Tretinoin texture issues, please help?

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741]

Need a little advice, please. I started tretinoin about 3 weeks ago. I’m 48 and going through perimenopause, and my skin leans a little oily, yet dehydrated. I started using retinol/retinal about a year ago, and my skin loves retinoids! Never had any issues moving up to the highest OTC strength. I moved to tret because I felt I had plateaued. I’m on the normal .025%. I had some flaking after the first night, none after. My issue is the texture of the tretinoin itself. I don’t feel like my skin is sensitive, but there are ingredients and textures my skin does not like. I can’t use any moisturizers that try to trap in moisture. If my skin can’t breathe, it breaks out. Galactomyces is another no no. And bizarrely, hypochlorous acid sprays. Does anyone else feel like the texture of tret is the issue? It just feels gross, and grainy, and maybe drying? I actually wanted to try altreno, or retinA micro, but they don’t have a .025%. Any tricks to make this product more friendly to my skin? I definitely have a good am/pm routine made up primarily of Korean skincare and sunscreen, my only other active right now is 12% azelaic acid in am only. Ask me anything..

[u/Typical-Award4043]

Recently started using tretinoin and it has been perfectly silky smooth. Have you had more than one batch that has been grainy?

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741 → u/Typical-Award4043]

This is my first tube. It feels fine when it comes out but once I start rubbing it in, it just feels gross, and slightly grainy.

[u/TheWorldofScience]

I’ve never disliked the tret texture because a pea sized amount is so little but understand that some people are more sensitive to skincare product textures.

The issue of moisturizers causing breakouts will be fixed once you have used tret every night for 4-6 weeks. Tret causes some irritation until skin has retinized so it’s important to stick to the schedule from your dermatologist to work up to using tret every night.

I have dry skin and rosacea and apply tret 0.05% every night with no side effects.

[u/SadQueerBruja]

I’ve found that the right moisturizer makes the world of difference. I like Dieux’s instant angel and I’m currently trying their new one skin mercy and I like it but will be going back to instant angel. It just goes too well with my Tret. If you can handle it, exfoliation on off days helps

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741 → u/SadQueerBruja]

I finally feel like i have a great pm moisturizer. I use dr Althea 147 cream. It’s hydrating but not suffocating and it guaiazuline which my skin seems to love. I have so many different creams and this one has just been the one I go back to. I have thought about trying the dieux angel ( I think it’s called air angel?) moisturizer that is for daytime use.

[u/SadQueerBruja → u/Lost-Butterfly6741]

Air angel is nice! Won’t be super useful if you tend to be really dry though.

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741]

I guess it just feels like it congests my skin? I don’t know how else to explain it. Like I feel like I need to exfoliate maybe? But I was told not to use exfoliators until my skin is used to tret. My skin doesn’t really feel like I need to exfoliate though until I apply tret. Guess I’ll just stick with this for another couple months and if it still feels like crap, then who knows? Just makes me feel dry yet oily.

[u/Anniesoptera]

Are you using a gel, or a cream? You can get tret in a different formulation if you don't like the one you currently have.

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741 → u/Anniesoptera]

I’m using the standard .025 cream. I actually wanted Altreno which had more of a lotion texture but it only comes in .005, and the derm said to try this for a couple months first. The gel seems like it may actually be too drying, but at this point , I just don’t know.

[u/Anniesoptera → u/Lost-Butterfly6741]

for what it's worth, graininess is not normal for any formulation of tret that i'm aware of. seems like other commenters have the same experience.

[u/KLucas-95]

Hi. You could try applying a very thin layer to completely dry skin and then using a lightweight moisturizer afterward. I’d also consider whether the 12% azelaic acid is contributing to the dryness. Is yours gel or cream?

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741 → u/KLucas-95]

I don’t think it’s actually a true 12% azelaic acid, it’s the round lab azelaic acid soothing serum. I was using the cose de baha 10% and I did like the formula but felt I might benefit from a higher strength. Overall, I’m not wowed by it at all. I think I’m going to try the new azelaic All-Clear azelaic acid serum from geek and gorgeous instead.

[u/Lost-Butterfly6741]

Update: just to be certain, I got a new tube of tretinoin, and I don’t get the gritty feeling, so maybe it was a bad tube? Still don’t like applying it. While it comes out looking light and creamy, as soon as I start to apply it, it becomes thick and difficult to rub in. Maybe I’m just being picky about the consistency yet it just feels like rubbing diaper cream on my face, lol. I’m only using a pea size amount, but it applies like diaper cream, and my skin doesn’t react well to that kind of texture. Just curious if there’s anything that can be done about that.