Hey Tret Girls (and Boys),
If you spend time on r/tretinoin, you’ll notice a pattern. People post 6-8 step routines asking why they’re still peeling. Toner, essence, serum, moisturizer, sandwich method, slugging and waking up flaky anyway.
The issue usually isn’t the products themselves. It’s the number of them.
What tretinoin actually does to your skin
Tretinoin creates three specific problems, not just “dryness”:
- Microabrasions – Rapid cell turnover causes tiny cracks in your skin barrier.
- Inflammation – New skin cells are reactive, which leads to redness and stinging.
- Transepidermal water loss – A compromised barrier can’t hold moisture. Water evaporates overnight, even if you moisturized.
You need three targeted steps to solve three problems. Most people are using seven steps to solve one problem: “my skin feels dry.”
Why long routines backfire on tret
1. Pilling
Layering too many products causes them to roll off instead of absorbing. If a moisturizer balls up when you rub it on the back of your hand, it’s doing the same on your face. It’s disrupting your barrier, not repairing it. This is why “nothing sinks in” is a common complaint after month 2 on tret.
2. Irritation stacking
Even “hydrating” toners and serums contain actives, niacinamide, peptides, plant extracts. On healthy skin they’re fine. On raw, tret-exfoliated skin, you’re stacking 4-5 mild irritants at once. That’s why skin often looks worse at month 4 than month 1.
3. No real seal
Six water-based hydrating layers won’t stop water loss if your last step isn’t occlusive. Creams are 60-80% water. On compromised skin, that water evaporates. You wake up tight because nothing physically locked moisture in.
The 3-step routine that actually works
Based on “what finally stopped my flaking” posts
Step 1: Cleanse
Wash face. Important: If damp skin stings you, wait until fully dry. Damp skin increases tret penetration = more irritation for sensitive skin. If you’re fine with damp, one watery humectant layer is optional. Otherwise, skip it.
Step 2: Tretinoin
Pea-size. Avoid mouth/eyes until your barrier is strong. Wait 20 min before next step, this stops pilling.
Step 3: Seal + Treat
This replaces your second moisturizer and slugging layer. You need an anhydrous balm, no water, with 40% zinc oxide to calm inflammation, colloidal oatmeal to reduce redness, and shea butter to seal. This is exactly what Formula 32 is created to do. Press it on, don’t rub. Lotions pill or vanish. If your night product pills on your hand, it’s messing with your barrier.
Signs your routine is too long
- Products pill or roll when you layer them
- You’re buying a new moisturizer every 2 weeks to “chase the flake”
- Your skin was calmer in month 1 than month 4
The fix isn’t another serum. It’s fewer layers and a stronger seal.