Shereene IdrissBoard Certified Derm, Founder and Chief Nerd

Tretinoin Peel / Retinol Purge #shorts

17 Dec 2024 · 1 min

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This content was created by Shereene Idriss. This content was uploaded by Shereene Idriss. This is a YouTube short titled "Tretinoin Peel / Retinol Purge #shorts" (created 2024-12-17) consisting of a single-speaker English skincare advice clip. The speaker gives step-by-step guidance for treating flaking from retinol or tretinoin: immediately stop the retinoid until the skin is clear (often 1–2 weeks or longer), use a zinc-oxide diaper-rash-style cream to calm inflammation, simplify the routine to gentle cleansing and sun protection, and avoid other actives and exfoliation while the barrier recovers.

Chapters

If your skin is flaking from overusing a retinol or a tretinoin, this is how you deal with the flake. Number one, we drop the retinol like it's hot. Because too much is too much. And too much of a good thing is never a good thing. And do not dare reintroduce it until your face is clear. Whether that takes a day, a week, a month, I do not care. I want your face clear and calm and quiet for at least one to two weeks before you reintroduce. And how do you get your skin calm and clear and happy? By using a diaper rash cream. I am being dead serious because it has zinc oxide. Zinc oxide alone anti inflammatory. That's going to calm any inflammation or irritation. So by just treating your face like you would treat a baby's butt, your face will get happier and your skin will not be as irritated. And number three, take a break from your skincare routine. You heard me. Just focus on restoring your skin barrier, washing your face and protecting it from the sun. But do not use any other actives and definitely do not exfoliate. And it's okay. Your face is not going to melt and you're not going to look like a shriveled old prune after one to two weeks.