Hello!!

So, I have been trying to hop on the Tretinoin train since a year ago, since I have noticed a slight fine lines on my smile lines. uh oh! I'm only 25 and my fine lines are starting to show up. It may have been caused by smiling / laughing a lot (lol, I have a good life yaknow) or, the fact that I have only started using sunscreen religiously since my late university life. So there ya go!

I have been dying to use tretinoin but didnt have the time to actually start the journey, especially me working on the rig, having to be out under the sun whenever needed. And I know, I KNOW, that tretinoin is a marathon, not a sprint. Known to be the only anti-aging formula approved by FDA, it must be hella something right? Riiight?

So when the coronavirus hits, along with me started working from Jakarta again (now, work from home), I decided oh well! This is now or never, the journey has to start somewhere. To tell you the truth, my skin is Oily - Combination, means I have oil on my T-Zone, but normal in the rest of the face. And also, I never really had an acne issues since probably 3rd year of my uni life, except for some (only 1 - 2) pustules/papules during period time. However, I always, constantly have blackhead on my lovely nose and cheek. They seem to never go away no matter what I do; clay masks, salicylic acid, etc etc. They just hold strong to my pores, seemingly sitting comfortably lol. So, starting this Tretinoin journey for me is mainly for anti-aging benefit and partially hoping that my blackhead would go away leaving my pores clear and clear.

And there I go, ordering my tretinoin online with brand name Vitacid (it's Indonesian local brand, super duper cheap compared to US or any other countries. Only ~IDR 30,000 or ~1.5 - 2 USD). Eventho they are chategorized prescription drugs, they are freely sold in pharmacies all across the country without the prescription. Couple days later, I receive my package of tretinoin safe and sound ready to rock and roll.

However, reading into so many blogs and watching videos on youtube, I got a bit worried and scared, if tretinoin would purge me or cause any irritation to my face, which is expected but I can't stand if it's too severe anyway. I've had a bit purge with BHA using COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. And honestly it wasn't so bad, just a few pimples for 2 weeks and they're gone. But still, going through the purge would not be easy especially if you're going to work and meet people. Lucky me, all these conditions make it more tolerable for me.

Here's my picture before tretinoin journey. Oh, fyi, I never use complexion make up daily, only on a special occasion. This picture of me is only me using sunblock & lip cream

How I use it

From what I read on countless blogs and videos, I need to ease up to using tretinoin. Irritation, heavy peeling or heavy redness would not always mean a good thing. So I decided to buffer 'sandwich' my tretinoin on the first week and only using it every 3 days. I know my skin pretty well and know that it is not that sensitive. But I still need to be careful. Anyway, buffer sandwich means, I wash my face at night, put toner, essence and moisturizer (just because I love toner and essence. but you dont have to use both of them in buffer sandwich method. Just moisturizer is enough), wait until they are sucked into your skin leaving your skin supple but NOT wet. Then, apply a pea sized amount of tretinoin all over your face (I use it for my neck as well). Careful not to put it near your eyes, nasal, and lips as it may cause severe irritation. Then, wait several minutes until I'm sure it has been absorbed to my skin, then continue putting my moisturizer on top of it again. Aaand, there ya go! My nighttime routine is ended with me putting moisturizer making sure my skin would not get dehydrated and dry especially since tretinoin can be very very drying. And in the morning, I just use my vitamin C, moisturizer and continued with sunblock application. Remember, sunblock is a staple in your routine, with or without tretinoin. But even more urgent when you're using tretinoin as it can sensitize your skin.

Week One

I literally feel nothing. My skin is still moist, no dryness, no irritation, no purging, no redness, no nothing. I even increase my frequency to every other day on the third application since it literally is not showing anything on my skin. I know I am not the most patient person in the world he he. So, here, I have got no updates to show you

Week Two

Still sandwich-ing my tret application and right after 1 week passed, I start noticing that my nose has a mild peeling to it. Oh by the way, I stopped all the chemical peel stuff that I regularly use to reduce irritation once I introduced tret to my routine. So, I knew I need to exfoliate but gently, and I'm scared chemical exfoliant will only worsen my skin condition. So I did not actually change anything to my routine, and hoping that my double cleanse with micellar water + cotton pad application would gently remove the peeling. In addition to that, I also notice that I get a pimple on my jaw area, which sucks becaus it's been a while since I have an acne this big. But well, okay. Nothing that I can't bare yet.

Here's some pictures of my week 2 updates :

bare face with sunblock

Pimpleee

See? My smile lines are showing up

So there ya go!

2 weeks update!

I'll update it regularly as I keep on using tretinoin

Byeee

Rach