[Product Question] Retin-A Micro - peeling and irritation. When will it stop?

I've been using Retin-A Micro for about 7 weeks. At first my doc gave me an Rx for 0.1%, to be used nightly. Obviously this is way too much to start, so I was using it every third night, layering it on top of several other products to act as a bit of a buffer. My skin reacted in the way I had heard so much about - peeling, redness, irritation, etc. My chin constantly looked like I was growing some weird dead-skin-beard. After 5 weeks I got my pharmacy to fax my doctor and get a new scrip for the 0.04%, which I have been using since then every other night (still buffering with other stuff.) My skin can usually handle stuff like this with NO issue (acids, prescriptions, etc.)

Thankfully I haven't gone through too much of an acne purge, but my skin is still looking like it did when I started. I've been throwing everything I have at it to keep it moisturized, but it's only been helping so much. If it was possible to encase my head in Aquaphor and snails 24/7 I would. I naturally have fairly oily skin, so all of this dryness has been very weird for me. I just want my foundation to apply normally again!

What I'm wondering is - how long did it take for all of you to have your skin stop flipping its shit? I'm pretty confident that I'm doing everything I can in the mean time to keep it happy, but I would love to hear that there is light at the end of the tunnel.