Tretinoin: what moisturizer do you use

[Anonymous]

Ok, please HELP!

What is a moisturizer that can help the dryness and redness from using tretinoin, but not contribute to breakouts and clog pores? Which is once of the reasons I’m in tretinoin in the first place, plus anti aging. Everything seems to make my face sting and more red

[Anonymous]

I use this at night:
https://www.cetaphil.com/us/moisturizers/moisturizing-cream/302993917564.html

And Aveda calm & restore oat gel moisturizer mixed with 3 drops The Ordinary squalene every morning. I mix in TO vitamin c powder every other day.

Keeps angry redness and dry patches at bay.

[Anonymous]

Cerave

[Anonymous]

I tried so many of the top recommendations for tret users. Took me months to find the right combination for me. Skinceuticals Triple Lipid didn’t do enough to justify the cost. Cerave irritated my skin, gave me a rash all down my neck. Vanicream wasn’t hydrating enough even though most seem to love it. What finally worked for me was Eucerin Advanced Repair Cream. I was skeptical but desperate, so gave it a try. It has urea in it and proved to be a game changer.

[Anonymous]

For me the only thing that has worked is a few drops of hyarulonic serum when face is still freshly washed, before applying Tretinoin. I use the Paula’s choice one, but the ordinary has one too, as do other brands.

[Anonymous]

I use cetaphil deep moisturizer with hyaluronic acid. At night, I gently wipe my face with a wet washcloth (that’s the extent of washing bc otherwise it gets too dry) and apply the tretinoin. In morning first thing I do is apply the cetaphil. This combo seems to really “brighten” my face to the point where I stopped wearing foundation bc it looks so fresh. Sometimes I put a second application of the cetaphil during the morning or day if my face feels dry. HTH.

[Anonymous]

Squalene oil.

[Anonymous]

This is my nighttime routine:

I double cleanse, a foam soap then a cream oil cleanser
Wait 10 minutes for face to dry (this is key)
Apply Tretinoin
Wait ~5 mins
Apply Hyaluronic serum by Maelove
Wait ~5 mins
Apply Marula oil by Maelove

[Anonymous]

Someone here recommended differin for my daughter which I have also now started using. The derm said to moisturize before applying tretinoin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, please HELP!

What is a moisturizer that can help the dryness and redness from using tretinoin, but not contribute to breakouts and clog pores? Which is once of the reasons I’m in tretinoin in the first place, plus anti aging. Everything seems to make my face sting and more red

Are you sandwiching the tretinoin between moisturizer? Have you started slowly getting used to it (eg, 1x/week, 2x/week, etc.)?l whether you’re new to it or just going up a %?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, please HELP!

What is a moisturizer that can help the dryness and redness from using tretinoin, but not contribute to breakouts and clog pores? Which is once of the reasons I’m in tretinoin in the first place, plus anti aging. Everything seems to make my face sting and more red

Are you sandwiching the tretinoin between moisturizer? Have you started slowly getting used to it (eg, 1x/week, 2x/week, etc.)?l whether you’re new to it or just going up a %?

I am not new to tret, I use 0.05 nightly and have for about 2 years. BUT my favorite moisturizers, the Avene tolerance light emulsion and heavier cream have been discontinued. I was using tret with this sometimes buffering with one, sometimes not, depending on the season and my skin. All seemed well. But not that I’ve been searching for a new moisturizer, I can’t seem to find one and got a big deep pimple in the process!

Some strike outs:

Neutrogenia hydra boost gel- too much silicon feel and not moisturizing enough
Cerave/cetaphil- makes my skin patchy red and sting
Vanicream face- stings and redness
La roche posay double wear- not moisturizing enough and pills
Squalane oil pure- redness and stinging
Jojoba oil- I like a lot and don’t react, but isn’t enough moisture alone
The *new avene tolerance control line- horrible burning and redness
Avene cicalfate emulsion- I like but need a little more moisture in winter

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ok, please HELP!

What is a moisturizer that can help the dryness and redness from using tretinoin, but not contribute to breakouts and clog pores? Which is once of the reasons I’m in tretinoin in the first place, plus anti aging. Everything seems to make my face sting and more red

Are you sandwiching the tretinoin between moisturizer? Have you started slowly getting used to it (eg, 1x/week, 2x/week, etc.)?l whether you’re new to it or just going up a %?

I am not new to tret, I use 0.05 nightly and have for about 2 years. BUT my favorite moisturizers, the Avene tolerance light emulsion and heavier cream have been discontinued. I was using tret with this sometimes buffering with one, sometimes not, depending on the season and my skin. All seemed well. But not that I’ve been searching for a new moisturizer, I can’t seem to find one and got a big deep pimple in the process!

Some strike outs:

Neutrogenia hydra boost gel- too much silicon feel and not moisturizing enough
Cerave/cetaphil- makes my skin patchy red and sting
Vanicream face- stings and redness
La roche posay double wear- not moisturizing enough and pills
Squalane oil pure- redness and stinging
Jojoba oil- I like a lot and don’t react, but isn’t enough moisture alone
The *new avene tolerance control line- horrible burning and redness
Avene cicalfate emulsion- I like but need a little more moisture in winter

OP again. Trying Dr Rogers restore line next, possibly Sanita skincare vitamin c moisturizer or their sensitive skin one if Dr rogers doesn’t go well. Anyone use these?

[Anonymous]

I think if you're getting sting maybe you need to back off on the tret? I thought that was a sign of broken moisture barrier.

I've been using tret for the past year (0.25 for 6m and 0.5 for 6m) and Vanicream works for me. I mix it directly 50/50 with the tret when I apply it which helps me only use the pea size of tret total that is recommended. Before I was doing this, I was using a little more than a pea size in order to cover my whole face then coming back 20 min later to apply the moisturizer and having sting issues, but really just a pea size of each mixed together seems better.

[Anonymous]

Using a tiny bit of facial oil on top of moisturizer helps.

[Anonymous]

What's worked for me is to first use Pond's with the blue top, let it sink in, then put another layer on. Then, use Cereve on top like it's butter and you are a thanksgiving turkey. Slather it on.

I had dryness for years and learning from the reddit tretinoin group about using a ludicrous amount of moisturizer, or even "slugging" (cover face in vasoline or eucerin) is the only thing that turned it around. Use like 3 times as much moisturizer as seems appropriate.