Acne 101

Looking for some professional insight/advice!

I have a 15-year-old male client who’s been using tretinoin 0.025% + benzoyl peroxide (1–5%) for acne, but his skin has become super dry, compromised, and irritated. His dermatologist recommended that he stop all acne medications due to the dryness.

He is using moisturizer + SPF, but I’m curious…

If he completely stops his acne actives, could that cause his acne to flare up again? Or would you recommend focusing on barrier repair first and then slowly reintroducing actives / switching to a gentler acne routine?

Would love to hear how you’d approach this! 🫶🏼✨