There are a lot of great cleansers out there and they all work. What was hard for me was finding the right moisturizer to prevent the rebound effect of my skin drying out and then creating excess oil to compensate
I wash twice a day with Clean & Clear Day and Night and I use salacylic acid wipes like Stridex as needed no more than once per day, just if I'm looking a little shiny in the middle of the day. I've been needing the Stridex wipes much less frequently these days. What's important is that 5 minutes after using either the face wash or the Stridex wipes, I moisturize with a small dab of Cera Ve PM formula. You have to wait at least 5 minutes after your face dries because it can interact with the ingredients in the cleansers and end up being less effective.
Twice a week, I replace my morning face wash with Lush Ocean Salt scrub for exfoliation. It's not cheap but there are a ton of copycat recipes out there.
I also occasionally wipe down my shoulders and upper back with a Stridex wipe if I get a pimple, and I just moisturize my body with cheap generic lotion like Jergens or whatever before bed.
Soap is too basic (as in the pH is too high not that it's a simple product) for facial skin and really stripping. While you use tret it's really important to keep your moisture barrier intact so that acne will heal quickly and won't scar as much. Always prioritize lessening irritation and keeping your skin hydrated while using tret. 0.025 is pretty gentle, but do not underestimate potential irritation. You only need a pea-sized amount and here's a video on how to apply it. You can either apply it after cleansing or after moisturizer depending on how resilient your skin is. Never ever apply it to wet skin it will cause you to flake and peel which means you also have to wait for moisturizer to dry and sink into your skin if you plan on buffering tret. Since the percentage you were given is the lowest available I think you can probably start off with using it every other day (feel free to use it less frequently 2x or 3x a week if it's too much for you) and on the days that you aren't using tret just focus on moisturizing a lot (even if you're oily).
Cleansers:
Moisturizer: (I'm oily too and it's summer so I have a couple recommendations)
Emergency Items (for when your skin is peeling/super irritated):
Important notes: You need to wear sunscreen religiously if you go outside (I just stay indoors lol) because tretinoin does cause photosensitivity. I can't give you recommendations because everyone likes their sunscreen a little bit different (texture, chemical vs physical, tinted or not). You cannot get waxed while using tret because your skin will get ripped off. Shaving is okay and so is threading. If your acne doesn't get better but you can use tret every day without any problems then don't be afraid to ask for a higher percentage and then ease yourself into using that more frequently. Patience is key, it might take a while to see results and you might purge but stay vigilant and consistent. Tretinoin is a marathon not a race.
I looked at a chart like this and saw that my 497 is about equal to a 65 year old man. I'm 26 and this was concerning so I figured why not give it a try. I think maybe I got caught up in the hype seeing other guys in there 20's with much higher numbers.
You're right about acne and hair loss. I recently adopted a skin-care route that has been really making a difference.
Morning
Night
Vitamin B Serum (Not sure if this helps)
Tretinoin 0.025%
Moisturizer (PM)
As for hair, I'm hoping that will be covered by Finasteride, but I'm only 3 months in so it's hard to tell how effective it will be for me.
