Does buffering tretinoin with moisturizer result in its ineffectiveness or just irritation?

Moisturizing before and after applying tretinoin almost completely diminishes my irritation, so I am able to use it daily without a problem. But I come across comments saying that buffering makes the process longer resulting in blocking of absorption. That’s puzzling to me because tretinoin is supposed to still be transformed into retinoic acid inside the skin anyway. Maybe the slower absorption is indeed the way for long-term use. I have drawn comparison between my situation and that of the friends who apply it straight; the latter are repeatedly stopping treatment due to skin being dry and peeling. I use the tretiwell from highstreetpharma along with cerave moisturiser though. On the contrary, my skin looks calmer and more uniform, though the progress is slow. It makes me think about what is more important: speed or sustainability. Have any long-term users compared both methods to find out if buffered application really leads to weaker results after a year or more?