Retin-A is the brand name for the medication Tretinoin. Retin-A is a synthetic form of vitamin A and it's available only through prescription. Tretinoin is retinoic acid and is considered an active ingredient.
Retinol is like the training wheels for tretinoin and other dermatology-grade retinoids. They have similar benefits and can be used on any skin type, though tretinoin is more often recommended to treat acne and is FDA approved for photoaging. Tretinoin is the more potent of the two, so it will show results faster.
Tretinoin is the generic form of Retin-A, and both are essentially the same medication. When a company develops a brand-name drug, they have a patent to be the only ones to make that drug for a certain amount of time.
RETIN-A Liquid, 0.05%, and RETIN-A Gel, 0.025% and 0.01%: store below 86°F.
In addition, several over-the-counter products containing retinoids, such as retinol, are available. Because they're not as strong (and thus less irritating), they are not as effective in reducing wrinkles as tretinoin; but they do improve the appearance of photo-aged skin.
Tretinoin Works Best as a Long-Term Treatment
Long-term studies of tretinoin tend to show the most dramatic results, with people experiencing significant reductions in the appearance of fine wrinkling, coarse wrinkling, skin laxity and other signs of photoaging.
First, the answer is yes, retinol can make wrinkles worse, especially when you first start using it. What is happening is a drying effect, and one can get epidermal sliding from separation from the dermis.
1% tretinoin. Most anti-aging studies show that the best results usually come from moderate strength tretinoin creams, such as those that contain . 05% tretinoin.
Tretinoin gel, cream, or lotion requires a prescription because it's more powerful than retinol. Doctors prescribe tretinoin to treat skin conditions like: Acne. Psoriasis.
Additionally, Retin-A comes in a variety of strengths such as 0.25% (the lowest), 0.5% and 1.0 % (the strongest). You'll definitely want to start using the lowest dose once or twice a week.
As such, Retin-A is much more powerful than retinol. Even the lowest strength Retin-A is stronger than the highest strength retinol product. Retinol is sometimes added to over-the-counter (OTC) acne medications, but it's not an acne treatment in itself. It's used most often as an anti-ager.
Tretinoin can help dark spots fade, allowing you to have a more even skin tone. It decreases the amount of melanin in your skin cells (Zasada, 2019). When used for discoloration, tretinoin is usually combined with other skin-lightening products, sometimes in the form of a chemical peel (Lawrence, 2021).
Retinol and tretinoin are both retinoids, which means they are compounds that come from vitamin A. They're both commonly used in topical creams to treat a number of skin conditions. Though they're similar, tretinoin is more concentrated than retinol.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."
If you stop using the medication or are inconsistent with your treatment, any improvements you see may disappear over time. Always use the product as prescribed by your healthcare provider (Rodan, 2016).
Tretinoin is a topical medication applied directly to the area with fine lines and wrinkles, usually at bedtime. Wash your hands and face with a mild, unmedicated cleanser and water. Wait 20–30 minutes to make sure that your skin is thoroughly dry before applying the medication.
On the whole, it's best to think of botox as a treatment for wrinkles that are apparent with moving facial muscles (smiling, furrowing your brow, frowning) while tretinoin can help treat the fine lines and sun spots resulting from UV exposure.
Currently, tretinoin is only available with a prescription. If you'd like to use tretinoin to treat acne or skin aging, you'll need to talk to your healthcare provider first. We use tretinoin as an ingredient in several of our prescription skin care products, including our Customized Acne Cream and Anti-Aging Cream.
Tretinoin is a medication used to treat acne and sun-damaged skin. It can't erase deep wrinkles, but it can help improve the appearance of surface wrinkles, fine lines, and darks spots.
Do not use this medicine in or around the eyes or lips, or inside of the nose. Spread the medicine away from these areas when applying. If it accidentally gets on these areas, wash with water at once. Before applying tretinoin, wash the skin with a mild soap or cleanser and warm water by using the tips of your fingers.
Does Retin-A (tretinoin) help reverse skin aging? Yes. Retin-A, whose active ingredient is tretinoin, has been shown to have positive effects on both the deeper collagen layers of your skin as well as the upper most layer that is comprised of skin cells.
Generally, it is fine to use tretinoin every night, but you may not want to because of the initial side effects, especially when you first start. You should only use tretinoin as prescribed to avoid significant skin irritation, redness, and other side effects.
“This will make your skin look older and accentuate wrinkles” — which is probably not what you're going for when you start using the stuff. And there's no question that retinol makes your skin more sensitive to the sun.
Two of the most common products used to keep skin in excellent condition are hyaluronic acid and retinol. What should a person use between hyaluronic acid or retinol? Hyaluronic acid is best if they're looking to moisturize dry skin, while retinol works better by encouraging better skin by boosting collagen production.
Remember, that 'retinoid uglies' are likely to be temporary, and it will take time before you see the end result. You have three skin layers—the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. Your epidermis is your visible layer, and renews approximately every 28 days.