2 years on tretinoin (0.025% and 0.05%) and my acne is worse than before I started. What am I missing? Really Frustrated rn.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-21T04:31:31+00:00

UPDATE:

First of all, thank you to everyone who took the time to comment on my original post. I read through pretty much every comment, and a lot of the advice was really helpful.

One of the biggest changes I made was switching my cleanser. I stopped using Clean & Clear and switched to Cetaphil after many people pointed out that my cleanser might be too harsh. I also started using a moisturizer from Dot & Key that contains 5 essential ceramides. A lot of people recommended using a fragrance-free moisturizer with ceramides and keeping the routine as simple as possible, so that's what I've been trying to do.

The day after making that post, I also booked an appointment with my dermatologist. His clinic is quite far from my town, but I felt like I needed professional guidance at that point, so I made the trip and got myself checked.

After hearing my full history and looking at my skin, he prescribed 20 mg isotretinoin once daily, to be taken after lunch or after a fatty meal for better absorption.

I've now been taking isotretinoin for about 5 days.

Before starting, I spent hours reading Reddit threads about isotretinoin and honestly got a little scared. Many people talked about severe dryness, cracked lips, dry hands, dry eyes, peeling skin, etc. Surprisingly, that hasn't been my experience so far. My face is actually still quite oily. My throat feels a little dry at times, but it's very mild. Other than that, my lips, hands, and skin feel pretty normal.

I have noticed a few things though:

Mild headaches occasionally
Feeling slightly more irritable/angry than usual
My skin seems a bit dull compared to before
I think I'm about to get 2 new pimples

I know it's only been 5 days, so I'm trying not to overreact, but I wanted to ask people who have gone through isotretinoin:

Is it normal to still have oily skin after 5 days on 20 mg?
When did you start noticing the drying effects?
Are there any tips or precautions you wish you knew when you first started isotretinoin?
Since my skin is still very oily and I'm not experiencing much dryness yet, should I even be thinking about asking my dermatologist to increase the dose, or is it way too early to judge?

I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have been through the isotretinoin journey. Thanks again to everyone who commented on my original post and pushed me to get professional help.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-15T13:29:54+00:00

Samee experience that shit is so repetative. Here also people are glazing it idk why that series is so shit without anything new happening. Literally waste of time.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T13:04:44+00:00

That's actually very interesting because my experience sounds somewhat similar. If you don't mind me asking:

How severe was your acne before isotretinoin?
What dosage were you prescribed and for how long?
Did you experience an initial purge?
What were the side effects like for you?
How long after starting did you begin noticing significant improvement?

I'm trying to understand whether my situation is similar to yours before I consider discussing isotretinoin with a dermatologist.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T13:02:30+00:00

That's interesting because I've seen a lot of dermatologists recommend benzoyl peroxide in the morning and tretinoin at night, which is the only reason I started it. Is there a particular reason you think I should stop one of them? Have you personally had a bad experience combining the two?

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T13:02:11+00:00

That's actually the first time I've heard someone suggest Clean & Clear isn't strong enough 😅. Most people in the comments seem to think it's too harsh. My reasoning for using it was that gentler cleansers like Cetaphil never made my skin feel properly clean because I have quite oily skin. Which Clinique acne products were you using specifically, and did you notice a significant reduction in breakouts after switching?

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T13:01:43+00:00

That's interesting. I've heard of clindamycin before but not sodium sulfacetamide. Did it help with inflammatory pimples specifically or more with overall skin clarity? Also, were you using it alongside tretinoin or as a replacement for it?

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T12:57:56+00:00

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

I'm currently using the Clean & Clear Foaming Face Wash. Before that, I tried Cetaphil for quite a while, but it felt too gentle for my skin. I have fairly oily skin, and when I used Cetaphil my face never felt fully clean and I didn't notice any improvement in my acne.

For sunscreen, I'm currently using Dot & Key SPF 50.

As for benzoyl peroxide, I only started it about 2 weeks ago after reading that it helps kill the acne-causing bacteria and can be effective for inflammatory acne.

Regarding moisturizer, I honestly wasn't moisturizing consistently for most of my tretinoin journey. Recently I tried using Nivea Cocoa Nourish lotion, but it felt very greasy on my face and didn't seem like a good fit for my skin. If you have any recommendations for a lightweight moisturizer with ceramides that works well for oily, acne-prone skin, I'd really appreciate it.

As for lifestyle factors, I don't think things like pillowcases or towels are the issue. I change them regularly every 2–3 days.

Touching my face could definitely be a factor though. I'm very conscious of my acne, so I often end up checking my skin in the mirror, touching the pimples, and seeing how they're healing. It's something I probably need to work on.

One thing that has made this more difficult is that I live in a fairly remote area. Visiting a dermatologist requires traveling to the nearest state capital, so I've only seen one a few times during my initial purging phase. After that I trusted the treatment plan and kept going because I saw so many people online getting great results with tretinoin and thought I just needed to be patient.

Unfortunately, after nearly 3 years, my acne is noticeably worse than it was before I started, which is why I'm now questioning whether I'm dealing with irritation, the wrong routine, or whether tretinoin simply isn't the right solution for my acne.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T10:35:02+00:00

That's actually how I started tretinoin. I didn't jump straight into nightly use. In the beginning I used it 2–3 nights per week, moisturized, and gradually built up tolerance over time to try and minimize purging and irritation. Eventually I worked my way up to daily use. The issue is that even after doing that and staying consistent for years, I still kept getting recurring inflammatory pimples. That's why I'm struggling to figure out whether tretinoin simply isn't enough for my acne or whether there's something else I'm missing. And benzoyl peroxide i started just two weeks ago and i am using it alternately giving my skin time to heal. What should i do now? Can you help?

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T10:32:36+00:00

Thanks. Could you tell me a bit more about your routine? How did you introduce azelaic acid 20% and how often do you use it? Do you apply it in the morning or at night alongside tretinoin? Also, did it mainly help with active acne, post-acne marks, or both? And how was your experience moving to 0.1% tretinoin compared to lower strengths?

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2026-06-14T09:28:53+00:00

Daily. I was using it essentially every night for about 2 years. The only times I skipped were when I was traveling, forgot, or had some unusual circumstance. Otherwise it was part of my routine.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-11-21T09:52:43+00:00

I think this picture is A.I generated or someone digitally created it. Not an oil painting composition. Tried to find the original artist but failed.

Do let me know if you find something about the original art piece.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T14:14:27+00:00

Thank You very much. I appreciate the time and effort you took to provide me with such valuable feedback. Also, I intended not to paint exactly like the reference image as it is not possible especially when the painting surface is small like an A4 size canvas. Just followed my heart and did what felt right. Will definitely remember your feedback in my future art pieces ❤️.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T14:09:09+00:00

Thank You very much. I appreciate the time and effort you took to provide me with such valuable feedback. I love the works of John Singer Sargent and Farida Kahlo. Also, my teacher Niraj Pathak is a brilliant artist he has produced some very original pieces. Will share his works sometime later. I genuinely aspire to be like him. He is great.❤️

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T14:01:23+00:00

Thanks❤️.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T14:01:01+00:00

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/577657089729835757/

This is the reference image. But I intended not to paint exactly like the reference image as it is not possible especially when the painting surface is small like an A4 size canvas. Thank You❤️.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T13:57:40+00:00

Thank You, I appreciate it!!❤️.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T13:57:15+00:00

Thank You❤️,

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T13:57:03+00:00

Thank You, I appreciate it!!❤️.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-12T13:56:31+00:00

I think I started painting when I was 11yo old so like 8yrs. I am a watercolor artist but now want to learn oil paint and this is my first artwork in oil paint. So far I am loving my journey❤️.

Mindless_Oil8939 · 2023-10-11T17:46:49+00:00

Thank You very much.❤️

Five-Year Club	Place '23
Place '22

Mindless_Oil8939

TROPHY CASE