Drug Store vs. Prescription Retinol Creams

I finally visited with a dermatologist yesterday, and I am so pleased that I did! It was my first time meeting her and she was much kinder and warmer than I was expecting. She addressed every one of my concerns, and I had several. Now that I'm in my mid-twenties, I'm very interested in preventative aging techniques. For a while, I had been using Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Night, an anti-wrinkle cream containing retinol that I had read online was one of the best available at the drugstore:

Personally, I didn't notice any difference using the cream. Then again, I applied it only a few times a week rather than religiously every single night so that might have been to blame.

Still, I was interested in learning more about the prescription retinol creams available. I had heard about Tazorac, but according to my dermatologist, Tazorac is generally only used on people with oily skin. Since my skin is very normal, she told me the Tazorac would be too drying and irritating for me. Instead, she recommended Tretinoin:

The added benefit of using either Tazorac or Tretinoin is that it also treats acne in addition to fighting and preventing fine lines. I've never had a problem with acne, but I do get the occasional pimple on my T-Zone. I'm hoping the Tretinoin will enable me to kill two birds with one stone.

The other amazing thing about this prescription retinol cream is that it only cost me $15 with my insurance! I was expecting it to be much, much more. Neutrogena's Healthy Skin Anti-Wrinkle Cream for Night that I was using cost about that much, and the Tretinoin bottle contains more product, is more effective for treating fine lines and also treats acne! To me, this is an absolute no-brainer.

If you're interested in treating your fine lines and wrinkles or are in your twenties and are interested in slowing the aging process, definitely consider a prescription retinol cream. I'm so glad I made the switch!