Hey beautiful people, as promised from my last skincare post
I will be sharing my tretinoin experience in this blog post.
Disclaimer: I am not a licensed esthetician nor
dermatologist, I am speaking from my personal experience. Also this post
contains affiliate links and I might earn a commission if purchases are made
through these links.
WHAT IS TRETINOIN:-
Tretinoin also known as retinoic acid is a synthetic
retinoid derivative of vitamin A.
It is a medication used to treat acne and sun damaged skin. It
also helps reduce the appearance of surface wrinkles, fine lines and dark
spots.
In most countries you require a prescription to purchase it
but you can definitely get it over the counter like I did mine. My dad got it
for me for under KSH 1000 (he doesn’t remember the exact price ha-ha) OTC.
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ITS USES:-
-Tretinoin promotes rapid exfoliation and stimulation of
collagen and it is stronger than retinol which can be a bit harsh for people
with sensitive skin.
-It reduces the appearance of fine line and wrinkles (that is
why your favorite celebrities look so young wink wink)
-It improves skin texture.
-It reduces the appearance of dark marks.
MY TIPS FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:-
-Apply a pea size amount of the cream on your face after
cleansing and hydrating your face. Using more than that won’t make it more
effective and you will only be damaging your skin barrier.
-Avoid areas around the eyes and mouth; I noticed dryness
around my mouth when I did so learn from me.
-Start SMALL; the first week I applied the cream every other
night to gauge how my skin would respond to it. After the first week I applied
it every night after my cleansing and hydrating routine.
-Please wear SUNSCREEN every day no matter the weather.
 |
| La Roshe-Posay Anthelios XL spf 50+ |
–HYDRATE! HYDRATE! HYDRATE! This is really important because
it will help you repair your skin barrier. I used glycerin but it was too
sticky for my liking before I changed to hyaluronic acid serum (you can get it
at Instagram.com/nallynaturals).
 |
| Hyaluronic acid serum |
-Please don’t apply the tretinoin cream on damp skin, your
skin might feel like it is burning. You wait for 15-20 minutes after you have
hydrated or moisturized your skin before applying it on your skin.
-Start with also the lower percentage I personally use the
0.05% cream but I want to get a higher percentage.
-I also created a very simple routine. I would cleanse,
hydrate and apply tretinoin at night and during the day I cleansed, hydrated
and wore my sunscreen.
PRECAUTIONS:-
-Your skin will purge and you might feel discouraged but
please hang in there. The purging process is normal.
-Your skin might also peel (I did not get to experience
extreme peeling like others did) so please hydrate and moisturize your face a
lot.
-You might not see results as fast as you expect them so
patience is extremely crucial. I personally so changes after 4 months of using
it.
-Please do your research and seek medical advice before trying
it (I personally took a major risk on it after an intensive research).
I still do not have flawless skin and I still have old acne
scars even though they are not as prominent as before but I have seen some improvements. I also
no longer get active pimples even during my period days and that is a plus to
me yippee. My first tube of tretinoin is almost finished and I am getting
another soon until my acne scars have completely vanished. I also have noticed
great improvement in my skin texture and I don’t have those tiny bumps anymore.
I will definitely do another skin update after 6 months with
you guys so make sure you stay updated with my posts. You could also follow me
on Instagram at Instagram.com/naliakabrenda_
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down below. Until next time my loves, sending you virtual kisses.
