Retinol for Fungal Acne

I had "fungal acne" for 2 years before knowing what it was and how to treat it.  Last year, I shared my experiences in 2 parts: Fungal Acne Skin and Fungal Acne Products. It's been over a year since and I still use some of the products! I decided to look into retinol because I'm in my late 20's now. I wanted to see if that would help with FA too.

I no longer get bad breakouts especially on my neck, back, or chest. I can't completely avoid that because it thrives off the humidity and sweat.

Differin

I used it every 3 days for the first month. I wet my skin, applied Hada Labo premium lotion and Cerave Healing ointment to the thin areas (corner of eyes, sides of nostrils, and corners of lips). I applied Differin immediately on top. I would apply moisturizer either the same lotion or Hada Labo Gel cream plus a light layer of Cerave healing ointment over it before bed.

I was shocked at how well behaved my skin became. There was a small purge for me but it was nothing terrible. My skin was tolerating it fine. No dry patches or peeling. I eventually stopped applying the extra moisturizers afterward. I still use a buffer before applying it.


Differin Purging

I noticed a difference with texture as soon as 2 weeks. Very soft, smooth, and glowing. Scars were fading faster than usual. I never kept up a skincare routine before. It made me realize how dull and dry my skin was.


Differin results at 2 weeks

Like I mentioned earlier, my skin was tolerating this very well and I started using it every 2 days. I've heard many stories on Reddit about the dryness and peeling.  I eventually stumbled upon Tretinoin. I was interested in trying something for anti-aging purposes. So... I'm actually using both right now. Tretinon at 0.025%
This is really strong so the routine is different. I wet my skin, use my Hada Labo Premium Lotion and Cerve Healing Ointment on the thin areas. I let this dry completely in about 30 minutes. I apply a very small amount of Tret then wait 30 minutes up to an hour before applying my layers of moisturizers. It really depends if I'm going to bed soon. You can't skip the moisturizers at the end. I've accidentally used a little more than a pea-size amount and became a peeling lizard for 1-2 days.

Clear skin who dis

I've been using retinol for almost 4 months now. 5-6 weeks were just Differin then the rest have been Differin and Tret. I split it up across the week. At least one day in between each application. I do Differin, Tret then back to Differin.

It's obviously not a cure but my skin has become a lot more manageable. I'm careful with the products I use on my skin now. I have more clear skin days than anything else. I still get breakouts occasionally because of the humidity/sweat issue but one application of retinol takes care of it.

Before & After