I am a DRPW with slightly dry skin (my O/D score is 23) and I have a question about Renova.
I've been doing exactly as I was told...using only a pea size amount and dotting on cheeks, chin, nose, forehead before rubbing it in. But after waiting 15-20 minutes after washing my face my skin is so dry and rough that it just soaks it in before I really feel like I can spread it around my face. I feel like I need to use more because it just doesn't seem to go very far. Admittedly, I am used to slathering on the moisturizer, so a pea size is hard to get used to. I do wait about 30 minutes before putting on moisturizer over the Renova. Anyway, I was just wondering if any other dry people were having this problem and what they were doing about it, if anything.

Thanks, Zoey

I am a DRPW with slightly dry skin (my O/D score is 23) and I have a question about Renova.
I've been doing exactly as I was told...using only a pea size amount and dotting on cheeks, chin, nose, forehead before rubbing it in. But after waiting 15-20 minutes after washing my face my skin is so dry and rough that it just soaks it in before I really feel like I can spread it around my face. I feel like I need to use more because it just doesn't seem to go very far. Admittedly, I am used to slathering on the moisturizer, so a pea size is hard to get used to. I do wait about 30 minutes before putting on moisturizer over the Renova. Anyway, I was just wondering if any other dry people were having this problem and what they were doing about it, if anything.

Thanks, Zoey

Zoey,

I believe that if you moisturize your dry areas right after you wash, then wait 20-30 minutes... you can then apply your Renova without having a problem spreading it around.

-Kevin

I wonder the exact same thing. A pea-size amount seems impossible to spread that far -- even if I moisturize first. I just got a new prescription filled and for $10 I got 3 of the big tubes of Renova .05% and the prescription has 2 refills good until next year. So since I'd never go through that much, and it was so darn cheap, I've been using more than a pea-sized amount. Do you think that will be in anyway an "overdose" or does the skin react the same no matter how much is put on. Is the "pea" amount more about not wasting it?

I've used Retin-A gel, not Renova, but here's a trick that helps me make it go a bit farther...I apply it with damp or very very slightly wet fingers. If my hands are dry, they wind up absorbing some of the product, making it harder to get that pea size to get around to my whole face.

With that said, I do use a bit more than pea, since I use it on my whole neck too. I actually break out more there than on my face.

This works well for the gel, but not sure how it works for Renova or other cream versions.

I do know if you use too much, you can wind up upping the irritation.

I'd be interested to hear if this works for you though.

Marcy

Wow, LeslieJ!!! How in the world did you get all that Renova for just $10? I'm so jealous, mine was $100. For one tube! You must have amazing insurance. I've heard that water can cause irritation with the Renova and in my experience, that's true. I wash my face and let it really dry while I brush my teeth (and even in that 5 minutes it gets so tight feeling) and then I put it on. But if I have a little moisture still around my mouth (from rinsing toothpaste) the next morning it will be red and flaky around my mouth. Isn't that weird? So I don't think the water on my fingers trick would work for me. For now I just concentrate on getting the Renova to the most important places first, like my cheeks where I'm starting to notice a little crepiness, under my eyes, and my forehead where I have brown spots. I try to rub in as much as I can on the other places. About 30 minutes after I put on the Renova I put on my nightime moisturizer and I really rub that in good, so hopefully that spreads it around even more. Still, I feel like I could use four peas of Renova to really make a difference.