"Is there any way to add hydration without compromising the efficacy of tretinoin treatment"

"My skin is very dry, especially going into winter. I love the results from my Dermatica tretinoin cream but my skin does feel a bit dry I am following the process as recommended…waiting for skin to dry after cleansing and then waiting at least 30 minutes until applying moisturiser on top. Is there any way to add hydration without compromising the efficacy of tretinoin treatment?"


Right so you don’t need to wait 30 minutes – I actually tell my patients a few minutes is fine (and that’s what I do myself!).

If you are getting very dry, then it’s totally fine to put your moisturiser or a HA serum if that’s what you like to use.

Clinical trials have shown that this does not alter the efficacy of the tretinoin so just go for it.

Recently I have been having great results with injectable moisturisers like Profhilo or Juvederm Volite – these are hyaluronic acid ‘fillers’ injected into the deep dermis of the skin in microinjections and moisturise the skin from the inside out.

I have used them on patients and on myself and they actually do what they say they do!

I only use moisturiser rarely anyway but since using these treatments I actually don’t need moisturiser at all – even with my Dermatica topical retinoid.

These treatments are expensive and can be painful (it’s a needle after all!) but the results should last for 9-12 months so it’s something to consider if you are finding your skin is very dry in the winter.