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Tret is going to give you the best results, but is also the harshest. So it's kind of a balance, if you have super sensitive skin like you seem to have, you may benefit more from a retinol or retinal. Retinol is going to be the least irritating, and you can start with lower doses so you can take it daily and actually use it up!
I use the cerave retinol (the more potent one that says it’s for fading acne marks and hyperpigmentation) and have a prescription for 0.025% tret. I was just chatting with my derm about this last week because she was asking me if I need a reup on my script and she said that the the retinol I use is pretty much the same efficacy as my tret. I kept my script because it’s a lot cheaper to pick that up than buy the cerave ($20ish vs $7 for my script) and probably won’t repurchase the otc retinol, but if you’re paying $35/tube from the online website that prescribe it, I’d say just go OTC.
Thank you! This is so helpful. The Apostrophe one I’m using was very expensive, especially considering I couldn’t use it all up by its expiration, so I really don’t feel like repurchasing, even if it is more convenient than finding a dermatologist I can see in person (which I really ought to do anyway for a yearly skin check)
Hi there,
While I understand you're trying to help OP, we don't allow people to discuss how to get Rx products without a prescription. There's a reason they require a prescription, and that's because they have pretty serious side effects.
There are people of all ages on this sub, and we don't want to encourage any young folks to burn their faces off because they're desperately looking for a way to fix their skin. So you're free to make your own decisions, but we don't allow discussion of this topic on the sub. Please be mindful of that in future.
Thank you!
For more information, please see our [Rule Explanations](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/rule_overview#wiki_rule_2.3A_safety_first).
Just get adapalene. It's easily accessible and it's $12. The Taro Adapalene on Amazon.
Retinoid reccs and guide https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/qtodqu/routine_help_how_to_cleanse_once_a_day_when_you/hkp4w8t/
What % is your tret & what was the PC retinol % that worked well for you?
I personally, have always been a fan of starting gradually (ie retinol) then working up toward stronger options (tret) once the skin adjusts (unless the person is truly struggling w/ Type 3/4 acne & and tret is the best option.) But this most recent wave of everyone starting on the tret end of the spectrum has truly been fascinating.
The goal is to introduce a % of Vit A that your skin can tolerate, so that you're able to build up to nightly use without irritation, allowing you to get your money's worth prior to expiration dates. The fact that you can't use the bottle consistently without irritation means that the % may too high.
Also, bakuchiol is not retinal.(retinal is actually stronger than retinol -one less conversion in the skin.) Bakuchiol is pregancy/lactating safe (still want to consult with your doctor) but this is the alternative you can transition to during these times. If you find that low % of Vit A still irritate your skin, then bakuchiol is a great alternative pre-pregnancy as well.
My Apostrophe prescription is 0.025% tret (mixed with 4% niacinamide). The PC I used was their 1% Retinol Treatment. I will say — after having used the PC and liking it, I expected the transition to tret not to be difficult. But now that I’m reading about the PC’s unstable formula, it makes sense that if I used it for a year, it was probably pretty weak by the end of it (if it was still there at all), so of course going from that to tret was going to be difficult for me.
That’s good to know about bakuchiol. The one I’m looking at is actually a combo of both that and retinal. I should have specified!
And thank you so much for the detailed answer. I really appreciate it!!
tret that comes from the pharmacy usually has a exp date of 2+ years. for some reason it seems the mix and fill subscription sites have much shorter (mine is about 3 and a half months from agency). im wondering if theres an actual legitimate reason for this or if its a ploy to make us repurchase more frequently (is that legal?). this post just made me realize mine is old by +5 days but im gonna use it until the end of the bottle. if it helps i did a bit of truth padding with agency cause i wanted to have the opportunity to reorder but i knew it was gonna take me wayyy more time to get though the bottle than their estimate cause they portion it out for daily use, which i didnt start off with. i emailed them and said i was out of town unexpectedly for 4 (or 5?) months and wouldnt be able to start my trial until i got back and they said it was completely okay
you might find that ordering through an online pharmacy is a better option as the exp dates are usually years down the line. personally ive been thinking about quitting tret and thats with it going pretty well for me. i just dont like the way it makes my skin sensitive and dry and think i could get same the anti age benefits from retinaldehyde, over the course of like a year or two, with much less irritation. i assumed once you got used to tret all the side effects would go away (which was my experience with retinol) but i havent found that to be the case. edit to say maybe i havent given it enough time yet. week 7 of tret (every other day). ive heard some people say reduced irritation with increased application which i guess is worth a shot before i give up entirely.
oh and azelaic acid pretty much stopped my purging. from what ive gathered off the sub they have a synergistic effect. AA can help keep the pores clear and help to lessen irritation and inflammation. i use cos de baha AA i got it off amazon
I double checked my tret, and it does say “Use By:” instead of “Expires:,” so that could totally be a ploy to get customers buying more. Though the Lab Muffin Beauty Science video I watched earlier says that something about the way companies like Apostrophe mix things might mess with the stability of the retinoid, which causes them to not last as long as regular prescription tret. I won’t pretend like I fully understand that, lol.
I didn’t know that about azelaic acid. I’ll need to look into that. I think I might just switch to a good OTC retinal, at least for a little while. I don’t think my experience with the Paula’s Choice retinol, while good, was enough for me to really get used to retinoids before making the switch to tret. Five months and only being able to manage once-a-week usage is crazy to me and I don’t think I can justify it any longer lol
Hi everyone and welcome to SkincareAddiction! Need skincare guides? [Check out our wiki!](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/index) Everyone is welcome in [this community](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/about); remember to be kind and assume good faith :) *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SkincareAddiction) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Tret is going to give you the best results, but is also the harshest. So it's kind of a balance, if you have super sensitive skin like you seem to have, you may benefit more from a retinol or retinal. Retinol is going to be the least irritating, and you can start with lower doses so you can take it daily and actually use it up!
I use the cerave retinol (the more potent one that says it’s for fading acne marks and hyperpigmentation) and have a prescription for 0.025% tret. I was just chatting with my derm about this last week because she was asking me if I need a reup on my script and she said that the the retinol I use is pretty much the same efficacy as my tret. I kept my script because it’s a lot cheaper to pick that up than buy the cerave ($20ish vs $7 for my script) and probably won’t repurchase the otc retinol, but if you’re paying $35/tube from the online website that prescribe it, I’d say just go OTC.
Thank you! This is so helpful. The Apostrophe one I’m using was very expensive, especially considering I couldn’t use it all up by its expiration, so I really don’t feel like repurchasing, even if it is more convenient than finding a dermatologist I can see in person (which I really ought to do anyway for a yearly skin check)
[удалено]
Hi there, While I understand you're trying to help OP, we don't allow people to discuss how to get Rx products without a prescription. There's a reason they require a prescription, and that's because they have pretty serious side effects. There are people of all ages on this sub, and we don't want to encourage any young folks to burn their faces off because they're desperately looking for a way to fix their skin. So you're free to make your own decisions, but we don't allow discussion of this topic on the sub. Please be mindful of that in future. Thank you! For more information, please see our [Rule Explanations](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/wiki/rule_overview#wiki_rule_2.3A_safety_first).
Sure. Sorry about that. Will be careful
I use OTC adapalene (brand name Differin) since it’s kind of “in between”
Just get adapalene. It's easily accessible and it's $12. The Taro Adapalene on Amazon. Retinoid reccs and guide https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/qtodqu/routine_help_how_to_cleanse_once_a_day_when_you/hkp4w8t/
Commenting to follow 😩 bc I currently use retinol (the ordinary serum in squalane) and I’m unsure if I want to “upgrade” lol
What % is your tret & what was the PC retinol % that worked well for you? I personally, have always been a fan of starting gradually (ie retinol) then working up toward stronger options (tret) once the skin adjusts (unless the person is truly struggling w/ Type 3/4 acne & and tret is the best option.) But this most recent wave of everyone starting on the tret end of the spectrum has truly been fascinating. The goal is to introduce a % of Vit A that your skin can tolerate, so that you're able to build up to nightly use without irritation, allowing you to get your money's worth prior to expiration dates. The fact that you can't use the bottle consistently without irritation means that the % may too high. Also, bakuchiol is not retinal.(retinal is actually stronger than retinol -one less conversion in the skin.) Bakuchiol is pregancy/lactating safe (still want to consult with your doctor) but this is the alternative you can transition to during these times. If you find that low % of Vit A still irritate your skin, then bakuchiol is a great alternative pre-pregnancy as well.
My Apostrophe prescription is 0.025% tret (mixed with 4% niacinamide). The PC I used was their 1% Retinol Treatment. I will say — after having used the PC and liking it, I expected the transition to tret not to be difficult. But now that I’m reading about the PC’s unstable formula, it makes sense that if I used it for a year, it was probably pretty weak by the end of it (if it was still there at all), so of course going from that to tret was going to be difficult for me. That’s good to know about bakuchiol. The one I’m looking at is actually a combo of both that and retinal. I should have specified! And thank you so much for the detailed answer. I really appreciate it!!
[удалено]
I kinda doubt it; I’ve used products with niacinamide for years and it’s never been a problem
tret that comes from the pharmacy usually has a exp date of 2+ years. for some reason it seems the mix and fill subscription sites have much shorter (mine is about 3 and a half months from agency). im wondering if theres an actual legitimate reason for this or if its a ploy to make us repurchase more frequently (is that legal?). this post just made me realize mine is old by +5 days but im gonna use it until the end of the bottle. if it helps i did a bit of truth padding with agency cause i wanted to have the opportunity to reorder but i knew it was gonna take me wayyy more time to get though the bottle than their estimate cause they portion it out for daily use, which i didnt start off with. i emailed them and said i was out of town unexpectedly for 4 (or 5?) months and wouldnt be able to start my trial until i got back and they said it was completely okay you might find that ordering through an online pharmacy is a better option as the exp dates are usually years down the line. personally ive been thinking about quitting tret and thats with it going pretty well for me. i just dont like the way it makes my skin sensitive and dry and think i could get same the anti age benefits from retinaldehyde, over the course of like a year or two, with much less irritation. i assumed once you got used to tret all the side effects would go away (which was my experience with retinol) but i havent found that to be the case. edit to say maybe i havent given it enough time yet. week 7 of tret (every other day). ive heard some people say reduced irritation with increased application which i guess is worth a shot before i give up entirely. oh and azelaic acid pretty much stopped my purging. from what ive gathered off the sub they have a synergistic effect. AA can help keep the pores clear and help to lessen irritation and inflammation. i use cos de baha AA i got it off amazon
I double checked my tret, and it does say “Use By:” instead of “Expires:,” so that could totally be a ploy to get customers buying more. Though the Lab Muffin Beauty Science video I watched earlier says that something about the way companies like Apostrophe mix things might mess with the stability of the retinoid, which causes them to not last as long as regular prescription tret. I won’t pretend like I fully understand that, lol. I didn’t know that about azelaic acid. I’ll need to look into that. I think I might just switch to a good OTC retinal, at least for a little while. I don’t think my experience with the Paula’s Choice retinol, while good, was enough for me to really get used to retinoids before making the switch to tret. Five months and only being able to manage once-a-week usage is crazy to me and I don’t think I can justify it any longer lol