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Tretinoin in skincare
Prescription only; most evidence-backed retinoid; requires dermatologist supervision.
PM use ONLY. Absolute. Tretinoin is rapidly photodegraded by UV light (losing efficacy within minutes of UV exposure) and causes extreme photosensitization. Never apply in AM. Apply to dry skin at night (wait 20–30 minutes after washing face). Always use SPF 30+ every single morning during tretinoin use. This is non-negotiable. Buffering with a moisturizer before application ('sandwich method') reduces irritation for beginners.
What it is
Tretinoin (all-trans retinoic acid, ATRA) directly binds nuclear retinoic acid receptors (RARα, RARβ, RARγ) without enzymatic conversion, making it the most potent and fastest-acting topical retinoid. FDA-approved for acne vulgaris, photoaging, and keratinization disorders. Concentrations: 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.1% standard. Category X in pregnancy. Teratogenic risk. Night use only with rigorous daily SPF 30+. Requires dermatologist supervision.
The facts
| Category | Vitamin A (Prescription Retinoid. Retinoic Acid) |
| Typical use | Evening |
| Concentration YARAI treats as a full dose | 0.1% |
| EU Cosmetics Regulation annex | II |
| EU status | prohibited |
| EU and US differ | FDA also classifies tretinoin as prescription-only. Aligned restriction. |
| Also listed as | all-trans retinoic acid, atra |
Why the amount matters, not just the presence
Most ingredient checkers tell you whether something is in the bottle. That is a smaller question than it sounds. Tretinoin at 0.1% and tretinoin at a trace level are not the same ingredient in any way that affects your skin.
An ingredient list is ordered by quantity, so position carries real information. YARAI reads that position and scores accordingly, which is why the same ingredient can land differently in two different products.
The honest limit: a list gives order, not percentages. Estimating concentration from position is an estimate. It is a better estimate than ignoring position, and it is still an estimate. We would rather tell you that than let a number look more certain than it is.
Regulatory status
Tretinoin (retinoic acid) is banned in EU cosmetics (Annex II). Prescription-only in both EU and US.
Using it with something else
Tretinoin appears in 5 of the pairs YARAI checks. Each page gives the severity, the chemical mechanism, the evidence tier and the source:
- Can you use retinol and glycolic acid together?
- Can you use retinol and salicylic acid together?
- Can you use retinol and lactic acid together?
- Can you use retinol and mandelic acid together?
- Can you use benzoyl peroxide and retinol together?
Common questions
What does tretinoin do in a skincare product?
Prescription only; most evidence-backed retinoid; requires dermatologist supervision.
How much tretinoin should a product contain?
YARAI treats 0.1% as a full dose for this ingredient. Below that, the ingredient is present but is scored as contributing less. An ingredient list gives you the order of ingredients, not their percentages, so this is an estimate read from position rather than a measurement.
When should I use tretinoin?
PM use ONLY. Absolute. Tretinoin is rapidly photodegraded by UV light (losing efficacy within minutes of UV exposure) and causes extreme photosensitization. Never apply in AM. Apply to dry skin at night (wait 20–30 minutes after washing face). Always use SPF 30+ every single morning during tretinoin use. This is non-negotiable. Buffering with a moisturizer before application ('sandwich method') reduces irritation for beginners.
Check your own products
Point your camera at a product. YARAI identifies it from the label, finds that product's full ingredient list from published sources, and scores it. No barcode and no box needed, which is how it handles imported and small-brand products.
Concern level, category and thresholds on this page are read directly from the same data the YARAI app scores with, so this page and the app cannot disagree. EU figures cite Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009. Last built 2026-10-12. Nothing here is medical advice.