My Revised Skincare Routine, Courtesy of TikTok Comments

Last summer, when I was staying with my friends in Sacramento, I had the worst acne flare up of my life. It was so bad that I ended up leaving early so that I could see my dermatologist in LA. After going down a rabbit hole of research, I wondered if it might be fungal acne.

My dermatologist assured me that it likely was not but we did some swatch tests to be sure. She recommended that I start using a benzoyl peroxide face wash daily. Tretinoin 2-3 times a week and clindamycin phosphate as my only product before sunscreen.

I dutifully followed and my skin molted like crazy. My face felt like it was burning and took on a red hue. Too scared to add any more products on my skin, I resorted to putting slices of cucumber on my face to relieve the inflammation.

I posted a photo of the damage and asked TikTok if this was a phase that I would eventually overcome and how others who raved about tretinoin could stand it. After combing through their comments, these are my takeaways.

1. DO NOT use benzoyl peroxide face wash the day before, of, or after using tretinoin
2. only use a pea-sized amount of tretinoin and focus application on forehead, cheeks, and chin
3. AVOID applying tretinoin around the nose and mouth because those areas are more sensitive and your skin will peel if you do
4. wait 20-30 minutes to apply tretinoin otherwise skin may react negatively. skin must be FULLY DRY or else!
5. If your skin burns or dries out too much from tretinoin, try the sandwich effect. apply moisturizer or serum first, then tretinoin, and follow up with another moisturizing or calming cream
6. it's ok to train your skin slowly. even if your dermatologist recommends tretinoin three times a week, aim for two to start and only increase once you've got your routine pat
7. using benzoyl peroxide in combination with tret is very harsh so start with tretinoin first and only incorporate the benzoyl peroxide face wash after assessing the condition of your skin

About three months later, I use tretinoin twice a week and benzoyl peroxide face wash only once. On the days when I'm not using these, I added a hydroquonine gel following my usual toner and serum.

I keep track of my tret vs bp days on my planner but more importantly, I listen to my skin. If my skin is peeling, I forgo everything and focus on moisturizing and restoring my skin barrier. My skin isn't perfect but it's a marked improvement from what it was and I'm thankful to the kind strangers on TikTok who shared their knowledge so generously.