Hey Tret Girls (and boys),
Month 2 on tretinoin, my face looked like a snow globe. Everyone said “just buffer” or “use more moisturizer.” I tried it. Still flaked.
Step 1: Cleanse + wait
Gentle cleanser. Then I wait 20–30 minutes.
Why: Applying tret to damp skin increased irritation for me. Dry skin = more control.
Step 2: Tretinoin, pea-size
I use prescription tret. I avoid my perioral triangle (I’ll apply there only if my barrier feels strong and I think it’s necessary for me) and eyes.
Why: Those areas are thinnest for me and always got irritated first.
Step 3: Wait again
Another 20 minutes.
Why: I found that letting tret absorb before my next step reduced pilling.
Step 4: Press in a melt-in balm
This was the game changer for me. Regular lotions would pill or disappear in an hour.
I needed something that:
- Didn’t pill when I applied it
- Calmed visible redness for me. A mild tingle for 30–60 seconds on very sensitized skin can be normal and usually settles as your barrier recovers.
- Sealed everything in overnight
After months of mixing DIY balms in my kitchen, I landed on zinc oxide + colloidal oatmeal + shea butter. That combo finally stopped the next-day flakes for me.
I couldn’t find that exact mix in stores. So I worked with a cosmetic chemist to turn it into a properly tested, stable formula. That’s how Formula 32 was born.
What I noticed after switching to this routine
- Less morning flakes → My pillow stopped looking like a snowstorm
- No stinging → The balm didn’t burn when my skin was sensitized
- Could stay consistent → Because I wasn’t flaking, I actually used tret 3x/week instead of quitting every 2 weeks
How to test if this could help you
- The Pill Test: Rub your current night product on the back of your hand. If it balls up, it might be disrupting your barrier when you apply tret.
- The Morning Check: If you wake up tight or flaky 2 hours after moisturizing, your seal might not be strong enough.
- The Ingredient Check: For my skin, zinc + oat + shea was the combo that calmed + sealed. Yours might love other ingredients.
Disclaimer: I’m not a dermatologist. I’m a founder who had really irritated skin. This is personal experience, not medical advice. Patch test everything. Speak to your doctor before starting or changing a retinoid routine.