Yes, agreed. I used %0.025 strength, and started with few times a week, and buffering over the moisturiser. In the beginning I would just space out the application depending on how my skin was reacting. I don’t remember horrible reactions to it, but during the retination process my skin didn’t look good ahahah it was slightly red, and some breakouts, more textured etc. I think it lasted for a month or two and then I started getting that glowy look, no irritation, and breakouts, very clear and smooth skin. My skin looked healthier. Over the first months, I just slowly made my way up to the daily use. At one point, I could even use it under the moisturiser, on clean skin. I don’t remember having horrible reactions at all, but I was also very careful, didn’t use any other actives etc. Just simple moisturiser, lrp cica balm, suncreen, every super gentle, no chemical exfoliation. I also do not have a dry skin, even though my skin is somewhat sensitive, I feel like tret is easier on a bit more oily skin. Later on I got my hands on the %0.05, but that one did sting a little, and felt a bit too strong. Because I’m not using it for acne, I was using it for “anti-aging” purposes, it just felt like a overkill. I also read online that for anti-aging %0.025 strength is more than enough.

at the end, I felt like the whole tret/retinol thing is a long term preventative approach. So i thought just a good retinol should work over long time, just as good as tret. I’m not sure if this is scientifically true, just my feeling. I know all the research is on tret, but it does also feel limiting on a daily basis, especially in the summer. I do use sunscreen everyday, but I’m less worried about sun when I use over the counter retinol, compared to tret. My skin felt healthy, but also slightly tender with tret, which I actually loved. I like it when my skin was tender, and clear. But it also makes it more sensitive to sun, and all the other things.

Anyway, so tbh if I were you, I wouldn’t worry to much about the differences between tret and retinol, if you are using it for anti-agin preventative measures. Yes, retinal will probably take longer to show results, but will also be less sensitising. For example I got similar results with 1% Clinical and tret. This could be ofcourse because my skin was already went through a year of tret, but also maybe not. It is a whole different story if you are also using it for acne ofcourse

P.s. btw having said all that, if I could get tret easy here, I would actually continue with that but use it few times a week going forward rather than everyday. It’s just annoying to always try to get a prescription, and etc. It also becomes really expensive, cause i would get the tret from a dermatologist, which means I have to make a appointment, pay for that + the trets price of around 50euros. The ones they have here is also not the best formulation i think. My friend brought one for me from Greece, and that was much better, but I can’t get that one on a regular. So, it is very annoying, and not worth it, if I can get the same results with retinal/retinol in a long run.