Tretinoin is a medication used to treat acne and sun-damaged skin. It is a synthetic version of vitamin A and is sold under a variety of brand names, including Altreno, Atralin, Avita, Refissa, Rejuva, Renova, Retin-A, Stieva, and Tretin-X. It is also used as an ingredient in combination products such as Solage, Tri-Luma, Veltin, and Ziana. Tretinoin works by irritating the skin, which speeds up the life cycle of skin cells. It makes them divide faster and die faster, so newer, healthier cells can take their place.

Positive effects:

• Improves the appearance of surface wrinkles, fine lines, and dark spots.
• Stimulates collagen production, which can reduce scarring and improve overall skin texture.
• Reduces inflammation associated with acne.
• Improves hyperpigmentation and evens skin tone.

Negative effects:

• Tretinoin is likely to irritate the skin when you first start using it. In the first few weeks of treatment, it’s normal to have mild to moderate redness, dryness, peeling, and itchiness. These side effects should lessen as your skin adjusts to the medication.
• Tretinoin increases the amount of water that evaporates from the upper layer of the skin, which can cause dry skin. It might also decrease ceramide synthesis, at least in the short term.
• Tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so it is important to use sunscreen and avoid excessive sun exposure.

Ingredients or materials:

• Tretinoin is chemically all-trans-retinoic acid, also known as (all-E)-3,7-dimethyl-9-(2,6,6-trimethyl-1- cyclohexen-1-yl)-2,4,6,8-nonatetraenoic acid. It is a member of the retinoid class of compounds and a metabolite of naturally occurring Vitamin A.
• Tretinoin gel (microsphere), 0.08%, contains 0.8 mg of tretinoin. The formulation uses acrylate copolymer microsphere system to enable inclusion of the active ingredient, tretinoin, in an aqueous gel. Other components consist of benzyl alcohol, butylated hydroxytoluene, carbomer 974P, cyclomethicone and dimethicone copolyol, disodium EDTA, glycerin, PPG-20 methyl glucose ether distearate, propylene glycol, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, purified water, sorbic acid, and trolamine.