What’s the Difference Between Retinol and Tretinoin ?

What’s the Difference Between Retinol and Tretinoin?

Retinol and tretinoin are both retinoids, which means they are compounds that come from vitamin A. They’re both commonly used in topical creams to treat a number of skin conditions.

Everyone’s skin is different, but no one’s skin is immune to the effects of sunlight, stress, and natural aging. To treat these effects, you might decide to use retinoids.

Retinoids are chemical compounds related to vitamin A.

Retinol and tretinoin are both examples of retinoids. Tretinoin can also be called all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA). It’s sold under many brand names, including Retin-A.

With so many similar-sounding names, it’s easy to get these retinoids confused. While retinol and tretinoin are alike, they’re not quite the same.

Let’s take a look at the differences between these two retinoids.

Retinol vs. tretinoin strength
When it comes to treating your skin, the biggest difference between these two compounds is their strength.

Retinol is a vital nutrient. It’s fat-soluble, which means it can stay in your body for a long time. According to 2021 researchTrusted Source, your liver can take this stored retinol and convert it into tretinoin. Your body will use the tretinoin for a variety of biological functions.

For the purposes of skin care, tretinoin can be thought of as a more concentrated version of retinol. This means that tretinoin is stronger than retinol.

This difference in strength can help guide your decision-making when it comes to choosing a skin care product.

When they’re used
Both retinol and tretinoin are commonly used as topical treatments for a variety of skin conditions, according to experts.
These include:
– Acne
– Melasma
– Solar comedones
– Liver spots
– Sun spots
– Fine wrinkles
– Under the direction of a doctor, people sometimes use prescription tretinoin to treat other skin conditions
– Tretinoin can take the form of a cream applied to the skin or an oral tablet.