Review of Unlisted Brand Retin A by amoebaseven
I have been on Retin A for about a month now, and so far everything is dreamy and perfect!
I was really worried about the initial skin peeling and breakout that many MakeupAlley users have reported. BUT, I also have a very excellent, top-notch dermatologist on New York's upper east side who is a complete pro. I asked her about the peeling and initial purging and she said that this happens when people use Retin-A incorrectly, freaking out their skin by doing the following:
a) They use too much product
b) They use too strong a product
c) They use the product too often
d) They don't wait at least 20 minutes between washing/application.
e) They don't use enough regular moisturizer
She says she has many "tricks" she's developed over the years to ensure that Retin-A doesn't cause peeling or a huge initial purge. Here is what she has me doing:
a) I'm on .025%
b) I use a pea-sized amount. I squeeze the pea-sized amount onto my index finger, then touch all my fingertips so a tiny amount is on each finger, then gently dot my entire face -- keeping away from the eyes.
c) I use a simple moisturizer both day and night, as well as a 30+ SPF sunscreen during the day.
d) Only use at night, wash it off in the morning.
And rather than skip a night or two if my face feels too tight, she recommended more moisturizer.
She also has me on a Sodium Sulfacetamide wash which I use both in the morning and night.
My skin is clear, tight, and the red marks from old acne are really fading fast. I've been on Retin-A for a month now and have only had one tiny pimple on my cheek in an unusual spot. And of course, the red mark from that blemish is fading super fast now. I usually breakout around my period and while on this regimen, I did not breakout at all this month.
So far, I think Retin-A is pretty amazing and I look forward to waking up every morning and checking how clear and smooth my skin is. I will update again after six months, but I am truly amazed -- and hope many MUA users can take my derm's advice to have a smooth, breakout-free beginning to Retin-A usage.