For a long time I just didn’t care about this for a really dumb reason: it was prescription. It looked boring. It didn’t feel luxurious like some of the bougie fancy brands that cost an arm and a leg for an unknown amount of actual retinol/retinoids.
So I used the non-prescription kinds like Drunk Elephant’s A-Passioni (pretty good results) and Sunday Riley’s A+ (just okay) until I had some unbelievably stubborn pimples, one turning into a dark spot.
Finally I got Retin-A and after a few weeks of consistent use it was a world of difference! OTC retinols just don’t compare to tretinoin.
• Reduced size of or eliminated incoming pimples/zits
• Helped clear out black heads around my nose and chin
• Gave my skin a more even tone
• Overall improvement
• Not everyone can handle tretinoin (that’s okay! Just talk to your dermatologist) due to irritation to sensitve skin, though there are tips and tricks online.
• You do need to build up a tolerance to it because initially, most skin will feel a bit irritated when beginning a regimine.
• This really should only be used at night and rinsed off in the morning. I wouldn’t ever recommend retinol of any type for the day time, I especially wouldn’t recommend prescription strength. And while you should always apply sunscreen before being exposed to UV rays, if you’re wearing this in the daytime, you MUST wear sunscreen.
• I have found that it can cause my skin to be a bit dry if I don’t follow with a moisturizer. And if it gets on my lips, they dry up like a desert!
• The skin around your eyes is extra sensitive, so you will need to take a lot more time working up to applying a bit to your under and sides of your eyes.
