After years of being on adapalene (a prescription retinol cream) and getting along well with it, in 2023 I made the switch to tretinoin. The latter is considered one of the strongest retinoids available and is used to treat acne and signs of ageing. While it was one of the most Googled skincare ingredients of 2024, tretinoin is not for everyone – as I soon found out.
Despite a year of persisting, I eventually gave up after experiencing extreme dryness and breakouts. These symptoms are part of something colloquially referred to as the 'retinol purge', which is common in anyone using topical retinoids for the first time – be it on prescription or in products you can buy in the shops, like the best retinol creams and serums.
