Retin A or Tazorac in Europe - in which products?

Hello,

I am not in Europe myself, so I can't answer that question specifically. However, I do know that Retin-A is a prescription product, while retinol, a milder form, isn't. Do you have any of the following products around?

• NaturaBissé Essential Shock Intense Retinol Fluid
• StriVectin Advanced Retinol Intensive Night Moisturizer
• Philosophy Miracle Worker Retinoid Eye Repair
• Avène RétrinAL 0.1 Intensive Cream

All of these are reputable products, a bit on the high end side, that you can't really go wrong with. One is for the eyes specifically, which I am mentioning because people often wonder whether they can apply retinoids to the eyes. Well, this one you can. 

Yeah, PINK is definitely right. You officially "need" a prescription to gain access to Retin-A. There are plenty of online pharmacies including some Europe based ones that do sell the stuff, but well, I'm personally a bit ick about ordering stuff you're not supposed to off the web. Retin-A is Rx only for a good reason, I guess. Mind you, retinol is available widely at chemists and I've used it for a while now. My skin looks awesome. I've been at it about a month now, and I have to say that at first I didn't even realize this moisturizer had retinol in it. My skin looks smoother and calmer for lack of a better word, LOL, and what's more, the blackheads are definitely being relegated to a museum now :). So you know, all that to say that yeah, retinol may well be all you need for better skin. It's around pretty much everywhere, not just online, so that's a huge bonus for me.

Interesting. When I Googled "tazorac in Europe" I got next to no results, except for a few from shady online pharmacies. For retin-a, I got a whole lot more results, mostly also from shady online pharmacies, but well, the conclusion is that retin-a is just more popular in Europe. What was best though is that when I started looking for info on retinol instead, I got a study that showed it's just as effective as retin-a and of course you don't need a prescription. It's easy to see where I'm going with this, right? Retinol is both easy to come by and effective. I'd go with that.

Have you read into the possible side effects of Retinoid products? I have. Paper-thin skin, creases, flaking, irritation, more wrinkles... it's only temporary and it does not happen to everyone who uses these products, but it is something to be aware of. It's a good reason why Retin-A is prescription only, I believe. So, yeah, I wouldn't use that without a prescription. I know you can buy it online, but just because you can doesn't mean you should. If you want Retin-A, then go to a doctor and ask for some. JMVHO.

Hello,

I thought I would give you all an update :). I found a Retinol product made by ROC and ordered it online. I am now waiting for it to arrive. I am quite excited to see what this will do for me. While I am waiting for this to get here, which should be a few days, do you have any advice for me how to prep my skin for this Retinol if that is at all necessary? Is there anything I should or should not use while I am on this product? Your advice would be appreciated as I am totally new to this!

Thank You!