizone-10 Intensive Healing Formula Cream 1% Hydrocortisone which can be found @ your local drug store (Ultra creamy formula helps heal problem skin.
* Clinically proven to moisturize 24 hours
* #1 doctors recommended itch medicine
* Calms, nourishes, hydrates
* Safe for sensitive skin
* With antioxidants & chamomile.)
I initially used Retin-A in my teens for acne purposes which I am no longer suffering from but now my dermatologist kept me on it for anti-wrinkle purposes. It is the best anti-aging treatment you will ever find but you have to be careful to use only a pea sized amount or your face will get SO DRY!!! Also do not go in the sun for prolonged periods of time even with high SPF - you will get a sun burn even if you don't normally burn easily! The key ingredient is Vitamin A which gets de-activated by sunlight so only use it at night before you go to sleep or else you will waste your product. Also very important, you have to wait 30 minutes after you wash your face to apply retinol because your face has to be completely dry. Just a lil secret of mine: Vitamin A works way better when combined with vitamin E & C. But there are different types of vitamin E so you have to find the DL Alpha Tocopherol version. It's more effective than Tocopherol acetate (for reference: info found in Dr. Oz's book "YOU: Staying Young" or "YOU: Staying Beautiful" - I own both books so I'll update once I look up which book it is. =) I prefer Nature's Bounty Vitamin E Oil (3,0000 IU Topical & Oral) & I use Vitamin C serum from Mario Badescu. The only moisturizer that's helped me during the day has been Jurlique Moisturizing Day Cream! And I do not use other exfoliating products daily such as the Clarisonic or any scrubs; however, when I plan to do a TCA or Glycolic acid or Lactic acid peel, I dis-continue use of the Retin-A for 7-10 days before performing the peel, then again wait 7-10 days after peel to resume use of the Retin-A! =) continued >>

ok--i just started retin-a exactly four days ago, so it's a little too soon to write a review, but i just had to because it seems to be working so well! much better than i thought, especially at this stage when all i expected was a battle with irritation as my skin adjusted to the treatment. anyway, i developed fine lines under my eyes a couple years ago that have been getting gradually worse. i had begun to accept them as a glimpse into what's to come, and only started retin-a because i know it's the only proven way to help your skin age the best it can. i wasn't expecting to get rid of those lines, just maybe soften them, but they are already gone! i gotta say i'm impressed. they weren't lines from dehydration that can be smoothed with a good moisterizer; they were etched in there pretty good.

as far as the irritation phase? for me--not so bad. my face has been feeling raw in the morning and looks pinkish, but it's nothing unbearable. no flakes or dryness...yet. i do use a good moisterizer (eucerin q10 for sensitive skin) twice a day,and a mild cleanser (johnson's baby wash). i figure keeping my routine gentle and simple is the best way to counteract the drying effects of retin-a. so far so good. i'll update later once i've been using it longer.

I have been using Retin A 0.05% for over one year now purely as an anti-aging device and am very pleased with the results. When I first began I nearly quit (like so many others) due to the adjustment to the peeling and flaking. Thankfully that passed after the first 2 months and I rarely peel to the extent that I did when first trying it. I have been tempted to increase the percentage to 0.1% but after much research it appears that 0.05% works just aswell as the 0.01% so I think I will stick with what is working for me. Without doubt my skin appears more even toned and any wrinkles are very much reduced. My overall skin texture is smooth and subtle.
I do however use this with a Hydroquinone 4% combo.