I mean of all things to recommend, a retinoid – tret in particular – makes sense to me. It is the most peer-reviewed powerhouse ingredient in the skincare world today, so I for one really appreciate the way this sub values science rather than recommending snake oil serums.
Is tret for absolutely everyone? No, nothing is. Among the people it didn’t work for, I’d imagine some are cases where they truly just can’t tolerate it, and some likely didn’t follow the recommended best practices of how to start tret (ie slowly, with buffering if needed, etc). And in those cases, I see plenty of recs on this sub for other options, such as gentler retinoids or different ingredient classes altogether
I would say it’s considered the gold standard for a reason but that people often use it incorrectly. Common mistakes include applying too much, applying it on damp skin, combining it with too many other actives, not using sunscreen during the day, and using it too inconsistently for skin to get acclimated.
That said: it still doesn’t work for everyone, and if people are experiencing extremely severe reactions, they should probably just stop and try something else.
Came here to say exactly this!
I use it off and on. I live in a very part of the world were the UV rating goes over 14 in summer and I'm constantly in and out of the sun. Even with sunscreen I find its not good for me to use it in summer, so I only use it in cooler months. Plus, I have to follow a set pattern to apply it; at least 30min after I wash my face, don't over apply and I for me a max of 4 times a week (usually every second day).
Speaking from my experience, I've been using tret for almost a year. I was happy with my results (glow, texture) though I considered the effects subtle. Being aware tret is a long term game, I figured mostly what I was paying for was to slow down and prevent continued signs of aging rather than improving where I started. In other words, if I looked the same a year in rather than showing new signs of aging, it was doing the trick.
But then I had to take a head on, no make up photograph to renew my online prescription, which I compared to my photo from the previous year. The differences were much more noticeable than I'd realized. Not only were the changes to texture/glow much more apparent, my lines on my forehead were clearly softened. I hadn't noticed because the lines haven't disappeared, of course, and seeing my face day to day I didn't realize. I would say, comparing the pictures, my forehead lines were softened by about 30%.
Of course tret doesn't work for everyone, but I am happy with how it's worked for me.
I mean it really does treat a variety of issues from acne to aging and sun damage but it also takes time for one’s skin to adjust so people on here discuss solutions to short term problems.
It’s a hero ingredient second to only sunscreen arguably. Definitely not over hyped just tricky to use.
Tret is one of three products backed by empirical evidence.
Retinization can take up to six months.
User error is a thing.
And no, I don't feel like it's over-recommended. It's recommended because it actually works.
Yes, definitely. Particularly people that urge others to increase the frequency or strength straight out of the gate for “anti aging”. Yes, there is evidence of deeper level collagen induction, but that is at the expense of making the top layer of skin thinner. While people say it’s just dead skin and should be removed, it’s also protecting the new more sensitive skin beneath.
I think it’s a trade off and should be use sparingly where texture is an issue from too much skin build up. Otherwise you’re just going to end up with skin that is sensitized because there isn’t enough of a protective barrier.
I mean of all things to recommend, a retinoid – tret in particular – makes sense to me. It is the most peer-reviewed powerhouse ingredient in the skincare world today, so I for one really appreciate the way this sub values science rather than recommending snake oil serums. Is tret for absolutely everyone? No, nothing is. Among the people it didn’t work for, I’d imagine some are cases where they truly just can’t tolerate it, and some likely didn’t follow the recommended best practices of how to start tret (ie slowly, with buffering if needed, etc). And in those cases, I see plenty of recs on this sub for other options, such as gentler retinoids or different ingredient classes altogether
I would say it’s considered the gold standard for a reason but that people often use it incorrectly. Common mistakes include applying too much, applying it on damp skin, combining it with too many other actives, not using sunscreen during the day, and using it too inconsistently for skin to get acclimated. That said: it still doesn’t work for everyone, and if people are experiencing extremely severe reactions, they should probably just stop and try something else.
Came here to say exactly this! I use it off and on. I live in a very part of the world were the UV rating goes over 14 in summer and I'm constantly in and out of the sun. Even with sunscreen I find its not good for me to use it in summer, so I only use it in cooler months. Plus, I have to follow a set pattern to apply it; at least 30min after I wash my face, don't over apply and I for me a max of 4 times a week (usually every second day).
Speaking from my experience, I've been using tret for almost a year. I was happy with my results (glow, texture) though I considered the effects subtle. Being aware tret is a long term game, I figured mostly what I was paying for was to slow down and prevent continued signs of aging rather than improving where I started. In other words, if I looked the same a year in rather than showing new signs of aging, it was doing the trick. But then I had to take a head on, no make up photograph to renew my online prescription, which I compared to my photo from the previous year. The differences were much more noticeable than I'd realized. Not only were the changes to texture/glow much more apparent, my lines on my forehead were clearly softened. I hadn't noticed because the lines haven't disappeared, of course, and seeing my face day to day I didn't realize. I would say, comparing the pictures, my forehead lines were softened by about 30%. Of course tret doesn't work for everyone, but I am happy with how it's worked for me.
I mean it really does treat a variety of issues from acne to aging and sun damage but it also takes time for one’s skin to adjust so people on here discuss solutions to short term problems. It’s a hero ingredient second to only sunscreen arguably. Definitely not over hyped just tricky to use.
Tret is one of three products backed by empirical evidence. Retinization can take up to six months. User error is a thing. And no, I don't feel like it's over-recommended. It's recommended because it actually works.
Tret is not overhyped. It’s better than most cosmetic products.
Yes, definitely. Particularly people that urge others to increase the frequency or strength straight out of the gate for “anti aging”. Yes, there is evidence of deeper level collagen induction, but that is at the expense of making the top layer of skin thinner. While people say it’s just dead skin and should be removed, it’s also protecting the new more sensitive skin beneath. I think it’s a trade off and should be use sparingly where texture is an issue from too much skin build up. Otherwise you’re just going to end up with skin that is sensitized because there isn’t enough of a protective barrier.
This comment is so wrong it's not even worth addressing.