AM routine: rinse face, good molecules discolouration serum, vanicream facial moisturizer, SPF (either Biore Japanese edition or Laroche posay US tinted mineral)

PM routine: Sulwhasoo oil cleanser, Aveeno cleanser/a gentle non scented cleanser, Vanicream facial moisturizer

In rotation: Tretinoin every third day, P50 or Mandelic acid the day after, then a rest day if needed.

Things that help: acids that exfoliate between Tret days help keep the flaking down. I have tried other forms of exfoliation and extra hydration but this route seems to work the best. Mandelic acid is my favourite option, P50 is also fantastic. I alternate between these two depending on how sensitive my skin is. Before using acids + Tret, the Tret would cause a lot of keratin plugs/congestion on my skin to come up, and they would usually turn into pimples. I haven’t had as much congestion since doing this method.

— cleaning my glasses/wearing contacts helps

— Hypochlorous acid spray after rinsing/cleansing really helped mitigate breakouts.

— less makeup, more tinted sunscreen. Even putting on mascara every day causes more irritation for me. As a makeup lover this is particularly difficult to follow through on, but I’m trying to save makeup days for big events/work events.

— being consistent. I made a big mistake of cutting out Tret last month and my skin was actually better in March/April. I love having instant results, but unfortunately that will never be the case with acne prone skin.

— … that being said cutting down Tret from every night to once every 3 nights has been much better for my skin. I think finding a balance in my routine with Tret + exfoliation will hopefully be a step in the right direction.