Retin-A and Dryness: What Users Say

• Pea...
• October 11, 2019

For Acne "This medication, Retin-A, has been a life changer for me. I was at an appointment, and I was complaining about hormonal acne flares before my period. My doctor started telling me about what Retin-A had done for her hormonal acne. She has flawless skin! She said, on top of clearing up those breakouts, it would help with the aging I was starting to see. I've been on this for two months now, and wow, the results are amazing! I have zero breakouts, and the fine lines and pores are shrinking. I will leave the house without makeup now. My complexion is glowing and even! My uneven skin and breakouts were a big source of embarrassment for me. I did have peeling, but this was expected. I also had worsening of acne for a few weeks as my skin purged what was already building in the pores. I pushed through, and I am so glad I did. When the dryness flares, I skip a night of Retin-A and use a heavier moisturizer. I also use an oil-free moisturizer every morning."

• Csc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 2, 2018

For Acne "I am in awe of how well this product works! I’ve been on it for 1 week, and my skin is so clear I don’t believe it’s possible! I’ve struggled with acne since I was 12 (I am now a 21-year-old female), and I’ve tried just about everything, including Accutane, but nothing made a big difference. My acne has ranged from moderate to severe. My biggest struggle was the texture-my face was covered in tiny bumps and clogged pores. My derm now put me on .08%. Not only are the pimples gone after a week, but my whiteheads and blackheads have disappeared almost like magic. There is dryness and peeling, which I’m hoping will go away over time, but I’m fine with it because it’s left me with fresh, new skin. I highly, highly recommend this product!"

• Liv...
• August 1, 2020

For Acne "Retin-A... wow is all I can say. This product is amazing. I had small, stubborn little bumps (clogged pores) and just overall comedonal acne. Retin-A has completely cleared my skin and made it look even better than it did before I had acne. My skin is so smooth, and it just continues to boost my skin confidence. I've been on Retin-A for about a year and use “Retin-A Micro Pump Gel 0.06%.” I did purge a lot and had slight dryness/irritation in the beginning, but I didn’t mind it because I WANTED to get rid of the small bumps that were clogged pores. My top advice about this product is using it consistently! This product works slowly (but effectively) and will take some time to produce the wonderful results. Also, I still get a pimple occasionally, but nowhere near what I had. The pimple will usually come and go quickly with this product. I use a moisturizer and a good SPF sunscreen. This is the BEST, so stick it out during the purging phase because it is WORTH IT."

• Sea...
• September 8, 2015

For Acne "My skin was at its worst in my prime adulthood age, so I decided to try Retin-A. I've been using the 0.025% Retin-A gel for 2 months now. I didn't have the initial 'purge' that most talk about, however, I believe it's because I was prescribed the gel vs. cream. Anyways, I overdid it the first week by not following doctor's orders and applying daily right off the bat. Don't, haha. My skin got so dry and flaky that I even burned my chin on my bed while sleeping from my skin being so thin. After that initial scare, I followed my doctor's instructions and gradually worked up to every night use. Best skin in years. Try it, it works! Just don't forget to moisturize a lot. Sunscreen when you go out! Don't overdo it like I did."

• Ell...
• January 11, 2020

For Acne "I have jawline acne, dark patches from pigmentation, and uneven skin tone and blemishes from years of cystic acne. I am 44 and Asian. Day 1 to 2, the gel stung like crazy, itchy and warm skin, and redness. Days 3 to 8, peeling skin, inflamed look after washing face. Stinging and itchy. Days 8 and 9, skin is very taut. I needed extra petroleum jelly plus my regular moisturizer, although my regular moisturizer. Days 9 and 10, skin is sensitive, shiny, that I need to use makeup. For peeling skin, I reapply petroleum jelly at the first signs of dryness or flakiness. I used hydrocortisone on itchy spots. On day 10, I stopped using soap to wash my face as it is drying. I use lukewarm water to wash off the petroleum jelly on my face and pat dry my skin. The dryness has reduced today, day 10. I can use the gel without it stinging my skin or being taut and dry. By day 10, my face appears to be clearer in some places, spots are fading. Skin texture is smooth, though tender."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2010

For Acne "I am 33 and using Retin-A. I have found the product to work wonders while using antibiotics as well. The cell turnover rate is so much faster and heals the acne like nothing I have seen. There is some dryness in areas, but overall has been my magic in a tube. LOVE IT!"

• dan...
• February 10, 2017

For Acne "I've read so many reviews about Retin-A being amazing and working almost immediately, but I have been using this gel for about 7 weeks, and my skin is still so much worse than before I started using it! I broke out in deep, painful acne almost immediately, and it still hasn't gone away. Breakouts all over my face, and my skin is red and very, very noticeably dry and peeling. Hoping it will start to work soon, I'm getting pretty discouraged that it's taking so long! :("

• GVa...
• June 6, 2018

For Acne "I have used Retin-A .01% cream for acne for the past 20 years. I find it to be very therapeutic to my skin. Recently, my doctor switched me to the gel, and it's incredible the way it feels. It is not tacky or greasy. It's a very greaseless, lightweight gel. There is a little bit more alcohol in the gels than cream, but overall it feels great on my skin and is keeping the acne at bay. I highly recommend this gel, or even the creams for acne, but you have to know how to use it. Speak to your doctor if you have any questions and do exactly what he says. Your skin needs to get used to the strongest strength of them all to treat the acne. It's a wonderful, wonderful product."

• Fra...
• November 28, 2011

For Photoaging of the Skin "This medication may be great for those struggling with extreme oiliness and acne, but it actually caused me to break out! I wanted the benefits of its ability to help strengthen collagen and help with evening out skin tone, etc., but I got overly dry, super sensitive, acne-ridden skin instead. I recently waxed areas of my face that needed it, even after not using the product for a couple of days, and I was bleeding! I've never had this problem before. My skin has always been very resilient and able to handle most anything. But it doesn't seem to agree with this product. I will have to find a different approach to maintaining my youth."

• Jen...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 5, 2019

For Acne "I started using Retin-A after switching my birth control pills to progesterone only due to severe migraines thought to be caused by estrogen. I am now 23 and never struggled this bad with acne. Before Retin-A, I had a few cystic acne spots on my chin and jawline and small blemishes on my forehead occasionally. After using Retin-A, my face got way worse. The first week, it caused my face to be red, flaky, and burn. This wasn't the typical burning feeling I would get from a topical acne cream. This was a burn that would hurt when I would step outside. It made the cystic acne spots really dry, red, and very sore. I called my dermatologist, and they said those are typical side effects and to mix my moisturizer with the Retin-A. This helped but didn't help enough. I went another 5+ weeks dealing with peeling, flaking, red, irritated, dry, sore skin. I finally decided to stop using it. The next day, my skin was feeling a lot less sore and irritated. This was not the medication for me."