Le Formulaire’s guide to starting Tretinoin: a prescription strength retinoid
Tretinoin
Retinol is a skincare staple, and its older and more potent sister Tretinoin is the most researched and powerful topical skincare ingredient available. Tretinoin is a topical form of Vitamin A that is available by prescription only.
It was first prescribed for the treatment of acne, and users found over time that they were not developing many wrinkles and their skin was maintaining its suppleness while they aged - the dermatology community realised it had found itself a wonder treatment!
Some of the main actions of tretinoin are:
- it prevents pores from clogging
- it is anti-inflammatory and a powerful antioxidant
- it reduces pigmentation. A good example is the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or the dark spot that is left over after a spot heals.
- it prevents and treats scarring in the skin
- it encourages the skin to produce more collagen, which treats lines and boosts the
suppleness of the skin.
Tretinoin not only treats our skin cosmetically, but it also thickens our dermis. This results in healthier more resilient skin, which is particularly important as we age and our skin becomes more fragile.
For all of its magic, we have to remember it is a potent ingredient that requires a period of adjustment. It is important to be aware of a few things when adding tretinoin to your skincare regimen:
1. It can be extremely irritating to skin and will take time to adapt
2. You will need to be cautious with sun exposure
3. It is NOT safe for use during pregnancy
When first using tretinoin, it can make the skin red, flaky and dry while your skin adapts to it. Once you get through this period however, it will start to enhance radiance and you will reap the benefits. Le Formulaire have a few useful tips to help mitigate the irritation when tretinoin has first been prescribed.
Option one: The sandwich technique
In this method we sandwich tretinoin between two layers of moisturiser. This buffers your skin from tretinoin and slows down the release. After washing your face, apply a layer of moisturiser. Allow it to dry down for 5-10 minutes. Then, apply a pea-sized amount of tretinoin to your entire face. Allow this to dry down for 5-10 minutes. Finish with a second layer of moisturiser. This is my personal favourite method, but it’s important to find the method that’s right for you!
Option two: Short contact therapy
Short contact therapy exposes our skin to tretinoin in bursts - we are always trying to introduce slowly so as to mitigate any major reaction. This method uses tretinoin as a wash-off treatment before building up to leaving it on the skin overnight. After washing your face, pat dry. Apply a pea sized amount to your skin and leave on for 5 minutes, then wash off.
Next time, leave for 10 minutes. Continue increasing the length of contact with your skin until you’re ready to leave it on overnight. When you first leave it on overnight, make sure to use the sandwich technique.
Option three: The retinoid ladder
When beginning tretinoin it is always recommended to start low and go slow - and this option is the most cautious of them all. This is a great choice for people with very sensitive skin. The retinoid ladder approach starts with an over-the-counter serum that contains a low percentage of retinoid derivatives, beginning with retinyl esters. From there we recommend finding a retinol, and then a retinal. This process introduces retinoids slowly so as not to overwhelm the skin. Once you have acclimatised to each level, you then graduate to the more potent version of Vitamin A until you can add prescription tretinoin to your routine. Again, when you feel ready for tretinoin, start with the sandwich technique explained above.
As you can see, there are options to avoid tretinoin side-effects by taking your time and going slowly. Although this can be frustrating, the long-term benefits of tretinoin are worth the wait. Starting off too fast and too strong will in most cases lead to skin flaking and irritation, making consistent use very difficult. Start with application once a week and build up to 3/4 nights a week as your skin improves tolerance.
Tretinoin is most certainly a journey, but the benefits are definitely worth the initial irritation when used long-term. If you’d like to see if tretinoin is right for you, you can book a consultation with us and we can determine if you should begin your tretinoin ascent, or if another route to your skincare goal is best for you!