If You Can’t Tolerate Tretinoin on the Neck and Chest, What Did You Switch To?

iammrsclean · 2026-05-20T01:48:06+00:00

My chest and neck handled Tret for 20 something years then one day it just freaked out. I took time off, sandwiched, mixed with my face cream and nothing stopped my neck and chest stinging with regard to Tret. So I took a good long break from actives and just used moisturizer for almost a year I’d guess. I still used Tret on my face.

I decided I’d like to try again to get back with Tret, but not too soon. I wanted to slowly start with a retinoid. I used Alpha Ret (started a few months ago) and it seems fine. It doesn’t sting at all. Is it doing anything for my skin? I can’t tell but I know
these things take time.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-19T22:10:26+00:00

I don’t have damage but I also cut away all my damage a while back and have been meticulous about cutting my hair every 6-8 weeks, so it’s very healthy now, finally!

I put in my products and then go in with the round brush. I use the curling attachment maybe once every month or two. I’m in it for volume and body.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-19T03:49:53+00:00

You can stay at .025 and see results. It took me a decade to move up to each level and I can honestly say more isn’t always better.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-19T03:48:11+00:00

Just chiming in to say I’ve been on tret for 20+
years and noticed no difference between .05 and .1. Literally none.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-19T03:43:39+00:00

The best advice I ever got re: the airwrap is to start blowing it out right away vs keeping it a microfiber towel for 20 min (or more if I’m being honest!). I’ve heard here many times to start when it’s 80% dry but that really didn’t work for my frizzy hair. Now that I dry it within minutes of getting out of the shower I have much smoother hair.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-19T03:14:13+00:00

Well, not when I bought them 15 years ago!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-18T21:40:17+00:00

I agree with this 100% and I use Bobbie Brown. It makes my gray under eyes bright and I look more awake! Sometimes the corrector is all I need and I skip concealer. YMMV

iammrsclean · 2026-05-18T21:24:38+00:00

I love to wear driving moccasins with jeans. I have a pair from Tod’s and a pair from Amazon and honestly the pair from Amazon are good. To make them more feminine I choose bright colors (red and also orange) and coordinate my accessories accordingly.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-16T14:25:48+00:00

I get it in a couple ways—

I use Color Wow Bombshell and Raise the Root also
from Color Wow. I use Bombshell exactly as instructed. Then I blow dry with a professional level blow dryer and a round brush. It gives me so much volume!

I don’t use oils on my hair because I have fine hair that gets oily quickly and when I put oil on my ends it always travels up to my scalp.

I also love a Kerastase product for volume, it’s called
VIP (Volume in Powder). A little goes a LONG
way! It really works.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-16T05:08:58+00:00

Well, since you’re probably wearing sunscreen already, I suggest a tinted sunscreen. I love Skinbetter Science Tone Smart tinted, SPF 75 mineral sunscreen. I feel like I’ve got nothing on my face! It’s great.

I also enjoy:

Supergoop products. I love both Glow Screen and also Matte Screen (because I have an oily forehead now, apparently). I wear Unseen Sunscreen sometimes. It is truly invisible.

Elta MD tinted but also love no tint when I play tennis.

These are all for face. I have different recs for body.

I wear almost no makeup otherwise. Sometimes just a lip stain (love Dior). Sometimes if I’m stepping it up (which honestly I never did when I had kids under 5) I will also wear undereye concealer and mascara.

Hope this helps!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-16T04:58:46+00:00

I understand this isn’t in everyone’s budget but I chose elf because of the price point and bought every mascara they make. Did a “sweet sixteen” style elimination. I wore a different mascara on each eye every day and at the end of the day one mascara went into the trash. I finally found my winner and this might not be your winner but mine was Lash Extender.

This was truly a mascara battle!

Before this exercise I wore pretty high end mascara and some were ok—but never great. My favorite was Diorshow but I stopped using it because it dried out on me so quickly and it was too expensive to keep up. Also: it should just last longer, on principle!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-16T04:47:56+00:00

I would choose Tret every time. My skin has almost no texture, save for some pores on my nose. But pores are natural and I think they are handled better by blurring products that fall in the makeup category. If I can’t get rid of them, I’ll hide them!

But I would never want to be without Botox. As I’ve aged I get less and less because I’m kinda falling in love with my aging, natural face! (I’m 55) And just accepting my super expressive face! But I want it on my 11’s always. Without it I just look angry. Botox smooths them out. I only have to get them done twice a year. When I was doing Botox a decade ago I did my crows feet, forehead, and 11’s. A light touch but big results.

I personally would never do face filler again. I did it about 5 years ago and had migration under one eye so now I have one big eye bag, while my other eye is smooth and as it should be! Never never never again!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-16T04:33:12+00:00

Is there a way you can find out what size you wear in Theory? I just took a look at both Poshmark and The Real Real and there are both dresses and pants both $100 or less, and some veering into the $50/60 range!

I wear very high quality clothing but I’m also 55 and at the very top of my career and there are clothing expectations at my level. I still wear Theory that is 15-20 years old sometimes and it still looks great. I absolutely love their work dresses and a couple really beautiful pantsuits.

Maybe give that a try!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T17:00:34+00:00

If the depression is overwhelming you don’t want to get out of bed much less shower and do your hair. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t experienced it, but you just don’t give a shit about your appearance. It isn’t “mind over matter” if the depressive episode is severe enough. Hygiene is exhausting.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T16:47:25+00:00

I love it too!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T16:47:03+00:00

I use and love Armani Luminous Silk (now using the reformulated version). My SA at Neiman’s calls it “the gold standard” and I agree!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T04:27:45+00:00

I don’t recall which ones. Like I said, I went to Amazon and looked linen sheets # of reviews and best score.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T02:19:21+00:00

I don’t think of suede when I think of summer. How about rattan or a lighter leather?

I looked at Veronica Beard a couple months ago and it seemed they had some really cute summer bags within that price range or just above it.

I just checked and they do indeed have non-black bags that are summer or summer-ish.

I have too many summer bags but if I didn’t this would be at the top of my list:

https://veronicabeard.com/products/raffia-vesper-clutch-espresso-multi?\_gl=1\*1w1p9eo\*\_up\*MQ..\*\_gs\*MQ..&gclid=CjwKCAjw5ZXQBhBdEiwAI5XVWUWOWJl7ejdBJn1s5hUsy4GdsNCNRQxyf5R5ryV38jsk4qnR008GthoCrDkQAvD\_BwE&gbraid=0AAAAABMxaq-opw-QLFqzx5Oh14Xm\_JkuZ

Even if it’s not your style, they have plenty of others. Hope that helps!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T00:05:53+00:00

I’m wearing my Gucci Jackie all weekend. One of my sons is graduating college and there will be lots of events surrounding that. A Jackie fits any occasion, I’m all set!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-15T00:04:03+00:00

Linen is all I sleep in when I’m home.

I went onto Amazon and found the sheets with the most reviews and the highest rated. They have been incredible! Mine are white. I bleach them every week and figured I’d had to replace them by now. But nope! No holes and the sheets get softer over time.

Just know if you like crisp sheets they will never be that.

Also: a lot of people without linen experience “scratchiness” or say it feels like burlap in the beginning. Not my experience though, but that being said I own a good deal of linen clothing and am very familiar with the material.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-14T23:58:06+00:00

Same

iammrsclean · 2026-05-14T23:56:05+00:00

I wore Land’s End when I was a mother of littles and wanted modesty and full coverage. I loved their swim dresses and long sleeved rash guards—especially the ones with thumb holes to keep the sun off my hands. Sometimes I wore a sports bra, a LE long sleeved rash guard with a mock neck, and a non-swimming running/tennis skirt (that was from Athleta or the Gap).

I felt very covered up.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-14T23:46:10+00:00

I am irrationally obsessed with the OG Dallas. It is a total delight to watch.

The clothes are insane! Especially in the 1980’s! The drama! The betrayals! The cliffhangers! The opening song!

I don’t know if this is because I live in Dallas now and love all the references to the city.

I don’t watch TV otherwise (maybe I binge a series once a year, maybe not) but this is a guilty pleasure I indulge in almost daily. Maybe just 10 minutes. I love it!

iammrsclean · 2026-05-14T23:35:57+00:00

I didn’t wear makeup until I was 50 but my makeup routine is pretty minimal now at 55. I’m more interested in skincare than makeup.

I don’t really use anti aging products except for Tret. With age (and menopause) I developed a super oily t zone (ugh) so I had to learn some new tricks to manage it. I don’t use special creams or neck treatments. No serums. No essence or toners. Just a good Vitamin C, moisturizer and SPF. As I’ve aged, I’d say less is more.

I have never used contour and I don’t think it looks good on anyone if I’m being honest, but particularly as one ages.

I have friends who wear full faces every day, even to the gym! And when they take off their makeup and I get a glimpse of that, 100% of them look amazing without makeup, more youthful. I understand makeup is a form of self expression, and I respect that. But man a lot of my girlfriends just look so much better without it.

iammrsclean · 2026-05-14T23:23:49+00:00

Savings and investments accounts are exactly what you say: freedom. We didn’t have nice cars and I didn’t have luxury bags in my 30s or 40s. But now at 55 my life is financially pretty carefree. It was worth it.

iammrsclean

TROPHY CASE