Retin A or similar? Obagi products?

curlytoast

Hiya

I suffered from acne from about 11-18. Since then i get the odd spot but nothing major. But my skin in general is clogged all the time, so it's still bumpy with lots of blockages but with no major spots as such. I have heard time and time again about Retin A (trentinoin) being very good as it 'eats' dead cells so you don't get clogged pores and it helps with scarring, which i also have.

I know it is prescription only and i have heard that doctors don't like prescribing it very often. I have had a look online and apparently Obagi products contain this also.

So my question is, does anyone use Retin A or similar? Was your doc happy to prescribe it? Does it work? Does anyone use Obagi?

Thankyou so much x

Cheesedoodles

I use Retin A. Not for acne but for some sundamage that I have on my face. I've spent too much time tanning myself!

The thing with Retin A is that it's strong stuff. Very strong stuff! You only need a pea size amount on your entire face. And it has to be applied at night since it looses its effect in sunlight. Your skin also becomes ultra sensitive so a good factor 20+ moisturizer needs to be used during the day.

The other thing with Retin A is that it will cause your face to sting like h*ll and also peel. When that happens just stop using it for a few days until your skin recovers. Eventually your skin will become adjusted to it. But it can take months! The side effects is why some people think it's not working or just can't take them...

I've used it for about 2 months now and it's starting to show it's effect. My skin is smoother, but it does still occasionally sting and becomes red. The full effect of Retin A can take up to a year.

I bought mine from a reputable Indian online pharmacy and it costs me £9 including shipping. It's a generic version called Retino (same active ingredient, Tretinoin).

Before you use it do read up on the side effects, how to apply and how to care for your skin whilst using it. Otherwise you'll get a nasty surprise! That's why it's prescription only, without proper use you can seriously damage your skin.

It's also worth noting that even though it's strong the contents is entirely natural. It is in essence "only" a concentrated form of Vitamin A.

This is a great article from NY Times..

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/30/fashion/30skin.html?pagewanted=all

Hughjass

Which pharmacy do you use? I used an indian pharmacy previously, ordering and the products were fine but the card I used was not, it was hacked 3 times straight after using on this particular site, a recommended one would be useful - thanks:)

Cheesedoodles

Don't know if its against the rules to say who it is? If it is then the mods can just delete this post.

It's called in-house pharmacy. I've used then for almost 8 years now and never had a problem. Just google their name.

Hughjass

Thats a different one to the one I used, thanks for the reply:)

fizzytrinket

ive heard good things about inhouse pharmacy the one in india is adc i believe.

Hughjass

fizzytrinket wrote: »

ive heard good things about inhouse pharmacy the one in india is adc i believe.

Thats the one I had a problem with.

Cheesedoodles

I am very skeptical about internet shopping and i do a lot of research to ensure they are reputable and secure. In-house always came on top. they don't overcharge like some other online pharmacys and postage is included in their pricing.

They sell generic versions of most drugs. I buy Retino A which is manufactured by Johnson & Johnson for the Indian market. It's much cheaper than the patented Retin A. but itbis the same stuff. the active ingridient is Tretinoin.

I just looked at their website in the about section and they are actually based in Vanuatu....south pacific island. But most of their generic products are made by reputable Indian companies like Cipla.

Hughjass

Which Retin A product do you use cheesedoodles? I'm looking at a gel as I have greasy skin and want a quite weak strength, I've had a look around the site, I can't see it but do you know if they do a generic alternative to Rapid Lash or similar?

melancholly

Is it worth trying a retinol cream first? Not as strong, but avoids buying prescription products online from abroad which is always a little scary....

Cheesedoodles

I use the 0.05% Retino A. It's a cream. I don't think they do generic gels. You can buy the branded gel. but that is very expensive!

I did a lot of research around Retin A vs Retinol vs Retino etc... And my conclusion was that Retinol simply isn't worth it. It's so weak that it doesn't really do anything (but cosmetic industries will tell you otherwise).

Here's a good article on the difference...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-24933/Is-Retinol-miracle-ingredient.html

How effective is it?
Dr White says: 'Vitamin A does have a reasonable effect on the epidermis by causing dryness and the peeling off of the top layer of skin. In other words, it has an exfoliating action.
'The vitamin A derivative Retin-A can certainly be effective in the treatment of acne, but this is available only on prescription.
'However, the levels of retinol found in consumer products cannot compare with the strength of Vitamin A in prescription-only products.
'Retinol is certainly a very popular skincare ingredient, but I am not convinced that it is particularly effective.
'In my opinion, there's far too much hype with all these anti-ageing products which is often unfulfilled.
'The best anti-ageing cream is a moisturiser that contains an SPF15 - nothing else is really relevant.

I ended up reading loads of articles, reviews forums etc and i bought Retino A from inhouse. It's cheap, reliable and has the same active ingredient (Tretinoin) as Retin A (the branded version). Retino is made buy Johnson and Johnson so it's a good product.

The best advice I can give you is that you must not exfoliate your skin to death...that will only make things worse. Clean it with a very gentle, non alcohol based facewash and do it light and GENTLY.

Use a VERY gentle hypoallergic moisturizer with SPF 20+ every day as sunshine will only make it worse. Doesn't mean you can't go in the sun...but you HAVE TO use SPF.

Tretinoin works at night so put it on a few hours before bedtime and then just before bed put some moisturizer on. Wash it off in the morning.

I just want to put a disclaimer to say that I am NOT a dermatologist nor should you rely on my experience with Retin A. You got to make that decision yourself. Used wrongly Tretinoin can destroy your skin! I only used a pea sized amount the first time i put it on and BOY did it sting! My face was red raw the next day. A few days later it all started peeling. This is the way it's supposed to work and it WILL calm down the more you use it, but please please please, do read upon the use of retin a to prepare yourself for the first few months...It's NOT pretty.

Once you've gone over that "hump" it's all uphill. I'm used it for 2 months now and my skin is getting used to it. It's shinier and it doesn't go red anymore. I still peel a bit but it washes off.