Beauty

[bunk]

I've been using PTR retinol PM and need to step it up a little. Anyone know if there is any stronger retinol products out there, NCN or other brands, or other type of product My insurance won't over Retina-A products for someone of my, ahem, advanced age!! Thanks for any recommendations

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Mad Hippie has a new Vitamin A Serum that's getting some good feedback. You can read the description on madhippie dot com

I prefer the real thing. My insurance won't cover Retin-A either, but someone here shared a coupon site called GoodRx and I was able to get my prescription Tretinoin at CVS at a substantial savings. They processed the coupon without question and it was very simple. I ended up with a large tube (45 grams, I think) of 0.1% Tretinoin for $65. There's so much in the tube, and I only use it 3-4 times a week (just a pea size), that it will last a very long time. I bought mine 2 months ago and it hardly looks like very much is gone. Balance that against a Retinol serum or cream that gets used daily and replaced more often and you could actually be money ahead with the prescription Retin-A.

[bunk]

Does that site give you a prescription or did your doctor? my derm. won't give me a prescription because he said it isn't covered. He told me to just use Neutrogena face wash which is ridiculous. Thanks.

[w84WEN]

In my opinion, all things considered, go with the real deal. Just as JeanLouiseFinch stated, you can get a tube of 1% for around $65 with GoodRx. I was told by my doc that otc products just do not have the medical grade to substantiate the results we are looking for. And let's be honest, these otc are not cheap either.

Bunk, I don't understand why your derm won't give you the rx just because it isn't covered. I mean, unless he is paying for it, it shouldn't matter to him how you intend to pay for it. Sorry for the rant... my sister had the same issue with her derm only he said he couldn't prescribe it. That was a real head-scratcher for me. If a skin doc can't prescribe... who can?

[JeanLouiseFinch]

On 1/6/2015 bunk said:

Does that site give you a prescription or did your doctor? my derm. won't give me a prescription because he said it isn't covered. He told me to just use Neutrogena face wash which is ridiculous. Thanks.

No, the site doesn't give a prescription, it only gives the coupon. A doctor needs to write the prescription. I don't understand why your derm won't give you the prescription. It's none of his business if it's a covered expense or not. It's your decision, if you want to pay out-of-pocket, or not.

There are some online options where you can buy prescription RetinA without a doctor's prescription, some sellers are here in the USA and others are in India and Canada. I'm pretty sure the US sellers buy in quantity out of the country and resell. Some members here avail themselves of that option.

[ECBG]

I had been on Retin A for years because of so many injections for cystic acne. The derm took me off of Retin A at age 60 saying that it deteriated the fat pads under the skin or something similar. You might ask the nurses here. I went to Strivectin.

[NickNack]

On 1/6/2015 bunk said:

Does that site give you a prescription or did your doctor? my derm. won't give me a prescription because he said it isn't covered. He told me to just use Neutrogena face wash which is ridiculous. Thanks.

You need to go to a derm that specializes in skin care. Go to one that gives Botox and fillers. They will be more familiar with Retin A (although any dermatologist really should be) and will prescribe it for you. I've never heard of a derm refusing to prescribe Retin A. Like others have said, it's none of his business how you're going to pay for it.

[magemay]

If you want to try something that appears to be as close to tretinoin as you can get without an rx, do some research on Retinyl Retinoate that's in Mad Hippies Vitamin A serum.

I'm on my 2nd bottle and have had no irritation. It's a silky feeling formula that dries down to a nice smooth finish, no tackiness or stickiness. A 1 oz bottle lasts me about 2 months, using nightly. It's new to the market (Oct) and is now available at iherb for under $27 w/free shipping.

I've read the studies about RR that are available and was impressed. The only reason that I've never used rx Retin A is that I don't care for the base ingredients. I prefer the ingredients in the MH serum, so it's a good fit for me.

Here's some info from the MH website:

http://www.madhippie.com/blog/?p=880

The studies are available and can be easily found by doing a google search.

[UMDTerpFan]

Tara Skincare tarasc.com sells Retin-A tretinoin at .025% and .050% without a prescription. It runs around $29. You can also buy Skinceuticals 1% retinol for about $44.00 on ebay. This is some strong stuff so I would use it every other day. You could work up to daily on the .025% and .050% retin-A at Tara Skincare (look under the acne tab for both dosages). Paula's Choice also sells a retinol product. Another option is Perricone's High Potency Evening Repair. Both Perricone & NCN claim their product carries the highest dosage without a prescription but I think it is hard to compare. Perhaps some other experts & users of other brands will be able to give more information.

[MrsSweetieBear]

I just received my Retin-A order from the butterflykisses blog person who does a monthly group order. I got 5 tubes (20g 0.025 Retin-A cream) for $30 something which included shipping. This is the second time I've ordered through her.