Tretinoin and Midlife Skin: When It’s Too Much and What to Do Instead

A gentler approach to aging skin in midlife

For years, tretinoin has been considered the gold standard for anti-aging skincare. And for good reason—it works. It supports collagen, improves texture, and helps soften fine lines. But for many women in perimenopause and menopause, what once worked beautifully can suddenly feel like too much.

Dryness. Flaking. Irritation. Sensitivity.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. And that’s exactly how I found my way to bakuchiol.

When Tretinoin Stopped Working for My Skin

With perimenopause, my skin simply didn’t tolerate tretinoin the way it had in the past. My skin barrier had clearly changed and needed repair. What once felt manageable began to cause dryness, flaking, and irritation that I just couldn’t push through anymore.

I reached out to a group of women physicians to see how others were managing similar issues. One plastic surgeon in the group—who looks incredible, by the way—suggested an excellent barrier repair cream and also mentioned that I consider trying bakuchiol.

At the time, I had never heard of it.

Around that same period, I stopped tretinoin and started using a compounded estriol/methylene blue/DHEA/hyaluronic acid cream, along with hormone therapy. My skin loved this change. Estriol is wonderful for supporting the skin barrier, and my skin finally felt calm, hydrated, and healthy again.

That alone felt like a win.

But over time, I started to feel like my skin missed the anti-aging benefits of tretinoin. While it felt good, it didn’t quite look the way it had before. Did my skin actually look older? Was it all in my head? Honestly—I’m not sure.

What I did know was that I didn’t want to lose the progress I had made by going back to tretinoin and risking dryness or flaking all over again. At the same time, I wanted to do something more—something that supported collagen, texture, and tone without sacrificing my skin barrier.

That tension—wanting results but needing gentleness—is what ultimately led me to bakuchiol.

What Is Bakuchiol?

Bakuchiol is a plant-derived compound extracted from the Psoralea corylifolia plant. Although it’s not chemically related to retinoids, it works on similar pathways in the skin.

In practical terms, bakuchiol helps:

• Support collagen production

• Improve fine lines and wrinkles

• Promote more even skin tone

• Encourage gentle cell turnover

  
  

The key difference is that it tends to do this with far less irritation.

Bakuchiol vs Tretinoin

Retinoids are effective—but they can be harsh, especially as skin becomes thinner, drier, and more reactive with hormonal shifts.

Bakuchiol tends to be:

• Much better tolerated by sensitive or aging skin

• Less drying and less irritating

• Safe to use morning and night

• Compatible with barrier-supporting ingredients

  
  

Several studies suggest that bakuchiol can deliver improvements in fine lines, pigmentation, and elasticity comparable to retinol, but with significantly fewer side effects. For midlife skin, that gentler profile matters.

My Experience So Far

After reviewing the research and reading a lot of real-world experiences, I finally found a bakuchiol product that seemed to be a general crowd-pleaser and decided to give it a try.

And then something interesting happened.

Just yesterday in clinic, a patient in her mid-30s asked me what I use on my skin.

Did it start working that fast?I honestly don’t know.

What I do know is that my skin feels really good right now—and I think it looks really good too. Skin that feels calm, supported, and resilient often looks healthier over time.

So I’m sticking with bakuchiol, optimistically, and curious to see how things continue to evolve. But I have a very good feeling about it.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need harsh products or complicated routines to support aging skin—especially in midlife.

Bakuchiol offers a gentler way to support collagen, texture, and tone without compromising the skin barrier. For many women who can’t tolerate tretinoin—or simply don’t want to fight their skin anymore—it’s a beautiful option worth considering.

As with everything in midlife health, skincare is personal. The best routine is the one your skin can tolerate, sustain, and thrive with.

Your best years really can start now—skin included.