Suggestions for best Type/Brand of Retin A for Anti-Aging?
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free skin care · Wed Jan 30, 2008 6:14 pm

Okay after a lot of research today on Retin A I think that the Gel based Retin A 0.1% is too drying for and is making my skin look a bit leathery - the top layer dries out and forms sort of tight, dry skin over my face. I started on Retin A for acne and now that is under control I want to keep using as a way to refine my skin texture e.g. bumps, discolouration, pores & fine lines etc without totally drying my skin out?
I would like to keep using Retin A 0.1% but I need to switch to a cream formula. Please could you recommend a good brand to try for anti-aging? Also I buy my Retin A online.
Pandora

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:07 am

Renova is a brand that is recommended for anti-aging benefits without being so drying. However, it might be too heavy for you since you have a history of acne. You can also get regular Retin-A in a cream base instead of a gel. The Renova might be a heavier formulation but my Obagi Retin-A is fairly creamy. It was expensive though so my next tube is Johnson and Johnson's Retin-A cream that I ordered from inhousepharmacy; I haven't opened it yet to see how heavy it is.

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:40 pm

Thanks for that mamawalnut, I think I will try the Retin A in a cream base. I wonder if the Retin A micro is also a bit gentler even though that is a gel? It's not a lot of fun trying to deal with acne and aging at the same time as the treatments seem to contradict each other a times Confused

.

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:11 pm

I use Retin A very infrequently but when I do use it I prefer Renova as it is less irritating and much less drying.

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:56 pm

You know, I've been looking into this too (we're Retin-A twins in two threads now! Laughing

) because I don't love all the ingredients in my Retin-A base, either. (I'm using the .04% micro-gel, which contains dimethicone, an ingredient that usually clogs my pores and causes acne flare-ups.)

Renova contains mineral oil, which is a MAJOR no-no for me, so that's out. And I totally agree that the gel is too drying -- I've only used it once, but as I recall, it contained an awful lot of alcohol, and it had a weird texture that balled up easily if you layered anything else on later.

I finally found links that show all the ingredients for all the different Retin-A formulations, side-by-side (except Renova, but I already know I don't want to use that):

http://www.retinamicro.com/RetinA.pdf -- for Retin-A gel, cream and liquid formulations
http://www.retinamicro.com/RetinAMicro.pdf -- for Retin-A micro formulation

I know this is kind of nit-picky, but it just seems insane to me to include ingredients that are clearly comedones. I may call my derm and try to switch to the cream version, but then I'll have to worry about the wait-after-washing issue you brought up in your other Retin-A thread. So I'm not sure what to do! Laughing

Let me know what you come up with -- I can tell you from experience with the gel, cream and micro-gel that the cream has always been my favorite formulation, though it did definitely irritate my skin more than the micro-gel does. But now I know that that may have been because I wasn't waiting long enough after washing to apply it!

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:46 pm

Ginnielizz I think we are sharing a similar obbsession at the moment! I just really want to find a product that works and that I can use over the long term. I was thinking of trying Renova but like you I am put off by the mineral oil content, it is hard to find a positive comment about mineral oil in skincare anywhere! Thanks for the links you posted I will take a better look at them tomorrow, when I have more time.
I think I will just go with a cream based Retin A and see how I get on and hope the pharmaceutical companies start making a more natural & gentle formulation of Retin A Pray

free skin care · Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:10 pm

No kidding Pandora, this cracks me up! And if you also start using EM concealers on my recommendation, we really WILL be twins!

I hope you find a formulation that works for you. I'm torn, but I think I'll stick out the Micro at least for the rest of this tube!

Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:34 pm

looking over the ingredient in that link, this is what is in the cream version:

RETIN-A
(tretinoin) Cream contains tretinoin in either of three strengths, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.025% by weight, in a hydrophilic cream vehicle of stearic acid, isopropyl myristate, polyoxyl 40 stearate, stearyl alcohol,xanthan gum, sorbic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, and purified water.

Containing isopropyl myristate that gets the highest rating of 5 for Comedogenicity and a 3 for irritancy. How is this supposed to clear my acne with that in there?

Heather

free skin care · Thu Feb 21, 2008 10:24 pm

After struggling with Retin A,all forms, I switched to Tazorac at my derm's recommendation. Here's more info:
Chemically known as tazarotene, it is a synthetically derived retinoid with properties similar to those of tretinoin (active ingredient in Retin-A and Renova). Tazorac is a brand-name prescription drug, owned by Allergan, that is available in gel and cream textures and is prescribed for managing acne. Tazarotene is also sold under the brand name Avage (also from Allergan), and this version is marketed for treating wrinkles and sun-induced skin discolorations. Tazarotene works similarly to tretinoin by modulating cell differentiation and proliferation. It also has anti-inflammatory and immune-modifying properties, which is why it is used (often successfully) as a topical prescription for managing psoriasis Hope that helps!

V

free skin care · Fri Feb 22, 2008 5:35 am

My derm has me on Tozorac .05 also. Can it be ordered online?

Lou

free skin care · Fri Feb 22, 2008 12:01 pm

try diluting it with any bland serum, or try retin-a gel .025 , or using it less frequently,

free skin care · Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:19 am

I have used Tretinoin cream (in all 3 strengths) with the Obagi NuDerm system and found it irritating; giving me red, flaky skin. I switched to Avene Retrinal .05 cream which is much less irritating and I am hoping will perform as well.

free skin care · Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:35 am

A lot of the comedogenic ingredients help drive the ingredients further...though there are non-comedogenic alternatives out there so why they don't use them is anybody's guess...my guess is that they are slightly more expensive

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