Tazorac

10 Reviews

1. 

   affectedLapwing5

   Reply

   If I had to name ONE product that I thought was most beneficial to my skin, this would be it (for acne and wrinkles/elasticity/aging/texture, etc.). If I use it under my eyes, I can see a dramatic improvement in the wrinkles/tightness, and it makes my skin look SO MUCH BETTER, in every way. Unfortunately, despite the miracle it works under my eyes, I am going to stop using it so close to my eyeball, since I think it is drying out my lid glands and causing my dry eye to get worse. If I use it around the crows feet, it is fine. However, I had been using it close to my lashes, and my skin there was looking GREAT–but my eyeballs were totally dried out, which I don’t need, since I already have issues from the dry Colorado climate. I just ordered Renova and I am hopeful I can put it close to my eyeball, with no ill effects. I will continue to use Tazorac on the rest of my face, since Retin A has always broken me out, for some reason. Tazorac works miracles on my acne and does not break me out. EVER. Indeed, due to my growing suspicion it was drying out my eyes, I skipped ONE night of using it all over my face (should have just skipped near my eyeballs), and I broke out in a huge cluster of cysts on my chin. I have been keeping my hormonal chin acne under control through S5, clindamycin, and Tazorac. Skipping the Tazorac seemed to spell trouble.

   I use the .05%, which does not come in generic form, and that is frustrating. The US brand version is over $400 and my insurance does not cover it for women over age 30. Apparently, women over 30 don’t get acne. Please tell that to my chin. I will actually pay $400 for it, since I love it that much. However, I have been paying only around $100, since I order it online from a Canadian drug mart. You do need a prescription and have to wait a few weeks for it to arrive, but it is worth it, since I save hundreds of dollars.

   In any case, I LOVE Tazorac and worship it. It is the best skin care product I’ve ever used.

2. 

   needyEland4

   Reply

   Oh Tazorac, how I love thee!
   You have made my skin so very per-ty.
   My hubby’s so proud.
   Pores no longer so loud.
   Oh Tazorac, my skin is now free!
   Of bumps and boops
   And pimply soups
   Oh Tazorac, ain’t life a glee!

   – Brought to you by a satisfied user of Tazorac .1%!

3. 

   aloofBoa9

   Reply

   Update(03/06/2020): Ladies and Gents, I believe I’ve cracked the code to using this with minimal irritation and it goes against everything you’ve heard or read about using retinoids. Apply it on your damp face. Yup, that’s it. Hear me out. Life happened and like the idiot that I am I stopped Taz for a year and just decided to get back into it. Of course I looked like I was molting the first week. Then one day I said **** it and applied it to my damp face and immediately sealed it with Vaseline. It’s been incredible, doing this everyday now I continue to wake up with minimal irritaton and peeling. I peel slightly around my mouth, but nothing some light scrubbing with your fingers when you shower can’t get off.

   Original review: Who knew after spending so much money on moisturizers, toners, masks, oils, serums, etc., that this rather plain looking tube would contain a product worth its weight in gold? I’m kidding. Or am I?

   I started breaking out one day when I was 21 and it never really stopped. Like any normal, rational person I attacked my face with a shit ton of products trying to get rid of the cystic acne and the marks left over. First, OTC; then, prescription. I’ll try to recount everything I tried for the last 7 years. Benzoyl Peroxide, Salicylic acid, Glycolic acid, Mandelic acid, Clindamycin, Acanya, Finacea, Aczone, Retin A, Neem oil,Turmeric, Oral antibiotics, Spearmint tea, Apple Cider Vinegar, Honey, Zinc cream, Sulfur ointment, African Black soap, tea tree oil, lavender oil, Oatmeal, drinking lots of water and green tea, Supplements(Vitamin A, VItamin D, Zinc, fish oil, green tea, trace minerals, ginger, turmeric,brewer’s yeast). I’m not saying these things did nothing, but they really didn’t do enough. My hopes would go up when I would be clear for a week only for it to be dashed again and again. I also have to mention that I have very dry skin. Imagine what piling on all these products for years did to my skin texture. It was parched, scaly, crepey and bumpy. I hated going out in natural daylight because I felt like all my skin issues would look magnified even with foundation and concealer on. I hated how my skin looked without makeup on, but I also hated how my skin looked with makeup on but maybe a tiny bit less so. I was so self conscious when anyone got close to my face. I was self-conscious whenever my housemates saw me without makeup (Yes, I always took my makeup off before bed). Basically, it was a constant battle with my skin.

   So I got many prescription products when I was on a trip,Tazorac 0.05 gel was one of them. It sat unopened for a long time because I had to go to Uni every day and I didn’t want to be peeling my face off in class. After my classes got over, I had a few months where I had to write my dissertation which meant I could be home for a few months. I took this opportunity and jumped in full speed. I started using the gel every single night. No buffering, nothing. I wanted it to be as close to my skin as possible. When people say they look like a lizard initially, they weren’t joking. I peeled and peeled like there was no tomorrow. It was disgusting and oddly satisfying though. The first week or so I didn’t moisturize at all because I didn’t want to dilute the gel. My skin was dry, tight, peely and wrinkly. I swear I looked like I was 70. But then I realized I’m probably going to fuck up my moisture barrier and wised up. I instead started using La Roche Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 and Aquaphor on top of tazorac, but only after a couple of hours. I still peeled, but I felt like my skin was healing really well and quite fast with Cicaplast (which is actually used for post peel, post laser skin recovery) and aquaphor was preventing moisture loss. But let me tell you, even with these there were days I had so many wrinkles that I was afraid I’d permanently damaged my face. But I powered through. I also purged in waves a few times. Break out for a few days, clear for a while, break out again, clear for a while, so on. But all the breakouts healed really quickly and I was goddamn proud of myself for not trying to pop anything. None of them left any scars. I don’t know if it helped, but I also didn’t wear any makeup during this time since I was basically holed up in my apartment. I think it did help because I didn’t have to exfoliate every morning to get the flakes off before I put on makeup. In fact I stopped exfoliating all together. I sometimes used my Foreo Luna, but otherwise whatever flakes that did come off were only those I gently rubbed with my fingers in the shower.

   Okay, now the results. I don’t want to sound conceited, but I was in the supermarket the other day and I caught a reflection of myself in one of those mirrors under the harsh fluorescent lights and I was GLOWING. Never in my life have I ever glowed except under the right lighting and good makeup. My skin was clear, even and smooth. My acne scars were pretty much non existent. I didn’t have a single pimple. I still get one once in a while, but it’s never cystic and goes away very quickly. I also put Taz right up until my lashline since my dry under eyes are a huge concern of mine. Concealers always looked cakey, crepey and always creased. Though my eye serum (Verso) had helped, Taz took it to a whole other level. My under eyes now look smooth and I can see the fine lines which were starting to form disappear. And when I wear foundation now, it goes on like a dream. It sits very well and is almost undetectable. I’ve developed this weird habit of looking at my skin super close to marvel how I cannot see foundation sitting on top of my skin anymore.

   I know many people won’t get the opportunity as I did to jump in to using this everyday and not look like a molting snake for a while. But if you do, definitely consider it.

4. 

   eagerBurritos8

   Reply

   I have had persistent, painful, cystic acne for 6 and a half years now, I couldn’t even remember a time when I’d had clear skin. To give you a little info on me – I am very fair, have combination skin, scar very easily (and had LOTS of acne scars) and I am very sensitive. I have tried just about every treatment I could think of – subscriptions like Proactiv, X-Out & Devonne By Demi (which is not a bad product, it’s good for daily skincare just not for treating acne) and OTC products such as AcneFree, Burt’s Bees, The yes-to line (?), Clean & Clear, Neutrogena, and just about any brand you can try. I used light therapy masks and ones for spot treatment, I used just about every Pinterest DIY face mask and treatment, lush skincare, and prescription treatments such as Clyndamyacin, Adapalene, and Minocycline (paired with 10% benzoyl peroxide washes) over the years. I also used essential oils with little results. I even started birth control hoping for a fix. I wasn’t able to get an appointment with my new derm for 3 months so I turned to my doctor and asked her to prescribe me Tazorac 0.1% gel because I had used samples of it before with good results. My life changed forever. The first month was horrendous. My face turned red, it burned, it peeled, and new acne was popping up. Several times I considered completely stopping this because I was having to slather my face in neosporin cream to help take some pain and tightness away and it peeled terribly. That would’ve probably been the biggest mistake of my life, because I am about a month and a half in with amazing results I couldn’t have dreamed of. I rarely break out and, when I do, this stuff clears it up immediately. My bad scarring from years is almost gone and my skin is only very faintly red, hardly noticeable. I still get light peeling on my jawline but nothing noticeable or bothersome. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EXFOLIATE WHILE ADJUSTING TO THIS. My doctor didn’t know much of the medicine and didn’t tell me to use it in stages to build up tolerance, which I highly recommend as you will avoid many of my side effects. I cleanse with Cerave hydrating cleanser, use lush tea tree water for a toner, and apply a blend of rosehip and vitamin E twice a day, applying Tazorac over those layers at night (as suggested on their website) I could not be happier with my results and encourage you to give this a try like I did, it may change your life. I used to slather on layer after layer of foundation to cover my face. Now I am confident and can go out without makeup and get compliments on my skin. The initial hell you go through is SO worth it. I suggest avoiding all foundation, and be sure to use a non-comedogenic sunscreen daily. Treat your skin as nicely and as gentle as possible, let the medication do its work and don’t combine treatments unless instructed. If you’re considering trying this, please do it. If you’re reading this because you’re experiencing my side effects, I encourage you to contact your doctor to ensure they’re normal and then keep pushing through it. I wish everyone the best of luck! xx

5. 

   stressedFalcon1

   Reply

   Since I was 13 I’ve had cystic acne. I get both hormonal cysts on my jawline and a different type of acne on my cheeks. I’ve tried numerous topical creams in my teenage years and oral antibiotics and birth control to no avail. When I reached my early 20’s I was just very good at concealing my blemishes with makeup. However I heard about this wonderful drug called accutane. I demanded I get it. Six months later I had experienced nearly all the side effects that were possible. I was miserable, but my skin had cleared up and there were no blemishes. A year later they came back but not nearly as bad. About 5 years later I broke out extremely badly. It was the worst breakout I had ever experienced. There were deep painful cysts and a gross collection of something on my cheeks. My dermatologist was wonderful and loaded me up with a collection of samples of tretinoin creams building up in strength. He gave me strict instructions to start with the weakest and use for two weeks before moving to the next strongest. My final prescription was to be the tazorac cream at .1%. It took a couple months but I had clear skin once more. I used it for several years until I couldn’t afford to buy another tube. A few years later my insurance changed and the other tretinoin creams weren’t working, so I am back on it and it’s starting to work it’s magic once more.

   My advice, if you have any broken skin on your face get the cream, not the gel. The gel will burn like crazy. Ask your doctor if you can work your way up to that strength using weaker medications for a few weeks at a time. If not use it less frequently and build your way up. Don’t use a harsh cleanser, think gentle, the tazorac is going to be doing most of the work for you so all you want to do is get the grim off your face, not strip the oils from it. If you get flaky skin get an exfoliant and moisturize like crazy. Consider getting a humidifier for your room too, it helps. And don’t give up on it right away. Most of these creams take weeks to months to see a difference, your skin may even get worse for 4-8 weeks before you see an improvement. Once things calm down your skin will tolerate it better, the flakes will go away and it’ll be amazing.

   Pros:
   Works great
   Anti-Aging qualities

   Cons:
   Price can be high
   Sensitivity to sunlight
   Takes a long time before good results are seen
   Some temporary side effects

6. 

   dopeyLocust7

   Reply

   I’ve had a long, contentious history with Taz. It went from giving me skin that looked like glass to giving me skin that looked like an inflamed orange peel to giving me red face to giving me the ability to finally clear some problem pores (albeit with a red face again).

   In the end, my verdict is that Taz can work well for you if you find the right formulation and frequency and buffer.

   For me, that recipe is still being worked out. Currently, it’s the 0.1% gel used no more than 2x per week, buffered with a cream like Fab ultra repair. But after just 1.5 weeks of use, I noticed today the red face is back. So I will try dropping usage to 1x per week and mix the gel with Vaseline. This stuff is that intense for me. However, it works quickly for me and it’s almost an overnight change to the problem pores, whereas months of using the cream form did little to clear my pores and just irritated my skin.

   Taz gel has been shown to be effective in short contact therapy, which is another method I’ve tried in the past and can definitely say it works. Google it, but basically you put it on and then wash off a couple min later. I might go back to this method if the 1x per week with Vaseline doesn’t reduce my red face look.

   The red face look is part of the reason I first gave up on Taz after about 6 months of use in 2013. At first my skin looked like glass. This was back when i was 32 and did not have adult acne, but was trying to clear some problem pores on my chin. This was also back when i could do anything to my face and it would be fine. This was before coming off birth control. I should have only used the taz on my chin at the time, but my derm told me this stuff was nicknamed “vitamin T” in her office and it would make my face perfect. And for a while it did. My skin was fine to begin with, but this stuff gave me a Tazorac glow that increased the number of people commenting on how nice my skin was. I was using the cream 0.05%.

   But like a young foolish idiot with little retinoid experience, I started using it too much. I was a peeling mess with skin shedding like a snake. Red face ensued. I started damaging my moisture barrier in a huge way and ended up with very large looking pores. It looked like an orange peel. It looked so unhealthy. To anyone out there googling to see how to get rid of that look, please put down the retinoid and be gentle with your skin and moisturize it. My idiot derm gave me the advice to push through and keep peeling and being red faced. What a moron.

   That advice truly did some damage to my skin. And I was not helped by the onset of adult acne when I stopped the pill at age 33. Within a month, I had an acne beard. Not having had acne since high school (had acne ages 9-17, then went on bc pills and accutane), I did the only thing I knew how to do, which was to attack my face with ALL THE THINGS. This did not help the already sad state of my Tazorac abused skin.

   Fast forward to age 35, I’ve had a kid and I’m done breastfeeding. Time to attack the closed comedones that will not go away. Tried the cream in both .05 and .1 for 3 months. Zero improvement. But at least no red face this time. However, it’s summer in the south and the weather is killing me, since I now have product induced Rosacea. I quit again bc I’m scared of damage from taz and the summer sun, and lack of results are not worth it.

   So next up, I started using 30% glycolic peel from MUAC, and also 2% bha liquid from Paula’s Choice. Suddenly, I’m seeing improvement. Like overnight improvement. Those products are great. They also started getting rid of BBL induced hyperpigmentation, which I thought I’d have to live with for the rest of my life. Thank God there is hope for that. Why did I wait so long to try glycolic?? That stuff was the big winner in budging the pigment. Lactic and Mandelic peels for 6 months had not touched it!!!

   A month into using these 2 products, and I’ve still got those problem clogged up pores on both my cheeks and chin. They are better, but definitely not clear yet. I discovered ocm with mineral oil and that was great for getting rid of a bunch of crap lodged in my giant pores. After 4 ocm sessions, I saw big improvement. I also started using the cetaphil daily cleanser, the clear one, not the creamy one. That stuff is amazing.

   But I’ve still got pores that won’t clear. I’ve also got taz gel samples sitting around. I know this stuff can tear me up. But could it also maybe finally clear these pores? I give it a go. After one use, some problem pores go from being under the skin pebbly lumps to being white heads. Never been so happy to see a white head in my life. I do ocm again that night and more stuff dislodges from my pores. I wait a few days and use the gel again. Repeat. And one and a half weeks later, I can honestly say some of these closed comedones are finally clearing. And a few things I thought were sebaceous hyperplasia are gone, which I guess means they were actually closed comedones bc those things don’t respond to anything aside from electrocautery.

   But now my face is red again. I’ve used the gel only 3x. Ugh. Sure, I could try the 0.05% gel and probably will. But for now, I’m going to finish clearing these pores and then try to switch back to AHA/BHA to keep them clear.

   Tldr: taz is effective but it’s a fine line between helping and hurting. You can really mess up your face with it. Buffer it and don’t use it often. A gentle cleanser with neutral pH is a must. Good luck.

7. 

   cynicalRhino5

   Reply

   I want to vigorously shake the hand of whoever invented Tazorac.

   Since all the other reviews explain it well enough, I want to give a warning about it’s efficacy. It WILL burn the hell out of your lip area and various mucous membranes, resulting in dry skin and painful lips for about four days. And that is AMAZING! Thank you, science! Tretinoin provides constant exfoliation and helps PREVENT the blockages that result in acne. I’ve suffered from persistent, non-cystic acne for about five years and Tazorac is the only product that produced real results.

   In the words of my dermatologist, drugstore acne products of salicylic acid/etc are “for tweens.” They are weak. If you have truly problematic acne, skip Walmart. Don’t even look at the aisle. I’ve wasted so much money on weak products. In addition, I tried Epiduo and Atralin beforehand: both slightly cleared existing acne, but kept bringing new ones to head. Enter Tazorac: it effectively nuked my face. And I LOVE it.

8. 

   relievedCaviar4

   Reply

   Overall, this acne cream is amazing. Both my parents had terrible acne and they never got treatment, so they invested in getting me a dermatologist when the first signs of acne started. I started this cream in the 0.05% about two years ago, in sixth grade, but about a year ago, I was bumped up to 0.1% as my acne got worse. The main advice I would give is to NEVER MISS A DAY. Stick to your regimen and never give up on it if your results don’t come quickly. When you first start using it, your skin will probably break out and get dry and peel a ton, but once your face gets used to it, it will get better. After about two months of using this I started seeing results. My skin tone was more even and I only had a few pimples compared to the dozens I had before. Honestly, this cream really doesn’t irritate my skin at all and I don’t even have to moisturizer before. The thing I do recommend though, is to put on sunscreen as your face could splotch. So far, I am delighted with the product, and it may be pricey (insurance covers mine) but it is definitely worth the price as long as you use it CONSISTENTLY.

9. 

   cynicalBoars8

   Reply

   I love Tazorac. Tried Retin-A over the years. Did Accutane, and now retinoids are working! After my second course of Accutane, I started using 0.05 gel. I started to break out a little after about a year of stopping the tane, and went back to the derm.

   She bumped me up to the 0.1 gel (strongest retinoid). It took about two weeks to get used to it, and for the redness and dryness to calm down.At first I only used it every other night, and now I can use it every night. It exfoliates me like crazy and when I rub my skin in the shower, it feels like little eraser bits are coming off. Gross I know, but hyperpigmentation seems to slough off along with it.

   A year being on 0.05 gel and now a couple of weeks into 0.1, I can see a huge difference in tone, texture and evenness of my skin. Scars are also smoother. I love the way it looks. Completely clear and less oily.

   It takes time to get the results, but the time and dedication is worth it!

10. 

    lovesickMuesli0

    Reply

    One of the worst thing I’ve done for my skin is waiting so long to try Taz. I was prescribed it a year ago, but was so scared by the initial breakout that I let the tube sit on my vanity untouched. 12 weeks ago however, at the height of my visits to my derm for cortisone shots (almost 2x a month!!) I knew I had to do something else. I broke open the Taz, and here at 12 weeks later (the requisite time my derm suggesting waiting before I saw any results) I can say this product is a miracle!!

    Although I did have an initial breakout that was annoying, it wasn’t the nightmare I expected. Here are the tips that really worked to help mitigate the side effects of the first few months:

    1. Start with the lowest strength: 0.05% cream (gel is a bit stronger)
    2. Only apply every other night (or even maybe even every 3rd night in the beginning if skin is very sensitive
    3. Wash with a gentle cleanser. I used CeraVe at the direction of my derm and it also turned out to be my HG wash.
    4. MOISTURIZE. I cannot stress that enough. CeraVe is also great for this as well, although as my skin got less dry, I went back to my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel.
    5. Wait at least 20 minutes after moisturizing, then apply Taz all over. Use a pea size for the entire face. I would not recommend using it as spot treatment as it’s way too drying when it’s concentrated to one area.
    6. SPF IN THE MORNING, ALWAYS.

    Now that I’ve weathered the initial breakout storm, my skin is much smoother looking (it actually looked better even when I was breaking out because the rest of my face’s texture was great) and I actually GLOW which I never thought was possible. I have some very dark hyperpigmentation and old acne scars that are starting to fade as well.

    I can’t recommend this product enough. I didn’t believe my derm when he first told me, “THIS WORKS” and I wished I listened sooner. The IBO may be frustrating, but as long as you’re using Taz correctly (moisturizing and using lots of SPF), it can yield some amazing results in the end!