EDIT: I wrote this post about 5 months ago and didn't publish it, now that I'm 5 months in an acne free I've updated it with my new tips from having been on it for a while!

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Alas, i’ve won the lottery again and i’ve been blessed with “adult onset acne” in my late 20s.

my dermatologist prescribed Tretinoin, also known as Retin-A (along with clindamycin which he described as a "germ killer").

Retin-a encourages quicker cell turnover which then helps clear acne, it also is used to get rid of surface lines and signs of aging. He says the upside to needing tret for the rest of my life is that my insurance will cover it when all my friends will be wanting tret down the line for anti-aging. okay i guess haha.

Of course i turned to reddit for some tips and I learned a few beginners tips:

How much Tret I use on my problem areas only (Ask your dem if you need it everywhere or not, for anti-aging you do, but I only have problems on my T-Zone)

1. USE A PEA SIZE OR LESS. if you read the directions it says to smudge a bit of that pea on your forehead, cheeks eand bake then spread it thinly. If it takes some rubbing to turn from white to gone, then you used too much. it should just spread and be gone!

** update: I still agree, use PEA SIZE or less - my aunt slathered her face in it the first time and had horrible painful peeling! GO SLOW, STAY SLOW. If you find it hard to get enough to cover your face, I've been putting on The Ordinary's Niacinamide:



Niacinamide is in cerave PM which helps with redness.
One redditor suggested i used my 10% Niacinamide from The Ordinary MIXED with my tret- it actually works well since the pea size amount is hard to spread, i just dot the tret on my fave and then wet my finger tips with the niacinamide- then it’s super easy to glide around and spread it evenly.

2. START SLOW - START EVERY 3rd NIGHT, TO EVERY OTHER NIGHT!
I have tough skin and it’s not sensitive to anything. Naturally after not seeing immediately peeling and burning the first night, i went 3 days straight and experience some minor peeling. I think i wouldn’t have had peeling at all if it did every other night at first. of course it depends on your skin.
wait about a month and if it’s okay, move to more frequently.
** my skin only has 1 small spot maybe once a month now! I only use tret when I remember now - just 2 times a week or so, using the clind every morning and night and BP wash maybe once or twice a week with the clarisonic.

3. Products you should have: CERAVE is your new best brand: Cerave PM, hydrating or foaming face wash- use a gentle wash during tret and have a GOOD moisturizer!
** these are still great! With the addition of my gentle brush clarisonic for exfoliation once in a while otherwise the dry skin builds up. I liked using micellar water in the mornings but Simple was a bit harsh - the Cerave moisturizing micellar has been just right!

4. USE SPF- your skin is essentially now more vulnerable to the sun so you NEED apt sue SPF and a hat and reapply! VERY IMPORTANT!
** Hawaii has banned certain spf ingredients to protect the reefs (yaay) so make sure to read up on it and get used to physical sunscreens. I'm currently using La Roshe Posay's Anthelios Mineral. 

5. STOP ALL ACTIVES- the simpler the better at first! Stop all potentially irritating products like AHA BHA any acids, any peels, any scrubs, etc. Tret is very strong, let your skin get used to it before adding anything abrasive or anything new- how will you know if the breakout is due to something new or if the tret isn’t working?

** update - I can use Ole Henrickson's The Truth (vitamin C serum) in the mornings but I don't do it often just to be safe. (Also I heard Vitamin C is nullified to an extent by niacinimide, so I don't do it if i'm using Cerave's PM lotion/gel in the morning). 

I also made a HUGE mistake by trying to use Nair on my lip.
it did burn a tad more than usual but i stuck it out to find I chemically burned my chin!
It was soooo itchy and raw for DAYS! that’s when i found...

** THE SLUG LIFE **
Slug life is what reddit calls slathering your face in an “occlusive” or thick typically petroleum jelly to “seal” in your moisturizers. So at the end of your routine, after all your serum and lotions, you put jelly on it like a top coat. I used Aquaphor i had left over from my tattoo- at first it seemed INSANE ago rhibk i was gonna sleep like that but my rough burned patch quickly softened and was gone within a week! If i see any dryness or flakes, I slug over that area THINLY and it’s soft and smooth in the morning!
** update - i haven't had to do slug life unless i messed up and burned my skin somehow or got a rough patch - I got a patch of eczema on my cheek and slug life cleared it up in one night!



I also learned:
YMMV (your mileage may vary) it’s a disclaimer people sue to say that their opinion of something especially skincare, is just their opinion and your actual results may be different for every body.

I’ve been very into hydration and although i’ve always had oily skin (and i live in a humid climate), I’ve always HATED adding moisturizer or anything remotely oily to my face. But with tret I moisturized more than usual to prevent dry flakey skin. I found my skin made less oil! In response to being undernourished, my skin was producing oil, so since adopting hyaluronic acid masks and “7 skin method” of hydrating toner- my skin is soft and less oily!u

I’m about 8 weeks in and using Tret most nights but not all, and I have a kick butt new skin routine I really enjoy! I did purge a little, who knows, maybe i’m still going but i’m positive it’s getting better. Anyone else on tret? Lmk if you’d like to see my routine!

** update - 5 months later and I have absolutely no pimples ! I'm not sure if it was just a temporary phase of hormonal acne or what - but I just use tret sparingly and when I do get an occasional spot. My skin still gets oil and shiny but it does feel more "tight" than it did before so I do moisturize everyday. I've stopped wearing foundation as my skin looks so good and foundation tends to accentuate the flakes. It's easier to just put concealer under my eyes then to try and exfoliate the crap out of my skin just to wear foundation. If I do want to wear foundation though - I exfoliate gently the night before and moisturize the heck out of it and it's usually smooth in the morning.