- LegitScript Certified
- US-licensed pharmacy
- Ships in 3 to 5 days
Common questions
Tretinoin Cream
Your retinoid, matched to your skin.
Tretinoin cream · 0.025 / 0.05 / 0.1%
- The most studied topical retinoid
- One nightly cream
- Strength titrated by your provider
- For lines, acne, and texture
Find the plan that fits you.
Answer three quick questions to match your priorities and budget. Get your recommendation and free skin treatment guide by text. No card to start.
Purchase type
Save 10% today and on every refill. Auto-renews at your selected cadence, pause or cancel anytime.
Cadence
Strength set by your provider. They confirm the right strength and dose after reviewing your required post-purchase intake.
Payment does not guarantee a prescription. Complete the required pharmacist intake after purchase.
What's included
- ✓Medication and supplies
- ✓Provider visit and unlimited follow-ups
- ✓Free expedited shipping
Pause, change, or cancel anytime from your account.
After checkout you complete a short medical review in your member portal, and a US-licensed provider reviews it before anything ships.
The most studied retinoid
Tretinoin has the longest track record of any topical retinoid for fine lines, acne, and skin texture. Your prescription is compounded by a US-licensed pharmacy.
Strength matched to your skin
Your provider sets your starting strength across 0.025, 0.05, and 0.1 percent, then steps it up over time as your skin adjusts.
One nightly cream
No multi-step routine. A single pea-sized amount applied to clean, dry skin at night, the way retinoids are studied.
A provider reviews your skin
A US-licensed provider confirms tretinoin is appropriate for you before it ships. Real pricing, shown up front.
About Tretinoin Cream
Tretinoin is the topical retinoid with the longest track record for lines, acne and texture, because it works on the skin turnover your body already runs. Your provider sets the strength that fits you and steps it up over time. Compounded by a US-licensed pharmacy, shipped to your door, priced in the open.
- A provider sets your strength, not a guess
- Stepped up over time as your skin settles
- The most-studied topical retinoid
- Real pricing up front, discreet shipping
Tretinoin is all-trans retinoic acid, the active form of vitamin A. Compounded by a US-licensed pharmacy.
Tretinoin binds retinoic acid receptors
It activates receptors in the skin that regulate how quickly skin cells turn over.
Cell turnover speeds up
Old surface cells shed faster while fresh cells move up, which unclogs pores and smooths texture.
Collagen signaling increases
Over months, tretinoin prompts new collagen in the deeper skin, which softens the look of fine lines.
Faster turnover and new collagen support clearer, smoother, more even-looking skin over time.
How to get it
Today
Take the quiz
Answer a few questions about your skin, your goals, and your health history.
Next
A provider reviews
A US-licensed provider reviews your intake and prescribes tretinoin at the strength that fits you, if it is appropriate.
3 to 5 days
The pharmacy ships
A US-licensed pharmacy compounds your cream and ships it free in discreet packaging.
Ongoing
Stay on track
Message your care team anytime, and your provider adjusts your strength as your skin builds tolerance.
What the research shows
Tretinoin has been studied in randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trials for photoaged skin. Here is what that research found.
14 of 15
In a 16-week randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial, 14 of 15 people treating their face with tretinoin showed improvement in photoaging, versus none on vehicle cream.
Weiss et al., JAMA 1988
30 of 30
All 30 people who completed the same trial had statistically significant improvement in photoaging on the tretinoin-treated forearm, but not on the vehicle-treated side.
Weiss et al., JAMA 1988
1x / night
A single pea-sized amount applied once nightly. No in-office visits or multi-step routine required.
Tretinoin or OTC retinol
Two approaches to retinoids
| Tretinoin | OTC retinol | |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Prescription retinoid, applied directly | Weaker precursor, converts in the skin |
| Evidence | Randomized trials for photoaging and acne | Mostly cosmetic-grade testing |
| Provider oversight | Reviewed and titrated by a US-licensed provider | Bought off the shelf, no oversight |
| Onset | Tone often shifts around week six | Slower and more gradual |
| Early irritation | Expect an adjustment period of dryness and peeling | Usually milder |
| Best for | Lines, acne, and texture at prescription strength | Maintenance or very sensitive skin |
What to expect
Your skin adjusts over the first weeks, often with some dryness. Tone shifts around week six, texture by month three. Daily sunscreen keeps it on track.
- Weeks 1 to 2
Start your cream
Begin applying a pea-sized amount a few nights a week after your provider confirms your prescription. Some dryness and flaking is normal as your skin adjusts.
- Weeks 3 to 6
Work through the adjustment period
This is when purging and peeling are most common. Keep to your schedule and message your care team with questions.
- Week 6 onward
Tone starts to shift
Skin tone and clarity often begin to even out around this point as cell turnover speeds up.
- Month 3 and beyond
Texture rebuilds
Smoother texture and softer fine lines tend to show by month three, then build with continued nightly use.
Safety and side effects
Not prescribed in pregnancy or breastfeeding, and it raises sun sensitivity. Your provider reviews your history first.
Common
- Dryness and flaking
- Peeling, especially early on
- Redness and irritation
- Increased sun sensitivity
Less common
- A temporary purge of breakouts as skin adjusts
- Stinging or burning on application
- Temporary darkening or lightening of treated spots
Seek care
- Severe blistering, swelling, or crusting of the skin
- Signs of an allergic reaction such as rash or swelling of the lips or throat
Tretinoin is a retinoid and must be avoided if you are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding. Expect an adjustment period of dryness, peeling, and a possible purge in the first several weeks. Tretinoin makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so apply it at night and use sunscreen daily. This is not a complete list of side effects. Tell your provider about every medication and skincare product you use before starting.
Frequently asked questions
Other prescription skincare options
Approval is never automatic.
An independent US-licensed clinician reviews every request. If they decide the treatment is not right for you, you get a full refund for the medication.
Prescriptions are filled by a US-licensed pharmacy and shipped free, in discreet packaging, on every plan.
LegitScript-certified · Cert 50087439
Compounded medications are prepared by a US-licensed pharmacy and are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness. Products are dispensed only after a licensed provider determines they are appropriate. Information here is educational and is not a substitute for medical advice.