skincare routine for prescription tretinoid (and product recommendations)
This summer I started my journey with prescription tretinoid because my acne started to get out of control during quarantine and nothing I did seemed to help. I started the prescription at the beginning of July so it's been a little over a month now and I'm definitely starting to see an improvement, although it is a slow process. I was getting constant deep painful cystic breakouts in May, June and July but now I rarely get them. I'll definitely be doing a dedicated blog post in a few months sharing my progress (and photos) if I find that tretinoid is doing the job for me but so far so good!
While on tretinoid your skin goes through a lot of changes so you really have to adapt your whole skincare routine to fit those changes. My skincare routine is almost completely different to what I was using before so I thought I would share what I've been using and some product recommendations! My skin went through a period where it got extremely dry, and also very sensitive and painful so I've been using a lot of gentle soothing products. A little disclaimer: obviously everyone's skin is different so what is working for me may not work for you so please remember that and always follow the advice of your doctor or dermatologist :)
R O U T I N E
My daytime routine usually consists of a gentle cleanser, toner, a serum (either niacinamide, vitamin c, or something soothing), a moisturizer (I've been liking gel-creams for summer), and an SPF which is the most important step! You shouldn't go on tretinoid if you can't commit to using sunscreen every single day because your skin gets very sensitized while using tretinoid which makes you a lot more susceptible to sun burns and sun damage.
I keep my nighttime routine very simple by cleansing (I double cleanse if I've been wearing makeup), applying my tretinoid, eye cream and finishing with a moisturizer.
C L E A N S E R S
Cosrx Pure Fit Cica Cleanser $32
This cleanser does foam up a bit but I don't have any tight feeling after using it! It has a lower pH and great ingredients like cica! I love using this as a morning cleanser!
Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser $22
This is one of my favourite cleansers of all time! It's so gentle but works great as a second cleanser to remove any leftover makeup. It doesn't irritate my eyes or skin and all and just leaves my skin feeling clean but still hydrated.
The Face Shop Rice Water Foam Cleanser $11
This cleanser foams A LOT so very accurately named haha. Even though it's quite foaming it doesn't leave the skin feeling stripped. This works best for me as a morning cleanser since it's not the best for removing makeup.
T O N E R S
If you're into super simple toners these two are for you! They're very watery and feel pretty hydrating and soothing on the skin! I would say both of these are very similar and I really enjoy them both!
Youth to the People Adaptogen Mist $55
This mist is what got me into using mists regularly in my skincare routine! The mister is super fine and feels so soothing on the skin. Obviously this isn't an essential step for my skincare routine (especially cause this mist is quite expensive) but it is a nice treat, especially for the summer when it's really hot out!
S E R U M S
I never really used a lot of soothing serums in my routine before starting tretinoid cause I didn't really have a need for them until now. Since my skin has been a lot more sensitized, soothing serums help so much to help calm it down! This cica serum is hydrating and super gentle for the skin.
Keep Cool Soothe Bamboo Serum $38
This is another great soothing serum although it's a bit thicker than the cosrx serum. This just feels so nice when my skin is feeling a bit sore or sensitive from the tretinoid!
The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc Serum $5.90
I've repurchased this serum so many times since it's such a staple in my routine! I love how affordable it is and that it has simple but effective ingredients! Niacinamide has so many skin benefits such as supporting the skin barrier, reducing inflammation and helping uneven skin tone.
M O I S T U R I Z E R S
When I first started tretinoid I went through a period where my skin got extremely dry and flaky and this helped so much! I used this in the daytime cause cica is just so great to help with sensitized skin and it was also very hydrating!
Youth to the People Adaptogen Cream $75
This has been my night cream as of lately because it works well on top of the tretinoid but helps to keep my skin from drying out. This also has a ton of ingredients that are great to help soothe irritated skin!
Keep Cool Soothe Bamboo Lotion $35
If you have oily skin and are looking for a very lightweight moisturizer, this is for you! The texture is almost watery and works great as a daytime moisturizer! It's also very soothing since it's part of Keep Cool's Soothe line.
Abib Hydration Gel Water Tube $34
Gel creams have been my go-to this summer cause they're light enough to use in the daytime without being to heavy for my oilier skin. This one has great ingredients and feels cooling on the skin which I really like!
Glossier Priming Moisturizer Balance $30
I'm a big fan of the original Priming Moisturizer so I was excited to see them come out with another version for oily skin! This has been working great for my skin in the summertime since it feels really hydrating on the skin but really helps to control oil and shine throughout the day!
S U N S C R E E N
Keep Cool Soothe Bamboo Essence SPF 50 $36
This is the SPF I've tried most recently and I was super excited for it since I'm a big fan of the Keep Cool Soothe line and this didn't disappoint! It's very similar to the Klairs SPF although this one doesn't have any noticeable fragrance. It's lightweight on the skin and doesn't feel heavy at all!
Dear Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence SPF 50 $33
This is my favourite SPF of all time! It doesn't leave any whitecast on my skin, is moisturizing, and gives a glowy dewy finish! It doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all and wears nicely under makeup! It does have a very light citrus scent but I don't mind it! I just ran out of mine last month and I definitely want to pick up another bottle!
Purito Centella Green Level SPF 50 $20
I actually have the scented version of this spf but I definitely recommend the unscented version cause the herbal scent is a bit strong. I feel like all three of these SPF's are very similar in formula as they all don't leave a whitecast, are hydrating and wear well under makeup!
And that was my skincare routine as of recently while using tretinoid and some of the products I've been loving to keep my skin happy and non-irritated! Please let me know if you have any questions or feel free to DM me on Instagram (@lilyytay) and share your tretinoid journey as I'd love to hear about it!
xx Taylor
(Some links are affiliate so I do make a small commission if you choose to shop through them <3)
Comments
Post a Comment