[Review] The Ordinary Advanced Retinoid 2% has been the only topical product so far to help with my stubborn clogged pores

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I've been using this serum nightly, for the past 2 months now, and am certain that retinoids, or at least this formulation, will be the answer to my acne moving forward. In the past, I have used mandelic, glycolic, and lactic acids, and while they did help purge existing clogs and heal hyperpigmentation faster, they didn't prevent new clogs from appearing. Some background: These clogs that I'm prone to are likely closed comedones, little bumps under my skin with hardened sebum that only go away with extraction. After I came off antibiotics (minocycline) a few years ago, they were everywhere, including places I hadn't experienced these clogs before. I don't know for sure, but my guess is that the minocycline changed my sebum's consistency.I had been hesitant to use retinol, but decided to give The Ordinary's gentle formulation a try and am so glad I did. My skin is now almost as clear as it was when I was on antibiotics. In the first few weeks, I would say I noticed a difference in my skin texture more than my acne. The skin surrounding my existing acne was smoother and my face as a whole felt plumper, more filled-out. The only other topical that gave me a similar result was probably glycolic acid, except it purged me endlessly.6 weeks into using this retinoid is when I really started noticing the clogs clearing up. Up until this point, my acne had been more or less the same as usual. So, while I might have experienced a purge, it wasn't dramatic, just the same turnover of new clogs as usual.Now, at 9 weeks, my skin is a lot less bumpy, with much fewer clogs along my jawline, lower cheeks, and forehead where they were particularly stubborn after antibiotics. I do still experience clogged pores, but I suspect they are stubborn ones that are still in the purging process. When I look at my face as a whole, I am much less splotchy due to extracting fewer clogs and I feel so much better about my skin texture. There is a noticeable difference in how my skin was before using this product and now, which I can't say the same for the other AHAs/BHAs I have tried. If, like me, you've tried several topicals but have been ignoring retinoids for years, I'd say this is a pretty good one to start with. I think I'll probably graduate onto something a bit stronger if the few existing clogs don't disappear, but I feel more at ease knowing that retinol was the solution this entire time.A couple other notes about the formula: It's a lightweight, milky consistency that absorbs quickly into the skin. I probably used a pea size on my entire face nightly and might have overdone it at times, but only noticed slight peeling/dryness. Otherwise, no irritation in the way of redness or inflammation, but I don't really have sensitive skin to begin with.
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Submitted by thaliaaa0