Tretinoin vs Retinol
Tretinoin has been blooming on the internet for a while now and I have many people reaching out to me asking whether I have tried it or not. I have not tried it yet but it really got me curious whether or not I should add it into my existing skincare routine. Is it really as good as it has hyped up to be? I would like to do a deep dive into Tretinoin to see whether it is really the G.O.A.T of skincare ingredients?
What is Tretinoin?
It is a prescription medication used to treat acne, wrinkles, and other skin conditions. It is synthetically derived from vitamin A. It belongs to a group of medications called Retinoids. It can come in the form of an oral tablet, a topical cream, a topical gel, or a topical lotion.
The Pros and Cons of Tretinoin
Pros:
Treat acne, including inflammatory acne
Reduce the appearance of wrinkles and dark spots
Improve skin texture, appearance, and thickness
Improve collagen and elastin
Inhibits UV cellular senescence and UV induced immunosuppression
According to Dr. Shah and Dr. Maxfield from their youtube channel Doctorly, it is the G.O.A.T of skincare ingredients because it can effectively help with dark spots, organize collagen, increase thickness of skin, increase elastin, and improve skin texture. It also inhibits and minimizes UV cellular senescence and UV induced immunosuppression. It protects the skin and has incredible staying power. Tretinoin has been around for more than 60 years and is one of the most well studied ingredients in skin care.
Cons:
Can not be used during pregnancy
Can cause skin irritation, burning, redness, dryness, and peeling
Can make skin more sensitive to sunlight, which can lead to sunburns
Can cause skin pigmentation, lightening or darkening of skin
Can cause serious allergic reactions
Cause acne to worsen for the first few weeks of treatment
May take up to 8 –12 weeks to see results
Tretinoin is not recommended to those who are pregnant or plans to become pregnant because it is synthetically derived from vitamin A. Furthermore, high levels of vitamin A can cause miscarriage, birth defects, premature birth, and serious harm to the fetus such as Fetal Retinoid Syndrome (FRS), which can cause physical and mental developmental issues and intellectual and developmental disabilities. It is also not recommended to those with extremely sensitive skin and should be used cautiously and with a much lower dosage by those with sensitive skin and skin conditions such a rosacea, flushing, dry and chapped, eczema and atopic dermatitis because Tretinoin does cause skin irritations.
How to Use Tretinoin?
Always consult with your own physician before starting a new medication. Since it is a prescription medication, you will have to ask your doctor/dermatologist whether or not it is appropriate for you and undoubtedly your doctor/dermatologist will walk you through the details on the use of this medication if it is right for you.
However, the general rule of thumb is:
Start slow with a low dosage. Begin by applying tretinoin once every 3 days and then gradually increase the strength and frequency as you go.
Layer with moisturizer. Do a Tretinoin sandwich effect where you will apply a moisturizer first, and then apply a layer of tretinoin, and then end with another layer of moisturizer.
Recommended to be used at night. Tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive to the sun, so it is best to be used during your bedtime skincare routine, but if you would like to also apply during the day, always remember to wear a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day.
Avoid certain products such as harsh scrubs, products with alcohols or exfoliating acids, and other products with active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide. That will cause even more skin irritations.
Try to avoid certain areas such as the sides of your nose, close to your lips, or directly on your lips.
Tretinoin can be combined with other topical creams, such as antioxidants or niacinamide to improve tolerance and increase effectiveness.
Tretinoin Vs Retinol
I briefly talked a little bit about Retinol/Retinal in my previous blog “What To Do When Smile Lines Are Prominent?” So I won’t spend any more time explaining the difference between the two here. If you’re interested, I have included the link at the bottom of this blog page.
Here is a comparison chart for you to easily spot the main differences between Tretinoin and Retinol.
Like I said in the beginning, I personally haven’t tried Tretinoin before. Nevertheless, after doing a bit of research on this topic, I think I will stick with my current Retinol/Retinal skin care products for now. My current skin care routine is serving me quite well that I do not feel the need to add a stronger vitamin A to the mix. However, I am not crossing this G.O.A.T skincare ingredients off my list entirely. Maybe some years down the road when I do form deeper wrinkles and more severe hyperpigmentations on my skin, I may have to revisit this Tretinoin option then.
SOME OF MY FAVORITE RETINOL/RETINAL PRODUCTS
FTC Disclaimer: Some links in this guide may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you!Dr.Different VITALIFT - A Forte Night Treatment Cream
Image Courtesy of AmazonActive Ingredients: Squalane, Retinal (0.1%), Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate
Image Courtesy of AmazonActive Ingredients: Retinal, Multi Peptide Some, Adenosine, Niacinamide
Image Courtesy of AmazonActive Ingredients: Enriched with Retinal, Encapsulated Retinol, and Niacinamide
Image Courtesy of Amazon Active Ingredients: Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane
Image Courtesy of Soko Glam With the above link, you can receive 20% off your first order of $50+
Active Ingredients: Retinol & Retinyl Palmitate, BSASM, Adenosine
Whether you're just at the stage of learning more about Tretinoin or already have been using it for a while. I would love to hear your take and your journey on Tretinoin. Tell me all about it in the comments below.
Wow Yourself!