Obagi Tretinoin Cream 0.05% for combination skin
Tretinoin
Stearic Acid
Isopropyl Myristate
Butylated Hydroxytoluene
Xanthan GumHigh
- HighCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for combination skin; a few serums fit it even better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with combination skin: an oily T-zone, enlarged pores, and dry cheeks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Highly suitable for your combination skin, tretinoin effectively targets oily shine and fine lines by regulating sebum production and promoting cell turnover.
- The formulation is safe for your skin, containing no harsh ingredients that would cause irritation.
- This product offers excellent treatment for acne and fine lines due to the presence of tretinoin in a moderate concentration for reducing blemishes and minimizing fine lines and wrinkles.
How to apply
- Use your serum as part of your PM routine. Start using it 3 times a week and move to daily use if your skin likes it.
- Apply the serum after cleansing and toner, and right before your moisturizer.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and wait a minute ⏳for it to soak in.
- Apply the serum on clean and dry skin since your skin is not sensitive.
- Always do a patch test before using the serum for the first time, and avoid the eye area .
People Say
★4.9Overall rating based on 100+ reviewsBased on limited data, users describe this cream as a transformative medical-grade treatment for acne and aging. It is frequently praised for delivering a smooth, clear, and youthful complexion. However, nearly all users report a challenging adjustment period with significant peeling, irritation, and dryness before visible results emerge.
Highlights
Transforms skin Mostly Mentioned
- “smooth as a baby”
- “porcelain-like finish”
- “softens rough patches”
Intense peeling Mostly Mentioned
- “shedding like a snake”
- “constant flaking”
- “embarrassing peeling”
Clears acne Often Mentioned
- “keeps pores cleared”
- “blemishes vanished”
- “stops breakouts”
Reduces aging Often Mentioned
- “diminished fine lines”
- “youthful glow”
- “firmer appearance”
Initial irritation Often Mentioned
- “redness and burning”
- “skin felt raw”
- “stinging sensation”
Severe dryness Often Mentioned
- “sucked moisture out”
- “extremely tight skin”
- “requires heavy moisturizer”
Fades hyperpigmentation Sometimes Noted
- “lightens dark spots”
- “evens skin tone”
- “reduced discoloration”
Purging phase Sometimes Noted
- “acne got worse”
- “horrible initial breakout”
- “brought cysts to surface”
Sources: lovi.care, apothecarienewyork.com, realself.com, drugs.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes Obagi Tretinoin Cream 0.05% a great fit for combination skin?
Obagi Tretinoin Cream 0.05% is a great fit for your combination skin because it helps control oily shine and smooths out fine lines by speeding up cell renewal. The formula also has a safe profile, which is unlikely to cause harsh irritation while clearing up blemishes.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022
Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for combination skin?
Tretinoin makes this cream a great fit for your combination skin because it helps control oily shine and smooths out fine lines by speeding up cell renewal. Additionally, isopropyl myristate helps the formula sink in smoothly without causing irritation.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022
What does Tretinoin do for combination skin?
Tretinoin helps clear breakouts and smooth out uneven texture by speeding up skin renewal. Because it can be drying, combination skin needs a gentle moisturizer and daily sunscreen to protect the skin barrier while using this ingredient.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022
What does Stearic Acid do for combination skin?
Stearic acid helps keep combination skin soft and smooth by supporting the skin's natural barrier so it loses less moisture. It is generally safe for daily use on combination skin, though very rich formulas containing this ingredient may occasionally feel heavy on oily areas.
Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for combination skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, helping to target oily shine and fine lines safely. Using it at night also helps keep the skin protected around sun exposure.
Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?
How often should I use this cream?
Apply this cream in your evening routine, starting just once a week and slowly using it more often if your skin handles it well. Tretinoin helps manage oily shine and fine lines by speeding up cell turnover.
Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for combination skin?
Yes, this cream may cause initial breakouts, a purging phase, intense peeling, and severe dryness on combination skin. Tretinoin actively speeds up cell turnover to clear blemishes and smooth fine lines, which frequently triggers temporary skin shedding and breakouts at the start.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022
Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol. Stearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol, which soften the skin.
What the research says
Topical tretinoin daily application for 10 to 12 months produced an 80 percent increase in collagen I formation in photodamaged human skin compared with a 14 percent decrease with vehicle alone.
The New England Journal of Medicine, 1993Tretinoin-loaded nano lipid carriers resulted in a significantly higher rate of decrease in acne lesions and greater reduction in porphyrin production compared to conventional tretinoin cream in patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris.
Archives of Dermatological Research, 2022Topical tretinoin improves clinical appearance of photoaging in terms of wrinkling, mottled hyperpigmentation, sallowness, and lentigines and is safe and well tolerated.
International Journal of Women's Dermatology, 2022Repeated application of concentrated water-in-oil emulsions over four weeks caused no skin irritation, positively affected skin properties, and delivered almost 50% of the applied fluorescein sodium, with isopropyl myristate showing superior penetration performance compared to liquid paraffin in healthy volunteers.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2019A galenic compound containing essential oils and tretinoin demonstrated anti-acne efficacy and anti-inflammatory activity, significantly reducing papular erythema and retinoid-induced rashes compared to clindamycin-tretinoin gel in sixty volunteers over 30 days.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2020Topical tretinoin precursors and tretinoin showed no significant difference in efficacy for moderate to severe facial photodamage in 20 patients, while tretinoin precursors caused erythema six times less frequently.
JAMA Dermatology, 2022Topical tretinoin significantly improved photoaging and caused histologic changes in the forearms and faces of treated patients compared to vehicle cream, with side effects limited to skin irritation.
JAMA, 1988Adapalene 0.3% gel showed non-inferior efficacy and a similar safety profile compared to tretinoin 0.05% cream as a treatment for cutaneous photoaging.
European Journal of Dermatology, 2018Sodium dodecyl sulfate treatment disrupts the ordered intercellular lipid lamellar structure in hairless mouse stratum corneum, and immersion in a ceramide 3, cholesterol, and stearic acid mixture successfully reorganizes this ordered lamellar structure.
Biophysical Chemistry, 2001Increasing the softness of pressure-sensitive adhesives using isopropyl myristate decreased pain and stripped corneocytes during removal without significantly changing human skin dermal peeling force.
Skin Research and Technology, 2007A modern cold cream formulation using a self-emulsionable excipient with isopropyl myristate shows improved preparation ease, stability, rheological qualities, and moisture and emollient power compared to traditional cerates.
Bollettino Chimico Farmaceutico, 1996Biodegradable wound dressings functionalized with silver nanoparticles showed >99% pathogen growth inhibition, bactericidal effects, free radical scavenging, reduced inflammatory response in macrophages, and accelerated wound healing in animals.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2022A topical xanthan gum nanogel containing gamma-oryzanol-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers and nanosized TiO2 and MBBT filters demonstrated high photoprotection with an SPF of 34 and no skin irritation or sensitization in a rat model.
Pharmaceuticals, 2023Dense chitosan-xanthan membranes associated with multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells accelerated wound healing in Wistar rats compared to untreated conditions, demonstrating safety and feasibility for dermo-epidermal wound treatment.
Journal of Biomaterials Applications, 2015
Ingredients
Tretinoin, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Polyoxyl 40 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Sorbic Acid, Butylated Hydroxytoluene, Water
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list 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.
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
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Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
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Victoria Derkova, MS
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