Actives glossary
Tretinoin
The prescription form skin does not have to convert, which is why it is not in any ranking on this site.
- INCI name
- Tretinoin
- Also called
- all-trans retinoic acid, retinoic acid
- Family
- Retinoid
- Range seen on labels
- 0.025% to 0.1%, by prescription only in the United States
- Sits well with
- ceramides, niacinamide
- Needs care with
- retinol, retinaldehyde, glycolic-acid, salicylic-acid
Tretinoin is retinoic acid itself. There is no conversion step, which is why it works at lower percentages than any cosmetic retinoid and why it is regulated as a drug in the United States rather than sold as a cosmetic.
Why it appears here at all
It appears in this glossary because it is the reference point every cosmetic retinoid is measured against, and because readers comparing a 1% retinol to a 0.05% prescription cream deserve to know those numbers describe different molecules at different stages of the same pathway.
It does not appear in any ranking on this site. A prescription product is obtained through a clinician, is dosed by one, and is not something a ranking of shelf products can usefully sort.
The practical consequence
If a cosmetic retinoid is doing nothing after several months of consistent use, the next step is a conversation with a clinician about a prescription option, not a stronger version of the same cosmetic. Percentage escalation inside the cosmetic range mostly buys irritation.
References
- US FDA. Tretinoin cream prescribing information, DailyMedAccessed 2026-08-08