🇨🇦Canada

Tretinoin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Tretinoin

Daily application of topical tretinoin steadily builds deep collagen, clearly smooths fine lines and dark spots, and calms troublesome breakouts by clearing pores and reducing redness. This refined active ingredient suits both dry skin and oily skin particularly well, and it is easily found in lightweight serums. To keep your skin comfortable, simply apply your tretinoin at a separate time from glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and vitamin C.

The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022

This page shows tretinoin products with a Lovi page. For every product, and a routine built for your skin, use the Lovi app.

Tretinoin serums

What reviewers say about popular tretinoin products

The highlight reviewers mention most for each popular tretinoin product on Lovi.

  • Retin-A Cream Initial breakouts ★4.0 · 200+ reviews
    • Smooths skin
    • Dryness and peeling
    • “I had full blown acne, everywhere”

    What people say about Cream

  • Tri-Luma Cream Rapid Melasma Clearance ★3.8 · 200+ reviews
    • Effective on Stubborn Spots
    • High Cost
    • “cleared my brown spots”

    What people say about Cream

  • Musely The Spot Cream Boosts confidence ★4.2 · 1.5k+ reviews
    • Irritation and peeling
    • Fast results
    • “No more concealer”

    What people say about The Spot Cream

  • Obagi Tretinoin Cream 0.05% Transforms skin ★4.9 · 100+ reviews
    • Intense peeling
    • Reduces aging
    • “smooth as a baby”

    What people say about Tretinoin Cream 0.05%

  • Taro Tretinoin Cream Reduces fine lines ★4.3 · 800+ reviews
    • Initial skin peeling
    • Smooth, spreadable texture
    • “At 55, my skin looks better than it did in my 30s.”

    What people say about Tretinoin Cream

  • Mylan Tretinoin Gel pills ★3.9 · 800+ reviews
    • Severe dryness/peeling
    • Strong alcohol smell
    • “consistency of chunky super glue”

    What people say about Tretinoin

Tretinoin for dry skin

Tretinoin for oily skin

Tretinoin for combination skin

Tretinoin for sensitive skin

Tretinoin for acne-prone skin

Tretinoin for mature skin

What to combine tretinoin with

IngredientTogetherHow to use them
Niacinamide Depends Use them at different times of day, applying niacinamide in the morning and tretinoin at night, to keep your skin calm. Tretinoin and niacinamide
Glycolic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because they are both strong and should not go on together. Tretinoin and glycolic acid
Benzoyl peroxide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and tretinoin at night, because they cancel each other out. Tretinoin and benzoyl peroxide
Vitamin C Keep apart Use vitamin C in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent irritation. Tretinoin and vitamin C
AHA blend glycolic and citric acids Keep apart Use them on alternate nights, applying the acid blend on one evening and the tretinoin on the next, to prevent severe skin irritation. Tretinoin and aha blend glycolic and citric acids
Salicylic acid Keep apart Use salicylic acid and tretinoin on alternate nights to prevent skin irritation. Tretinoin and salicylic acid
Bio-placenta peptides Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying your peptides in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent irritation. Tretinoin and bio-placenta peptides
Hexapeptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying your peptide product in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent skin irritation. Tretinoin and hexapeptide
Lactic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because combining them causes irritation. Tretinoin and lactic acid
Acetyl hexapeptide-3 Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying acetyl hexapeptide-3 in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent irritation. Tretinoin and acetyl hexapeptide-3
Mandelic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because combining them too often can cause skin irritation and redness. Tretinoin and mandelic acid
Collagen peptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying collagen peptides in the morning and tretinoin at night. Tretinoin and collagen peptide
Copper peptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying the peptide product in the morning and tretinoin at night, to prevent skin irritation. Tretinoin and copper peptide
Citric acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because they both increase cell turnover and can cause irritation when layered together. Tretinoin and citric acid
Hexapeptide-9 Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying hexapeptide-9 in the morning and tretinoin at night, because combining them in the same routine can cause irritation. Tretinoin and hexapeptide-9
Peptide-rich plasma Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying peptides in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent irritation. Tretinoin and peptide-rich plasma
Triple peptide blend Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying your peptide product in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent skin irritation. Tretinoin and triple peptide blend
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 in the morning and tretinoin at night to prevent skin irritation. Tretinoin and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying your peptide product in the morning and your tretinoin at night. Tretinoin and palmitoyl tripeptide-1

From the ingredient rules behind the "Works well with" and "Don't mix with" notes on every product in the Lovi app.

Questions and answers

What does tretinoin do for the skin?

Tretinoin helps improve the clinical appearance of photoaging in terms of wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, sallowness, and lentigines. Daily application may also produce an increase in collagen I formation in photodamaged skin.

International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993

How do you use tretinoin?

Tretinoin is applied at night to help improve the clinical appearance of photoaging and reduce acne lesions. Daily application helps restore collagen formation in photodamaged human skin over time.

International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022

Should you use tretinoin in the morning or at night?

You should use tretinoin at night to help prevent irritation and ensure the best results. Applying it at night also allows it to work effectively alongside morning partner ingredients like vitamin C or peptides without causing skin issues.

International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022

Can you use tretinoin every day?

Yes, you can use tretinoin every day for photoaging, as daily application helps increase collagen formation. Topical tretinoin improves the clinical appearance of wrinkles and mottled hyperpigmentation while remaining safe and well tolerated.

The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022

Does tretinoin cause purging or irritation?

Yes, tretinoin may cause skin irritation and redness. It helps improve the clinical appearance of photoaging and is safe and well tolerated.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022

Which skin types is tretinoin best for?

Tretinoin is best for oily, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin types. For oily acne-prone skin, Lovi gives High fit ratings to products like Retin-A Cream, Curology Formula, and Menarini A-Ret Gel.

Can you use tretinoin with glycolic acid?

Keep them apart by using glycolic acid and tretinoin on alternate nights because they are both strong and should not go on together.

Research on tretinoin

Behind this ingredient guide

Lovi checks every ingredient with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play