I've been using retin-a micro for about 2 weeks now and I know it's very early on, but I swear, my skin is already smoother!  I have had some bumps on my forehead (milia) that have been there forever, and they are now gone!  I've been using retin-a micro every third night - last night I tried to go to every other night, but I had to wash it off after a couple of hours - I think for now, I'll stick to every 3rd night.  Of course, after seeing the initial results after just 2 weeks, I want to use it every day!  But I know my skin is way too sensitive for that, so I'll just be patient.

Another thing I've changed is the skincare I've been using.  I've switched to the oil cleansing method and I'm using a mix of 25% castor oil to 75% grapeseed oil.  I just massage it in and then wipe it off with a warm wash cloth.  Then for moisturizer, I've been using Desert Essence Tea Tree Oil Skin Ointment.  The ingredients are sweet almond oil, organic tea tree oil, jojboa oil, calendula extract, lavender oil, cetyl esters and beeswax and that's it.

Normally, I would never dream of using something like this because essential oils can be extremely irritating, but my derm thinks my problem is chemical sensitivities, so I thought I'd try something without a lot of chemical ingredients.  You know what?  My skin LOVES this stuff!  I'm really in shock, actually.  It really calms down redness and my skin is just smooth and not irritated at all.  Who'd have thought??

Anyway, thanks to everyone on all the retin-a advice.  I never thought I'd be able to use a retinoid, but I'm so glad I tried!

Beth