How long have you been on your tret journey? How are your results coming along? Let us know below! 👇

TRETINOIN TIPS IN A GLANCE FROM KZfaq AND MY EXPERIENCE. 1. Ease into it. Start with a low dosage. Twice a week to three times to five times to daily. This last stage of applying tretinoin daily should be in your second month. 2. Moisturize before tretinoin if your skin is getting dry and flaky. Definitely Moisturize after. And moisturize well. 3. Sunscreen is the key. Always always always use sunscreen even if you’re planning to stay locked inside. 4. Wash your face with a non drying cleanser. Try washing it with plain water in the morning. And a cleanser only in the evening. I’ve crazy oily skin too but my oil production has actually decreased after this. 5. Don’t use toners. Don’t use scrubs. You can use a washcloth but no other exfoliants. 6. Keep your skincare routine really simple. 7. Don’t wax or do any peeling or facials. Just don’t. Your skin will peel. 8. Don’t pick your skin no matter how tempting. Don’t touch those whiteheads. They’ll go on their own. 9. You can apply makeup. But only if you really really have to. It’s not going to be a smooth application anyway. 10. Also, you’re definitely going to be dealing with purging and dryness. You might deal with this for anywhere between 2 weeks to 3-4 months. Also, the purge might start immediately or after 1-2 months but don’t give up. It’ll pass. 11. Don’t stop tretinoin once you get clear skin. The acne will come back. Trust me, that was my worst mistake. And then you’ll have to start tretinoin again and then there will be another purge and you don’t want that. Reduce the frequency. Use it twice or thrice a week. But keep using it for as long as you want clear skin. 12. Also, you’re not going to be completely clear ever. You might get one or two zits every month. But they’ll be tiny. So don’t worry. 13. The purge can be frustrating. Dryness and redness can be very painful. Looking in the mirror would make you cry. It’ll be bad. You’ll mostly be cursing your skin during the initial months but don’t give up. It does get better. It really does. And you’ll have the skin you’ve always wanted. Sending you all lots of love and good skin for your journey. We’re in this together!!

A lot of what most people call "a purge" is basically irritation and could easily be avoided by 1. using SPF, 2. Using hydrating products, 3. stopping ALL other actives, 4. using tretinoin less frequently.

I usually skip the story straight to the tips, but this, this is gold.

“Along with tretinoid honey, you’re gonna love until 130 and you’re gonna look 26” This will forever live rent free in my head! Love your vids!

The moment you said that you watch Dr Dray’s video, i know you in the right track😂

This feels like a convo with your big sister giving you some real real advice. Feels so authentic, love it.

Love how my dermatologist told me NONE of this. Not even not to use it daily to start off.. Glad I’m doing my own research and watching videos like this 😭 🙄

I still can’t believe my derm didn’t tell me to use sunscreen

Yessss Rudi!!! Loved this so much, amazing tips I could not agree more! That Paula’s choice SPF is literally a GAME CHANGER! As if this was hour first video, you are clearly a natural at this! Thanks so much for the shout out, super kind of you. Can’t wait for your next one ❤️

YAS Queen! Finally some simple honest and real advice!

you have absolutely no idea how much i needed this and this is exactly what i needed to hear to keep going. THANK you!

Hi! Thanks so much for taking the time to put together a video. I live in Scotland and there’s not really much in the way of information surrounding Tretinoins. I have suffered acne since the age of 12years old, have probably had every single prescription drug available and have been through two cycles of Roaccutane through dermatology with a third looking very likely. Our system here means that I’m probably looking at a waiting time of around 1.5 years before even being able to get an appointment with a dermatologist. Hence why I am currently on a tretinoin solution. Currently I’m 3 months in, have had pretty horrific purge experiences but fingers crossed, I think it’s possibly starting to ease up! Long story short, your video has given me hope and I really appreciate your advice. Also you made me chuckle many times whilst watching an I appreciate your humour! ❤️xxx

You really cheered me up, I love your personality. You made a lot of great tips. I was on tret for a year and it did a lot for me but I started using too much, drinking too much, and totally messed up my moisture barrier to the point that I had to stop using it for a month. Im about to start up again and am terrified. Im going to start super slow too.

This is what I needed. Thank you for this video. I started spironolactone and .05% tret in November 2019 and have been on it since, but was told neither were the cause of my sudden dryness, peeling, burning, scaly skin that cracked and bled within the first two weeks of starting. I also developed this insane rash on the back of my neck from it that blistered and bled. My skin is less sensitive now, but still decently sensitive and itchy and straight up severely dehydrated, but my derm never once told me to ease into it. I was told to change my diet, drink more water, wear SPF - never saw improvements in my face from that, but I did get a great side effect of losing 45 lbs. I didn’t know til watching your video today you’re supposed to ease into it - wow. I was also prescribed a benzoyl peroxide wash for the morning every day on top of my once a day application of tret - I never knew pain like that before. What made it most awful is even the most soothing moisturizers and SPFs made my skin feel like I was set aflame and would legit burn my face until it bled. I don’t mind the purge now that I’ve seen how effective it is, but I think this video has convinced me of my suspicions which is to completely stop tret for a bit, let my face completely heal, then restart with the slow build method.

This is gold! Your story telling skills are out of the roof!! I truly enjoyed watching and learned from your experience 🤍

In a hindsight, the best thing that happened to me was get acne as a teenager. I started using Tretinoin in 1998 and have reaped the benefits for 22 years🥰 43 now and and not a single wrinkle and very minimal acne now( I have used SPF since using Treitnoin too).

Gorgeous! Welcome to the SPF club 😎 can’t wait for the skincare routine!!

I’m so glad I found you. I’ll be 42 in a few weeks and I’m all of a sudden broken out like a teenager. I’m pretty sure I’m peri menopausal and that’s what’s making my skin so bad. I have HORRIBLE night sweats. I’ve had good skin my entire adult life and all of a sudden I look like I’m 15 again. Finally saw my Derm and she gave me Tretinoin. Thank you so very much for all this helpful info!

Re-re-re-re-watching your vid, hun. Thanks for pairing your words with ACTUAL pictures, each one is like a hug, thank you soooo much. #teamdray 🙏🏻🧛🏻‍♀️🖤

I love how realistic is this review. For real. I love it.

Sun Bum SPF 50 is perfect to use with tretinoin/ dapsone. Oil free, fragrance free and good for anyone on a budget. Great video! & yes the purge is the worst.. don’t give up guys. It really does get better. 🥰🥰

Your skin is looking AMAZING!! Can’t wait to see the tutorial on this look 😍😍

I just got prescribed this today & I really enjoyed watching this. Wish my derm would of told me half of this! You just got a new subscriber! Thanks girl 💕💕

I am SO GRATEFUL that I stumbled upon this video. I’m currently 2 months into my they journey and I literally just emailed my dermatologist last night because my skins not getting better you have explained far more than she has and have given me hope!!! Thank you!

This is sound advice! I have severely dry and sensitive skin, and starting slow was soooooo crucial for me. I’ve made sure to only use it once every 4 days, SPF 50 every single day, and not over-exfoliating! My biggest issue has been dryness and peeling, but nothing too extreme. Topping Retin-A with a light oil at night (after it dries) has really helped give my skin a little extra moisture. CeraVe healing ointment on rough spots at night as well. Great video!

You're voice and how you progress the story is the best. You're very relatable. Keep it up! Great Retinoid journey!

I had to share your story with a friend of mine who’s struggling from acne and causing her to lose self confidence, I think your story will help her

Hey there! I've been on tretinoin 0.025% for 2 months, and I just now began using tretinoin 0.1% per my derm's recommendation. I'm 17 and am a later bloomer with puberty, so I'm definitely getting teenaged acne/hormonal acne. I also have dry and sensitive(ish) skin. Here's my current journey with the tretinoin cream. I personally didn't wait to use it. I used it the night I got it, and the next morning my skin was fine. I wasn't dealing with dryness (well, at least skin that was drier than usual) nor did I gain any sensitivity. I didn't know that it was recommended to use it around once a week or to build a tolerance to the drug, so I used it every day right off the bat. Luckily, I didn't have any reactions to it after using it every day. I also didn't really get a "purge." My skin was already bad, so I didn't really have any noticeable differences with my acne. For a good month, my skin wasn't getting better but it also wasn't getting worse. My skin was still gaining new pimples every few days, and current pimples weren't going away. But remind you, this was exactly what was going on before using tretinoin. I knew that most people experienced a "purge," so I wasn't thinking this was working on my skin. I knew that things allegedly got worse before it got better. I never really experienced that. I didn't experience the extra dryness or sun sensitivity. Now I'm in month two and I've experienced a big boost in the quality of my skin's health. It looks more glossy, and I have much fewer pimples than I had before. I had around 20 before and now I'm at around 6 pimples total, three of which are big and the other three are just tiny bumps. After relaying my dermatologist this information, she immediately said that I had one of the best reactions to the cream and said she thinks my skin is ready for the maximum dosage, due to me absolutely not having a negative reaction to the cream. So now I'm on tretinoin 0.1%, and I plan on doing the same as before where I just do it every day. I wanted to share my story with the cream because I think everyone will have a different reaction to the drug. I don't recommend you guys use the cream every day immediately as I did, but because I did it by accident without knowing to slowly introduce it into my routine and I had no adverse reactions to that, I'll continue do that for my skin with the tretinoin 0.1% cream. I'd recommend you guys slowly introduce it just to be safe. But I also wanted to share that you may experience a purge, but you also may not experience a purge. Everyone's reaction is different and you may have the same reaction as me, where you don't have any changes for a month, and then suddenly your face gets better. Anyways, best wishes to all of you guys, and I hope maybe my story can reduce fears of purging. You may experience it, but you may not. But also don't get into the mindset of hoping you won't experience a purge. Don't fear that possibility. If you do purge, know that it's good and means your skin is actually taking in the tretinoin and doing what it's supposed to do. And if you don't get a purge like me and don't see any changes for a month, know that the tretinoin is still doing what it's supposed to do and your skin is just having a different reaction. If you don't see any results or changes for more than 3 or 4 months though, definitely contact your dermatologist and see if you need a higher dosage or a different drug.

Queen of KZfaq slay me😍 ily

I’m watching this video again just trying to find the COURAGE to keep going. I’m starting my 3rd month on tret and things still feel like they’re getting worse😭 hoping my skin is gonna take a turn for the better soon🙏 thank you for giving me hope

This was encouraging and helpful! Thank you for sharing!

I love her because she keeps it real and she’s funny without being fake or annoying like most you tubers on these topics lol

Thanks for the tips! So helpful! Can't wait for your next video

You look more like Anna Kendrick than Anna Kendrick looks like Anna Kendrick

I've been using tret for a month and I've used it before but for mild acne. My acne is so much worse this time around and my purge has been reeeaallll. Just trying to stay positive about it. I was warned about the purge but man nothing could of prepared me for it. Thank you for this vid, it's nice to know I'm not alone in it.

Best video ever not only informative and spot on but for the psychological aspect

This is SO HELPFUL. PLZ share your skincare routine and favorite makeup products for acne-prone skin! We need all the help we can get out here.

Feels good to watch the Tret journey of Anna Kendrick. Glad I am here.❤️

This video was so enjoyable to watch because you are hilarious. Love your personality! 💖 I have my derm appointment on Monday to get prescribed tretinoin and have written down all your tips. THANK YOU!

This is so relatable! I've upped my usage and going through another purge phase so annoying.. gotta chill on the other actives though it might be irritation

I am on tretinoin since past 3 months, I started with 0.025% every other night for 2 weeks then switched to every night for 2 months. Since past one month I upgraded to ter 0.05% every night. I use it for mild acne and skin texture. I didn’t purge, nor did my skin flake. Allhumdulilah. I use sunscreen religiously it’s going well for me, no improvement in skin texture yet although my acne has subsided. I am scared I might purge one day 😣 I wish and pray my skin is a bit red, that’s the only side effect currently.

I'm on tazorac /tazarotene which is a little stronger than tret but this video was still so helpful :) i was using OTC differin before this but i still purged pretty bad for the first week and now (im on week two) im finally clearing up from that purge. i think the fact that i was using differin before helped my purge pass quickly. i pray my skin looks as amazing as yours does!

Great video, you’re sense of humor is fantastic. You look great.

Girl, you’re gonna be great! New queen of KZfaq ;)

Was told to apply it every night, all over my face by my dermatologist. That's it, that's literally the only thing she told me. A warning would have been nice though. Used it maybe once, and oh god was my face red and inflamed. Even sleeping hurt. Vowed never to do it again, but here I am after 17 years, thinking of doing it again. Wish me luck. 😅

Thank youuu soo much for this video. I was soo desperate. I woke up with extra giant pimples on my cheek when on tretinoin. While worrying about why this don’t work, saw the thumbnail & I swear never listened any videos this carefully ♥️

awesome video! Gave me the encouragement I needed. Thank you! Loving your personality

This is the best video I’ve seen so far. I am 17 and have struggled with acne for years growing up. I have taken multiple medications and my most recent was Isotretinoin. My results came out really good but after a few months my acne started to come back. My dermatologist therefore recommended me to try tretinoin to see if that makes my acne better because my acne is not as bad as when I first started my journey. So now it’s almost been 2 weeks of me trying tretinoin. I did change my foundation to a non comedogenic one and I think my acne is improving but I’ll just have to see with time. Your tips are really good and I’ll definitely take some along with my journey! Keep up with the great content//Isabella

Just found you-and loved watching this clip. I've been using tret 0.025% for about 2 years now and do have lovely glass skin. I never had acne. I started using it for anti-aging and do see a big difference!! Fine line and wrinkles 'be gone'! I learned how to use it by watching Dr. Dray. I've got about 25 years on you and do wish I had started using it when I was as young as you. I use it every night. I did start slowly, just a few nights a week-worked my way up to every night only the past 4 months. Definitely worth the wait. Last comment, for my skin, increasing the strength to 0.05% did not have a positive effect. My skin did not tolerate a higher dose so I listened to my skin and will stick with what works. Great post. You look beautiful. Thanks for sharing your journey.

Been struggling with cystic acne for over 10 yrs. Finally was prescribed this and my acne has mostly cleared.

Don't quit,purging is common. Don't lose hope. Tomorrow you will get a clear skin. We all are in this,not alone.❤

Woah, so. damn. helpful. Wedding is in a month and I just got the same advice your derm gave you. So glad I got these tips before starting! Thank you :)

literally going through the purge right now and i was just about to quit .. my skin literallly is going through it, but i am soooo grateful for you because im at the cystic acne phase and lordddd i wear my mask everywhere because my skin has never been so bad but im trying to be patience

Omg i love this video so so much. First i thought im not gonna spend 16 minutes long on this but here I am checking if theres any other video. Haha! You are so funny! I am on week 2, i purged so so bad. This video really makes me feel so much better. ❤️❤️❤️

I'm starting Monday. Seeing your video has helped me so much and feel better about it. Cant wait to see my results. You look amazing!!

I love this video❤️ I usually I get bored when people keep talking but your personality made the video fun😊

My purge has just calmed down and I can see I'm slowly getting there. Thank you for encouraging words.

You're personality is just 😍😍 Literally a pure angel

This was so helpful! Thank you for making this video!

Just subbed after seeing your comment on my video. I love your personality 💜 You’re right we have had similar experiences with Tretinoin!

Girl ur so funny and relatable af 😂✊🏿 thank you for keeping us informed

This makes me feel less crazy thank you. My derm put me on tret 8 months ago (0.05%!!!!) also without telling me anything about it. Then when the purging started she told me to use benzoyl peroxide and put me on Spironolactone, not telling me I was purging.When I tell you I burned my skin off.... It amazes me how many stories I'm hearing that are similar to mine. You would think derms would go over what to expect more. Your videos validate my feelings so again, thank you :)

Loved your video ! You’re hilarious and helpful at the same time ❤

Everything she said is on point💯💯 love that Cerave pm..love it❤

Girl you are the best storyteller. Love it.

Update: I’ve been using it almost every night since the beginning of October and I already see the results :) the only “purge” I experienced was on my chin a little bit, it was sort of dry and itchy and red. Also my forehead purged a little bit as well, a few white heads formed. My forehead acne is dwindling and getting smaller.That’s it really and I’ve used it on cheeks too. Who knows I might purge on cheeks but so far so good. My skin responded well to it

Thank you so much for this. I’m in week 1 and TRUTH, TRUTH, TRUTH.

Thank you queen for these positive tips

I saw improvement in only two weeks! But I didn’t have acne anymore. I just wanted to reduce my scarring and a couple small fine lines I have. My skin within a couple weeks looked so much brighter

Hi Rudi. Thank you for your tips! I'm about to start my Clindamycin +Tretinoin journey. I'm really2 scared with purging but I believe in this medication and its results. So I will try to be cool, calm and be very very patient whilst going through my journey.

Thank you for this video! I’m looking to start tretinoin soon and this was very helpful!

Going through it now! 😩 ps, you are absolutely adorable & hilarious. Probably the best tret video i’ve seen yet just bc of your personality! 💕❤️ Thank you for sharing!

I agree. I saw results after 3 months. You really have to be patient. I have been on it for years now.

Thank you! Just started with mine, i needed to hear. ❤️

Im starting today the tretinoin and im so glad i watched this! Thank you for this video, thats so helpful! I dont know why but the dermatologist in my clinic asked me to use it 3 times a week as a starter without any moisturiser before, it sounds like she has no clue, really annoyed by her!! glad i watched this and now ill be more careful thank u!

Truthful video finally i found u girl❤ im following u now for everything i will hear to u only 🎉 ur jst best..so honestly u talked abt each n everything 💞

Okay when you said you're Croatian I perked up omg I'm Balkan as well and LOVE being tan but SPF saved my skin for sure!

Your personality is so fun

Your background story gave me life girl! Goooooold!

You're very informative yet funny. I'm just starting my retin-a journey. I'm praying it works

God is good! I'm purging now. Looking forward to having clear skin again. Thank you for sharing!

I am so glad I found this video. I've been on tretinoin for a month and am purging so badly my face hurts. I am always being told that the purge happens between weeks 2 and 4, so I was like "why isn't this starting to ease up now!!!". Thank you, I am feeling so much better knowing I'm not the only one going into month 2 covered in cystic acne

This is the best video i have ever seen in my life

This video was liquid gold. Just like you’ve mentioned my derm did not teach me anything about Tretinoin when she prescribed it to me. I gave up a few months ago due to redness and extreme peeling. I’ll try it again with your suggestions! Also you were born to do this, your channel will definitely grow to a huge platform 😤

omg I l love your personality You deserve way more subs

2 wks into my Tretinoin journey and found this video during a very desperate time lol thank you so so much for your tips and reassurance. i'm somebody who personally never experienced acne until this past year wearing masks and i just turned 30...so this is all a new nightmare to me 😂 going to continue to moisturize and resist the urge to exfoliate peeling skin and just keep using it.

I recently started using OTC adapalene and am interested and switching to Tret down the road and found this video very informative and helpful. Thank you so much!

Subscribed!!! Your edits are hilarious I couldn't focus I had to play back a few times LOOOL

Finally someone who described the purge perfectly lol I’m still struggling it’s almost 2 months

You actually pushed me to try tretinoin (thanks to your content on instagram e tiktok). I’m on week 6 and still haven’t experienced any redness/purge/flaky skin because I’m going very slowly and gradually (I started once a week for the first month and then twice a week from the second month and then I think I’ll go 3 and so on). Thanks for inspiring me. Your skin is fucking gorgeous and I hope to have as great results as yours😍😍😍

Wonderful video.Also so funny. Thank you.Was almost giving up bse of my acne getting worse but now am encouraged thx.Am going into my second week...sending love and light❤

Thank you!! Love and appreciate this video!🌷

I just started like 3 weeks ago. I simplified my routine SO MUCH. I also switched to cheaper products and have saved so much money honey. I use CeraVe PM too along with the Vanicream cleanser. I like Japanese and Korean sunscreen because they dry down matte and look more natural than American ones. I use the Etude House Sunprise SPF and it’s 👌🏼. I have little bumps on my forehead and I’m hoping it’ll go away but I’m mostly using this for anti aging. I’m afraid of the summer though because I’m Californian and we’re out in the sun a lot 😭

Thank you so much for this! I’m on month 2 and getting my second purge! I was just about to give up!😢 I’m going to keep going! Would love to see a video on what makeup is used for when you are purging!

Thank you! Gave me the confidence to start my journey again

I just love the way you described the experience, best video 🙋🏻‍♀️😂

I developed adult acne and oily skin at 21 and started tret 0.025. I initially made the mistake of just adding tret into my skincare routine every other day with other actives (BHA, vitamin C) and products with fragrance, and not buffering with a moisturizer. My skin became sooo red and peeling and hurt to the touch (to the point I couldn’t apply SPF without pain). I’ve rolled back my routine to just cleanser and moisturizer (woohoo Cerave PM) and then tret and my skin looks and feels so much better now. Also became much more diligent and generous applying SPF. I’ve been on tret over a year now and have added in a hyaluronic gel cream as well and my skin is really benefitting from the simple routine. Really related to your story! Thanks for sharing :)

Not me using Tretinoin the past 3 years and just finding out last year I had to use sunscreen hahaha, on another note you’re skin is glowing girl!

You are so gorgeous 🥺 congratulations on your skin results!