Is there a difference between tretinoin gel and micro gel?
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free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 3:53 pm

I'm on the generic gel and wondered if I should go the micro route. Is the only difference that micro claims to give less irritation? If so, I'm already past that and there would be no point in changing to micro. But I do want a higher percentage because I see a slight smoothing of the skin, but nothing major and it's been 2 months.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:46 pm

SandraD4880 wrote:

I'm on the generic gel and wondered if I should go the micro route. Is the only difference that micro claims to give less irritation? If so, I'm already past that and there would be no point in changing to micro. But I do want a higher percentage because I see a slight smoothing of the skin, but nothing major and it's been 2 months.

My understanding from this being raised on another thread is the micro gel has a time release action that helps prevent irritation.

HTH
DM

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:43 pm

That's my understanding too - it's less irritating. If you're not experiencing any irritation from the product you're using at the moment - I wouldn't change, except to up the percentage if you want.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 6:49 pm

If you are okay with regular retin a I wouldn't worry about it. I have both and let my son use the micro to keep acne breakouts under control.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:15 pm

Thanks guys! I will stick with regular old gel then. Not sure if I should go to .05 or .1 though. Guess one of each since they are so cheap on ADC. Then I can use by trial and error.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:25 pm

SandraD4880 wrote:

Thanks guys! I will stick with regular old gel then. Not sure if I should go to .05 or .1 though. Guess one of each since they are so cheap on ADC. Then I can use by trial and error.

I find the .1 gel very drying, however, I'm used to 0.5 cream. But yes, get both, you can always spot-treat with the .1 gel.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:27 pm

That's what I am doing on my order buying a couple different strengths at the same time so I can gradually work up to the higher one.

DM

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:37 pm

I have used the .1 gel but had some spot areas that were dry and I always tend to the oily side. i kicked it back to the .05 cream and am now using .o5 gel. I read studies (on here) that there was no difference betwen using .5 and .1 so I'm not even sure I'll go higher. My skin is happy.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:42 pm

I find my skin to be extremely tolerant it's almost silly what I can get away with so I am just saving on shipping and ordering all at once. I am going for the cream I am in that totally normal land not dry not oily!

DM

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 7:53 pm

I used the cream in the past for 10 months and gave up because it gave me so many pimples. Gel is definitely better for me. What's in the cream that is so pore clogging?!

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:00 pm

SandraD4880 wrote:

I used the cream in the past for 10 months and gave up because it gave me so many pimples. Gel is definitely better for me. What's in the cream that is so pore clogging?!

That I don't know but I have read that if your skin is oily or prone to breaking out the gel is your best bet, but normal and especially dry skin does best with the cream. I have never been one to have breakouts even as a teen.

DM

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:45 pm

DarkMoon wrote:

SandraD4880 wrote:

I used the cream in the past for 10 months and gave up because it gave me so many pimples. Gel is definitely better for me. What's in the cream that is so pore clogging?!

That I don't know but I have read that if your skin is oily or prone to breaking out the gel is your best bet, but normal and especially dry skin does best with the cream. I have never been one to have breakouts even as a teen.

DM

It is usually the isopropyl myristate that causes the pimples. If you have a Rx you can get it formulated without that ingredient.

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 9:17 pm

Thanks Riley,

You are always there with the answers about Retin A! Smile

DM

free skin care · Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:18 pm

Interesting!
I never knew the retinA cream can cause breakouts. I'm using it to control breakouts. I'm using obagi 0.1 retinA cream with my newderm system. I'm going to order my next tubes from alldaychemist.
Do you think I should go with 0.1 micro gel or gel? will they work fine with the blender? I've been using my retinA 0.1 cream for 7 weeks. It's a little irritating still

If the micro gel is less irritating, doesn't cause breakouts and gives same results should I just order it in the 0.1 strength? thank you

free skin care · Thu Feb 25, 2010 6:08 am

has wrote:

Interesting!
I never knew the retinA cream can cause breakouts. I'm using it to control breakouts. I'm using obagi 0.1 retinA cream with my newderm system. I'm going to order my next tubes from alldaychemist.
Do you think I should go with 0.1 micro gel or gel? will they work fine with the blender? I've been using my retinA 0.1 cream for 7 weeks. It's a little irritating still

If the micro gel is less irritating, doesn't cause breakouts and gives same results should I just order it in the 0.1 strength? thank you

The microgel will work fine with the blender, but the regular gel will not. The microgel is supposedly less irritating, but I actually find after using it for over a month very drying in the cold weather, so I switch between that and my cream.

free skin care · Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:26 am

i only know they give the same results

free skin care · Thu Feb 25, 2010 2:00 pm

I find Micro to be less effective than regular Retin-A. Less irritation, but I find it to be less potent. Just my findings and experience.

Retin-A Gel can be very drying, so unless you have very oily skin with acne-related problems, using a lower dose in the gel form may be better.

Retin-A Cream seems to work better for me than Micro. Less expensive too! Smile

free skin care · Wed Mar 03, 2010 7:02 am

I'm wondering if it really depends where you got it...from All Day Chemist, I have .025 and .05 in both gels and creams, as well as a .1 gel. In the past 2 months I've opened and tried the .025 cream, the .05 gel, and the .1 gel. The cream seems more drying than the gel to me, even though it's a lower strength. Now the .01, it smells weird...almost like alcohol...and HOLY COW, it make the biggest flakes I've ever seen! Shock

I opened that one less than a week ago, and I never go anywhere. I get no irritation, so I'll just use that for awhile and see where it takes me.

Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:47 pm

bluugrass wrote:

I'm wondering if it really depends where you got it...from All Day Chemist, I have .025 and .05 in both gels and creams, as well as a .1 gel. In the past 2 months I've opened and tried the .025 cream, the .05 gel, and the .1 gel. The cream seems more drying than the gel to me, even though it's a lower strength. Now the .01, it smells weird...almost like alcohol...and HOLY COW, it make the biggest flakes I've ever seen! Shock

I opened that one less than a week ago, and I never go anywhere. I get no irritation, so I'll just use that for awhile and see where it takes me.

i have used the cream for few months and found it drying , gave me more wrinkles. now i switch to the gel 0.01% im using it mainly for my eye wrinkles. hope it works this time. and yea the gel does have a weird smell. lol. btw, do u dilute it with a moisturizer?

free skin care · Wed Dec 15, 2010 11:35 pm

seekflawless wrote:

bluugrass wrote:

I'm wondering if it really depends where you got it...from All Day Chemist, I have .025 and .05 in both gels and creams, as well as a .1 gel. In the past 2 months I've opened and tried the .025 cream, the .05 gel, and the .1 gel. The cream seems more drying than the gel to me, even though it's a lower strength. Now the .01, it smells weird...almost like alcohol...and HOLY COW, it make the biggest flakes I've ever seen! Shock

I opened that one less than a week ago, and I never go anywhere. I get no irritation, so I'll just use that for awhile and see where it takes me.

i have used the cream for few months and found it drying , gave me more wrinkles. now i switch to the gel 0.01% im using it mainly for my eye wrinkles. hope it works this time. and yea the gel does have a weird smell. lol. btw, do u dilute it with a moisturizer?

How very interesting and strange, most people seem to find the gel more drying than the cream, but you both have had the opposite reaction? Shock

free skin care · Thu Dec 16, 2010 6:40 am

seekflawless wrote:

i have used the cream for few months and found it drying , gave me more wrinkles. now i switch to the gel 0.01% im using it mainly for my eye wrinkles. hope it works this time. and yea the gel does have a weird smell. lol. btw, do u dilute it with a moisturizer?

It is probably due to the base. I "think" that ADC gel is in an olive oil base, could explain why some find it less drying than the cream.

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