22MINUTESADAY

Tretinoin has earned the title of being a gold standard in dermatology for a reason. Unlike many skincare products that just sit on the surface, tretinoin actually changes the way your skin functions at a cellular level. Here is what happens after you apply it. Absorption: The First Step Tretinoin is a small, fat-soluble molecule. That means it can pass through the outer skin barrier with relative ease. Within about 30 to 60 minutes, most of what you apply has already moved past the surface and into the deeper layers where it can start doing its job. This is why if you apply tretinoin in the morning and shower a few hours later, you are not washing away the benefit. By then, it has already entered the skin. Receptor Binding: Flipping the Switch Inside your skin cells are retinoic acid receptors, or RARs. Think of them as switches waiting to be turned on. When tretinoin binds to these receptors, it signals your cells to start expressing new patterns of genes. This is the foundation of a...

  Vertigo. Again. No matter how much progress I make or how disciplined I am, it still finds a way to knock me down and remind me that my body isn’t fully in my control. It’s not just dizziness—it’s a pain in the neck, literally and figuratively. I can do everything “right” and still end up feeling like I’m standing on shaky ground. 📊 Glucose This morning’s Libre 3 Plus readings stayed between  111–116 mg/dL . Smooth overnight curve, steady, no wild swings. By the numbers, this should be a solid day. But here’s the catch: reactive hypoglycemia doesn’t always play by the numbers, and even when glucose is steady, my nervous system can send my head into a spin. That disconnect is one of the most frustrating parts—it feels like my body is gaslighting me. 😴 Sleep Sleep was a mess. Out of  5 hours and 19 minutes in bed , I got just  3 hours and 52 minutes of real sleep . Only  56% efficiency , and it felt like I never fully rested. Too many awakenings, shallow cycle...