Stieva-A Forte Tretinoin Cream

Tretinoin was one of those medicines prescribed to me by my last dermatologist, and I see why. It really helps clear my skin and reduce future breakouts. However, I sometimes hated applying it on my face because it would sting and irritate my skin. During those days, I'd skip on it until my skin recovers, but in a lot of instances, I'd end up discontinuing it for fear of experiencing the pain all over again. I'd later on regret discontinuing it though as acnes reappear on my face so I'd restart on it, hate it again, hate myself for hating it, and so on. It's a vicious cycle.

Since I've vowed never to visit any dermatologist this year, I needed to find alternatives to the medicines I used to get from my previous doctor. Tretinoin was one of the medicines I decided to keep in my skin care regimen, and fortunately, companies like Stiefel make tretinoin creams available in local drugstores.

I buy my Stieva-A (by Stiefel) from Mercury Drug at PHP 555. I only get the 1mg/g (0.01%) as that was the dosage my last doctor would prescribe to me. Surprisingly, despite using the same dosage, Stieva-A neither stings nor irritates my skin unlike my doctor's own concoction. Now, it's painless to use tretinoin on my face everyday. The cream also glides easily and vanishes quickly.

As a keratolytic, Stieva-A is an effective treatment for acne that involves overgrowth of skin. It softens the skin and makes other skin care products effective, promoting healthier and younger looking skin. In fact, I use this together with VMV Re-everything Cream that has 5% glycolic acid, and they do an incredible job keeping my skin smooth, supple and blemish-free.

My last dermatologist would prescribe tretinoin cream at 0.01% and glycolic acid cream at 5% to me. However, I have read conflicting views about this prescription. Dr. Bailey says its perfectly fine to use both products at the same time as they are very effective against sun damage and aging of the skin. On the other hand, Dr. Schultz argues that an unfavorable chemical reaction takes place when Alpha Hydroxy Acids (ie. glycolic acid) and Beta Hydroxy Acids (ie. salicylic acid) weaken tretinoin's molecular make-up. He therefore suggests to at least use one product in the morning and the other at night. Dr. Bailey admits though that "only people with really tolerant skin can combine tretinoin and glycolic acid therapy" so I guess it really depends on your skin type. Thus, It is definitely better to ask your dermatologist first about it.

One word of caution though is to avoid sun exposure after using it; therefore, I only use it at night. Also, avoid excessive application and contact with eyes, mouth, mucous membranes and folds of the nose. If pregnant, skip this product altogether. Please take note of the ingredients of your other beauty products as well and check whether they can work harmoniously with tretinoin. Finally, one useful tip from my dermatologist is to use tretinoin at least 1 week before you have your facial treatment as it helps loosen up the skin, making it easier to pop out those zits.