Tretinoin for Beginners

 Tretinoin, retinol, Retin A, Differin, adapalane...is your head swimming yet? Chances are you have heard of one of these and maybe even how amazing retinol is but don't know what it does or how to add it to your routine. This mega-post will help you make sense of things and hopefully get you started on this super ingredient.

I would like to note, r/tretinoin on Reddit was super helpful and informative on my tret journey. This treasure trove of information and resources made it so easy for me to figure out what to do next and what to expect.

What is Tretinoin?

Tretinoin is the ingredient in brands such as Retin-A that is an active derivative of Vitamin A. If you've heard of retinol, it is the much weaker version that is available over-the-counter. The way it works is by helping expedite cellular turnover, a process which is as quick as 15 days when we are young and slows down as we get older. This is why our soft, babylike skin becomes dull, tired and wrinkly as we get older.

Tretinoin is considered the gold standard in aging gracefully because it has been researched and proven to be very effective at addressing issues like fine lines, wrinkles, loss of collagen, hyperpigmentation and sun damage. It is also used to treat acne but it is a different derivative that tends to sit on the surface, making it better for treating acne.

Is Tretinoin right for you?

Honestly, I think anyone over the age of 25 should be using tret. With that being said, here is the obligatory disclaimer that each person's skin is unique and changes to your routine, especially with something as powerful as tret should be done under the guidance of a medical professional. But since it speeds up your own natural healing process and stimulates your own growth, it seems like an ideal fit for so many people.

Why could tret not be right for me?

If you are not looking for a strong ingredient and just want to address some pigmentation issues or fine lines from dehydrated skin...tretinoin is going to be like taking a flame thrower to light a candle. Sure, it'll get the job done but you may be left with some other issues.

Due to how quickly it expedites turnover, some people experience purging, or where your skin brings all the lurking bacteria to the surface and you have more acne that you did before. If you are using tretinoin to treat acne, this can be heartbreaking but do know that many people experience this purge and there are ways to push through it.

Ok, how do I start using it?

Whew, this is a whole routine to be broken down over a few weeks at a time. For a detailed breakdown, check out this post.

But the short version is, go slow and build up to higher strengths. You do not need to be at the highest strength for tretinoin to work. It will will just as well at lower strengths but higher strengths just get you results faster.

I have a product with retinol, is that the same?

So remember, retinol is much, much weaker and even that comes in varying strengths. You can still experience irritation with this so proceed with caution, especially if you have never used retinol before. Personally, I love The Ordinary's guide to breaking down weakest to stronger retinols.