Michelle: "Guys, STOP bullying hyaluronic acid 😡😡😡 they are a good little active ingredient and they're trying their best and I am proud of them 😡😡😡😡"

I have been using 0.25% tretinoin since my early 20’s. Originally it was for PCOS-caused acne. It sorted out the lesions and clogging pretty damn quick and I stuck with it - AND sunscreen of course. I’m in my 50’s now and apart from my pregnancies, I have used it every day. My complexion is much firmer and clearer than most women my age and basically, they’re going to have to tear it from my cold, dead claws when I’m dead.

This has nothing to do with skincare, but your crochet top is just.... chef's kiss

Ma’am I’ve been SCOURING Reddit for this information - specifically around the compound formulas. This video is everything and more thank you SO much

watching this with a prescribed tretinoin cream on my fingers waiting to hear if i should put it on my face or not

I live in a place where 0.025% tret is over-the-counter and my skin is very tolerant to It... Using Tretinoin this past year has been great for the appearance and health of my skin. Never dealt with problems related to irritation... And my acne is 99% gone 😺

I’ve been using prescription Tretinoin since I was 27 years old and I’m 58 now. Over the first couple of years  of using it I worked my way up from .25 to 1%. I think it has made an enormous difference to how I have aged. Of course, I also try to keep my face out of the sun, use sunscreen, always take my makeup off thoroughly in the evening, moisturize, and sleep on a silk pillowcase. My tube of $70 Tretinoin last for months sometimes compared to cosmetic creams that cost way more, financially if your skin can take the Tretinoin IMHO it’s the way to go!  Really enjoyed the video!

you are one of my favorite creators. translating this scientific information into easily understood content is no small feat and you seem to do it effortlessly.

"It's a bit like hazing, but for molecules."

Genuinely laughed out loud at that one. Love your work Michelle.

how am I supposed to focus on the topic of video with this georgous crochet work fighting for my attention, it's just too good

I switched from a compounded tretinoin from Curology to a generic prescription tretinoin cream. There definitely is a difference. My dark spots are fading quicker with the generic tretinoin cream, even without the added tranexamic acid and niacinamide that was contained in the compounded formula from  Curology.

Ive been using Tretinoin .1 for 20 years for melasma. It is the most precious possession of mine.

I have really sensitive skin, so it was hard to find an acne solution that worked for me. Tretinoin was surprisingly much more tolerable and effective for me than Duac and BHAs.

Ive been using 0.05 Retrieve for 2.5 years now and at 55 yo i'l never be without it - I have a very even skin tone and often get comments about it.

I started with tretinoin at the age of 16 due to acne. After 5 years I took a break but then returned to tretinoin until  I was about 30 when I used oral  isotretinoin for 10 months. After my acne was done I had read so much about retinoids that I chose to use them as anti aging. I tried different types of retinoids but went back to using  prescription tretinoin five times a week, just a pea size and I moisturise to high heaven. You are absolutely right, the package is extremely important, I store them in the right temperature and follow the instructions on the package. I am 49 and I look like a porcelain doll. Of course SPS 50+ at least 2-3 daily.
I am no doctor but i have been reading about retinoids for 30 years and I know you are giving the best and most relevant information. Michelle you are an SPF angel sent to us. Thank you.

I LOVE hyaluronic acid, and I say this as someone in my late 30s with acne-prone, oily skin who is VERY picky with my moisturizers because everything seems to either make me greasy or break me out. I also LOVE Tretinoin. Both are a must in my very basic skincare routine. In the evening, I cleanse my face with a gentle 2% AHA face wash, then I apply pure Hyaluronic acid serum on damp skin (even around my eyes ), and after that, I apply Tretinoin 0.05% cream (obviously not around my eyes). That’s it. I don’t even use eye cream because I’m prone to milia. If I need extra moisture around my eyes, around my mouth or anywhere else, I use Cetaphil’s lightweight face and body moisturizer for sensitive skin, as the last step, it’s the only budget-friendly yet effective moisturizer that’s worked for me since I was in college. In the morning, I wash my face with water, and the only product I apply is a broad-spectrum SPF30 oil-control sunscreen (Cetaphil or Differin brand). I rarely use make up other than lipstick and pencil eyeliner…full face make-up with concealer, foundation, eyeshadow, mascara and blush are reserved for special occasions, and I make sure to take them off with micellar water before cleansing. It’s been that way for almost a year now and my skin looks fantastic, I rarely break out unless it’s PMS time, and I have even skin tone, my pores look tight, no blackheads, no whiteheads, no fine lines. I only use Tretinoin every other night now. My skin doesn’t tolerate vitamin C, so I make sure to just get plenty of it through my diet. Side-note: cleaning up my diet, daily exercise, drinking enough water, eating plenty of fruits, veges, enough protein and healthy fats, along with completely cutting out sugar and processed fats like vegetable oil has worked wonders as well, both inside and out.

I used Curology's "custom" formula for about 6 months and then switched to the regular tube of tretinion. My Curology formula had 0.035% tretinion, and the regular tube was only 0.025%.  I have to say that my experience made me feel that the tretinoin on its own was more powerful despite being a lower percentage, because I was getting the initial purge and sensitivity all over again when I made the switch! This does explain it, thanks.

Curology also presents a 25g container as a "2 month supply", when my doctor prescribes me a 20g tube of tretinoin as a one month supply...no wonder I always ran out of the Curology formula weeks before I was supposed to despite using the amount recommended! They do this on purpose, surely, because you can request your shipment early. More money for them.

That explains perfectly why my Saint Derm (healed my acne with isotretinoine and supervised the long scar removal process) is so strict when it comes to the treti brand. It' s OTC in my country so he always insists: "IT MUST BE FERRER LABS. MUST MEANS MUST, I KNOW WHAT I' M TALKING ABOUT". I' m gonna share your vid with him so he can nod in peace for 17 mins😉. Thank you for your hard work. Happy Whateveryoucelebrate🧛🏻‍♀️🖤

I am Scandinavian and very pale. I always thought I had a bit sensitive skin but when I started with retinol and then switched to adapalene a few months later,  I never felt any irritation, nor got any redness. I didn't really read much about "and I more or less slapped it on like moisturizer" (avoiding eyes) and then added another layer of moisturizer cocktails from hadalabo and cerva (two of my favourite brands) and at the end sealed it all in with a good layer of vaseline to make it penetrate deeply and went to bed. Still no irritation ever and my skin became 10 years younger within a year. I have now dialed down on the adapalene, mainly because it seems a bit of a waste to use that much, but honestly never had as much as an itch or a red spot.

I have dry eyes and feel scared of worsening my meibomian gland shrinkage with retinols. You should do a video about the best bang for your buck skincare that isn’t retinol based! Thank you!!!