True, these benefits sound similar to those of retinol, but tretinoin differs in that the ingredient is in its most potent, active form right out of the tube. Other vitamin A derivatives like retinol are weaker because your skin must convert them before they’re recognizable as retinoic acid. Tretinoin’s strength translates into glowier, healthier-looking skin faster, but the ingredient is not without its weaknesses. “Tretinoin often causes dryness, peeling, and redness due to increased skin-cell turnover,” says double-board-certified facial plastic surgeon Babak Azizzadeh. “Many people wrongly think they are allergic or stop using it for these reasons.” These side effects are often known as the retinoid uglies, and they can be challenging, but they’re not insurmountable.
The key to succeeding when using all-star all-trans retinoic acid is consistency, patience, and caution—and following a tretinoin skin-care routine designed to support your skin as it adjusts to the potent active. With these steps and our expert tips, you’ll be well on your way to revealing your freshest, brightest skin yet.
Your Evening Tretinoin Skin-Care Routine Essentials
Tretinoin can make your skin more sensitive, especially to sun exposure, so you’ll want to apply it as part of your evening routine. Dr. Reszko recommends following an evening routine focusing on repair, hydration, and supporting the skin’s overnight regenerative processes. “Combining tretinoin with growth factors, reparative ingredients, and gentle hydration will help restore the skin barrier, minimize irritation, and promote healthy skin renewal,” she says.
PM Step 1: Prep the Skin With Cleanser
Always start with a fresh canvas. By washing your face, you’ll be removing any makeup, sunscreen, or other residues that will prevent the tretinoin from fully absorbing into your skin. Our experts recommend using a gentle, hydrating formula that won’t strip the skin barrier and leave you dry but fully removes any grime. Ideally, it’ll also be fragrance-free to avoid irritation; you’ll want your skin to be as comfortable as possible before applying tretinoin.
PM Step 2: Apply a Pea-Size Amount of Tretinoin
Once you’ve patted your skin dry post-cleanse, apply a pea-size amount of tretinoin to your face, avoiding your eyes, mouth, and any broken skin. A pea-size amount may sound like a comically small dab of product, but we promise that is truly all you need to get the benefits of tretinoin. “Be careful not to over-apply, as more product doesn’t necessarily mean better results,” warns Dr. Reszko. Allow the tretinoin to absorb for a few minutes before you move on to the next step, which will give it time to penetrate into deeper layers of the skin and get to work.
PM Step 3: Use a Skin-Renewing Serum
While you’re getting your beauty rest, your body is hard at work fixing any damage from the day. Make the most of it by using a repair serum after your tretinoin. A product like this will support the work of your retinoid by further promoting skin renewal while also helping to soothe any irritation or sensitivity.
PM Step 4: Support the Skin Barrier With a Rich Moisturizer
Because tretinoin can dry and irritate the skin, you’ll want to lock in hydration and support the skin barrier with a solid moisturizer. “Look for ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and fatty acids to enhance skin hydration and barrier repair, all of which are crucial for skin recovery after tretinoin use,” says Dr. Reszko.
Your Morning Tretinoin Skin-Care-Routine Essentials
According to Dr. Reszko, your morning regimen should incorporate gentle cleansing, antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and strong sun protection to help nourish and protect the skin. It’ll look similar to any derm-recommended morning skin-care routine but with a focus on mild formulas.
AM Step 1: Gently Cleanse Again
Aside from some excess sebum and any residue from your skin-care routine the night prior, you won’t have much to wash off your face. You can use the same cleanser from your evening routine or another formula (like micellar water) so long as it’s gentle and hydrating.
AM Step 2: Soothe and Protect With Antioxidant Serums
Free-radical defense is a cornerstone of any morning routine, but it’s especially important when using tretinoin, as the active can make your skin more sensitive to environmental stressors like UV damage and pollution.
AM Step 3: Nourish With a Lightweight Moisturizer
To further help your skin adjust to the drying effects of tretinoin, Dr. Azizzadeh recommends applying a fragrance-free, lightweight moisturizer with ceramides, peptides, and squalane in your morning routine.
AM Step 4: Shield Yourself From the Sun with SPF
It’s possible that you’re using tretinoin to undo years of SPF neglect. No matter your reason for using a retinoid, don’t have it in your regimen if you’re not going to use sunscreen too. “Sun protection is crucial while using tretinoin since it increases sun sensitivity and makes your skin more prone to burning and damage,” warns Dr. Reszko, who recommends seeking out a broad-spectrum formula (which will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays) that’s at least SPF 30, if not greater for added protection. Dr. Azizzadeh recommends mineral SPF in particular, as it’s gentler on the skin than chemical filters.
Everything You Need to Know
What Concentration of Tretinoin Is Best?
Tretinoin is available in multiple concentrations (typically ranging from 0.025% to 0.1%), and it has texture options to suit a variety of skin types. If you’re new to retinoids and/or have sensitive skin, start with a low concentration, ideally with a cream base. A lower potency and a more nourishing base will help your skin adjust to the tretinoin and minimize the common side effects of irritation, dryness, redness, and peeling. “If you have dry or sensitive skin, your physician will likely recommend staying with a lower concentration,” says Dr. Azizzadeh.
If you use a 0.025% tretinoin without irritation for four or six weeks, have oily skin, or are a seasoned retinoid user, you can try a stronger formula; 0.05% will provide stronger antiaging and acne-clearing results, while 0.1% tretinoin will provide even more powerful benefits against deeper wrinkles or severe acne.
Be sure to monitor your skin as you start a new formula, advises Dr. Reszko. “If you notice irritation or excessive dryness, you may need to reduce the frequency or go back to a lower concentration for a while before moving up again,” she says. “The goal is to maximize benefits while keeping side effects to a minimum.” No matter what, side effects are likely, but don’t let that deter you; just take them as a sign you need to adjust your treatment, either in strength, application cadence (more on this below), or both. “You’re using a real prescription treatment,” says Dr. Bottiglione. “Education about the product you’re using is extremely important so you can learn how to modify the treatment to suit you.”
Do You Apply Tretinoin Before or After Moisturizer?
This will depend on your skin type as well as your tolerance to tretinoin. “If you apply a moisturizer first then put the tretinoin on, the moisturizer will act as a barrier and you will not get the full results from the treatment,” warns Dr. Bottiglione. However, creating a buffer can be helpful if you have dry or sensitive skin, says Dr. Azizzadeh, who advises these skin types to try the retinoin-sandwich technique: two thin layers of moisturizer as the bread, filled with tretinoin. You’ll still absorb some of the tretinoin, but you won’t be getting it at its maximum strength.
What Should You Not Layer With Tretinoin?
Tretinoin sensitizes the skin, so you’ll want to avoid ingredients and products that can cause further irritation. This includes strong exfoliants like AHAs, BHAs, and physical scrubs; potent actives such as benzoyl peroxide, hydroquinone, and kojic acid; and harsh or drying ingredients like alcohol-based astringents, toners, and clay masks, says Dr. Azizzadeh. You also shouldn’t use other retinoids (including bakuchiol) with tretinoin; this will just add irritation without additional benefits.
You can still keep exfoliants or other actives in your regimen using tretinoin. “You can use tretinoin and strong exfoliants on alternating nights,” says Dr. Azizzadeh. “Similarly, potent actives can be used on the same day as tretinoin, with the active ingredients applied in the morning and tretinoin in the evening.”
How Often Should You Use Tretinoin per Week?
Less really is more with tretinoin, especially if you’re a new user. “Begin by applying tretinoin two to three nights a week for the first two to four weeks,” says Dr. Reszko. “This allows your skin to build tolerance while still reaping the benefits of increased cell turnover.” If your skin has adapted after a few weeks and you no longer have much irritation, you can increase your application to every other night or four to five times a week. Those with sensitive, reactive, or rosacea-prone skin should be especially aware of irritation. “If you notice irritation or dryness when you increase the frequency, reduce it back to two to three times a week until your skin fully adjusts,” says Dr. Reszko.
Consistently clear, smooth, and irritation-free skin while using tretinoin is a sign that you can take things to the next level. “If you are an advanced user and your skin fully tolerates tretinoin, you can apply it every night to maximize its benefits for acne, antiaging, and skin-texture improvement,” says Dr. Azzizadeh. Just be aware that your skin won’t be ready for this overnight; patiently building your skin’s tolerance is key to achieving the best results with the least irritation.
