Tretinoin cream is available in several strengths. In the US, the strongest tretinoin cream on the market contains . 1% tretinoin, or one unit of tretinoin per 100 units.
“Studies suggest you need to use at least 0.25% retinol or 0.025% tretinoin to be effective, so I recommend using a product that specifies the percentage.” When choosing a retinol product, Dr. Rogers says it's best to start with the lowest concentration before moving up.
However, these studies do suggest that the strength of Tretinoin can affect how quickly improvement in the skin is noted. While all strengths were equivalent at 1 year, higher strength tretinoin products achieve results quickly, but with more side effects such as dryness, irritation, redness, and sun sensitivity.
For over 30 years Obagi Tretinoin Cream has been the most effective treatment to combat acne and aging. Available in 3 strengths of Cream: 0.025%, 0.05%, and 0.1%.
For the purposes of skin care, tretinoin can be thought of as a more concentrated version of retinol. This means that tretinoin is stronger than retinol. This difference in strength can help guide your decision-making when it comes to choosing a skin care product.
Retin- A (Tretinoin)
Retin-A is referenced as being 100 times stronger than retinol. It also has a more immediate effect because it is formulated as retinoic acid; unlike retinols, no conversion by the body is required.
025% tretinoin cream produced similar results in overall improvement in photoaging of the face, the stronger concentration of tretinoin had “statistically significantly greater” side effects, including redness and skin peeling.
If you have mild or moderate acne, both tretinoin and adapalene are likely to produce a lasting, significant improvement if used consistently. On the whole, studies comparing tretinoin and adapalene typically find that tretinoin is slightly more effective as an acne treatment.
Tretinoin Cream 0.025% or 0.05% is available in most pharmacies. As the generic equivalent of pricey Retin-A, Atralin, and Avita, Tretinoin provides the same great results at a much lower price. Because it is stronger than over-the-counter retinol products, Tretinoin Cream is available only with a prescription.
Tazarotene. This is the most powerful retinoid, available by prescription only.
You may notice tretinoin starting to work within 2 to 3 weeks, but it can take 6 weeks or more to experience the full benefit. If you don't see improvement within 12 weeks, or if you have significant improvement and wonder if you should start using it less frequently, talk to your doctor.
On average, it takes eight to 24 weeks of treatment for tretinoin to produce noticeable improvements in wrinkles and other signs of aging. One short study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, which used a . 025 percent tretinoin cream, found a “statistically significant improvement” after just 84 days.
Tazarotene 0.1% gel (once daily) is more effective than tretinoin 0.025% gel (once daily) in reducing the numbers of papules and open comedones, and achieves a more rapid reduction in pustules in mild to moderate facial acne. Alternate-day tazarotene 0.1% gel is as effective as once-daily adapalene 0.1% gel.
Tretinoin degrades quickly when exposed to sunlight, meaning you probably won't get the best results by using it in the morning. Instead, the best time to apply tretinoin is at nighttime — usually 20 to 30 minutes after cleansing your face before you go to bed.
It may seem surprising, but even small percentages of retinol can benefit your skin. Percentages of 0.01% retinol or greater are proven to be effective at improving multiple signs of ageing, reducing pore size and improving the overall health of your skin.
Though it's not yet understood exactly how these treatments reduce acne symptoms, testing has suggested a fairly simple account of how they differ: adapalene is less likely to cause further irritation, but tretinoin is more potent.
Adapalene vs Tretinoin: What's the difference? The primary difference between adapalene and Tretinoin is that adapalene has mostly been studied for treating acne, while Tretinoin has also been proved through multiple studies to prevent and improve premature skin aging.
Adapalene is an addition to the arsenal of topical retinoids. It possesses the biological properties of tretinoin, but has a distinct physiochemical profile, including high lipophilicity and increased chemical and photostability.
Tretinoin and Retinol Have Different Strengths
As the stronger substance, tretinoin is a more effective substance when treating conditions such as acne and is an ideal choice for those with oily or highly-tolerant skin. It also has substantial anti-wrinkle properties.
Retin-A Micro is a costlier, time-released version that is available only as a gel. It is less likely to cause irritation and dryness and can be applied immediately after cleansing. However, it may not be as effective as Retin-A cream for anti-aging treatments and may be better suited than creams for oilier skin types.
Tretinoin is used to treat acne or other skin diseases as determined by your doctor. It works partly by keeping skin pores clear. One of the tretinoin creams is used to treat fine wrinkles, dark spots, or rough skin on the face caused by the damaging rays of the sun.
Technically, retinol and Retin-A do the same thing. But retinol is much weaker than Retin-A because it first has to be converted into retinoic acid in order to be used by the skin. Retin-A is retinoic acid, so it can be used directly by the skin as soon as it's applied.
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.
"You can use tretinoin or [over-the-counter] retinols forever."