Retinol and Retin-A (tretinoin) are both retinoids; however, tretinoin is more potent than retinol. Retin-A, which contains tretinoin, can deliver faster results compared to retinol when it comes to improving acne and wrinkles. However, Retin-A is available only by prescription, while retinol can be purchased over the counter.
Retinoid is a big group of Vitamin A derivatives. There are many different types of retinoids – retinol, retinaldehyde or retinal, adapalene, tazarotene, tretinoin and trifarotene are some of these.
In this post, we will focus on just two members of this group which we often come across – Retin-A (tretinoin) and retinol.
Differences
1. Different retinoids
Retin-A is the brand name for tretinoin which is a type of retinoid. Often, Retin-A is referred to as retinoid which is technically right but then many confuse Retin-A with retinol.
Both retinol and Retin-A (tretinoin) are two different types of retinoids!!
Below are some brand names and all these have tretinoin (just the formulation is a bit different among these different brands).
- Retin-A (brand name of commonly prescribed tretinoin)
- Retin-A Micro
- Atralin gel
- Altreno
- Renova
Tretinoin is also called ATRA – all trans retinoic acid, which is the active form.
2. Over the counter vs Prescription
Retinol is found in over-the-counter products and in fact, this is the most common type of retinoid found in skincare products. So, you can get them from local or online stores. You don’t need a prescription for this.
Retin-A on the other hand needs a prescription from a doctor. Now, Retin-A is FDA-approved for acne and photoaging. So, if your provider thinks you are the right candidate, you will get this prescription.
3. Strength
This is where the biggest difference is: the strength of these two products.
Retinol is not as strong as Retin-A (as it has tretinoin). This is the reason you can get retinol over the counter as compared to Retin-A. In fact, tretinoin (the active in Retin-A) is 20 times more potent than retinol.
But why are they different in strength when they both are part of the same retinoid group?
Retinol is not in an active form. So, it needs to get converted to the active form (all-trans-retinoic acid which is tretinoin).
For that, it has to go through two steps for conversion. Also not all of the retinol gets converted to the active form. Some of it gets converted to other derivatives.
So, for example, if you use 0.05% retinol, it does not all get converted to the active form (retinoic acid) – meaning 0.05% retinol is not equal to 0.05% retinoic acid or tretinoin. In addition, this rate of conversion will vary from person to person.
However, it is still effective like retin-A for aging, acne, and dark spots but the results may take longer to show. In addition, retinol is tolerated a lot better than Retin-A (tretinoin).
Retin-A is the one that is approved for photoaging. It has the active form (tretinoin aka all-trans retinoic acid), so there are no conversion steps. So, you get drastic results in a short period of time.
So, basically, retinol is not as strong as Retin-A.
How do they work?
Generally speaking, a retinoid is absorbed by the skin cells and converted to the active form which is retinoic acid or tretinoin.
This active form then binds to some receptors in the nucleus of the cell and affects certain genes. This affects skin cell differentiation.
All this can result in the normalization of the shedding of dead skin cells. This can help acne, refine pores, and improve the texture of the skin.
In addition, they increase collagen production and decrease its degradation leading to improvement in wrinkles. It can also interfere with the formation of melanin pigment resulting in the improvement of hyperpigmentation.
Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties are beneficial for the skin as well.
Benefits
Both Retin-A and retinol can help our skin in multiple ways:
1. Improves the texture of the skin
By increasing the cellular turnover, it can thin the top layer of skin – stratum corneum. The stratum corneum is the top layer of the skin and is made up of dead skin cells. The thinning of this layer gives a smooth appearance and improves the skin texture.
Note: Some think that it will thin the skin, however, it only thins the top layer of skin and in fact, it increases the overall thickness of the epidermis and dermis.
2. Fine lines and wrinkles
The natural process of aging and environmental factors can lead to fine lines and wrinkles.
Both Retin-A and retinol can increase collagen synthesis and inhibit collagen breakdown. In addition, they can increase hydration by deposition of glycosaminoglycans in the skin.
This improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and gives a youthful appearance.
3. Acne and pores
Normalizing the cell turnover of the lining epithelium of the hair follicle can prevent the plugging of pores and also gives an oxygen-rich environment that prevents the growth of Cutibacterium acnes which causes acne.
In addition, it also has anti-inflammatory action.
Retin-A can give quicker results when it comes to the improvement of acne, however, at the same time it can be more irritating.
4. Hyperpigmentation and dark spots
Both retinol and Retin-A can decrease the formation of melanin pigment by inhibiting the activation of tyrosinase (an enzyme that forms melanin pigment).
By increasing cell turnover, it can result in quicker removal of pigment from the skin as well.
In addition, it can prevent the transfer of melanin pigment from melanocytes to skin cells. Overall, all this results in the improvement of hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
Precautions
Retinoids should not be used by pregnant women due to their Category C characterization [Animal reproduction studies have shown an adverse effect on the fetus, but there are no adequate and well-controlled studies of humans].
What does this mean? We don’t have enough studies on pregnant women, so to be on the side of caution it’s best to avoid its use.
Side effects
Retinoids though amazing can have some adverse effects: dryness, flakiness, peeling, burning, and irritation.
This is often referred to as retinoid dermatitis or retinoid burn or peeling. Retinol is the most commonly used retinoid so often it is called “retinol uglies”.
These symptoms improve as our skin adjusts to retinol and Retin-A. In addition, due to an increase in cell turnover, you can see an increase in acne breakouts. This is called purging or tretinoin purge.
All these side effects will be more pronounced with Retin-A as compared to retinol.
Which one should you choose?
The big question is, which one is right for you? Everyone’s skin is different so you have to choose according to your skin and what results you want from these retinoids.
Start with a retinol
If you have sensitive skin or you are in your 20s and want to start with some preventative care for your skin, retinol might be a good starting point.
If your skin is able to tolerate it, well congratulations – keep using it or you can try a higher strength.
One issue with OTC retinol is that you don’t have a clear idea about the exact percentage of retinol.
Some brands will clearly state the percentage and some brands don’t give out that information. In addition, retinol is not very stable so you can not tell how effective your product is.
So, I would recommend buying retinol from a reputable brand.
If your skin is very sensitive and you are not sure if you should use retinol, it’s better to talk to your provider.
Start with retin-A
If you don’t want to wait for too long or have acne or if your provider thinks so, you might have better luck with tretinoin (Retin-A). But remember Retin-A comes with much more side effects so brace for that.
How to use
Once you have decided which one to use, let’s see how to use them safely (for a more detailed version, you can read this post on how to start using retinoids).
- Start slow.
- Choose a lower-strength formulation.
- Use it a few times a week.
- You need just a pea-sized amount for the whole face.
- Use over moisturized skin.
- Use with moisture sandwich method.
- Use along with niacinamide.
- Avoid exfoliants like glycolic acid and salicylic acid.
- Avoid ascorbic acid serums.
- Sunscreen every day, rain or shine.
Summary
Let’s gather all our thoughts here!!
Both retinol and retin-A (tretinoin) are retinoids. Retin-A is stronger in strength than retinol because it has the active form – tretinoin in it.
Both retinol and tretinoin can lead to similar results, however, retinol will take longer to reach that endpoint. You can get retinol in local pharmacies and stores but Retin-A is a prescription medicine.
If while using Retin-A or retinol, you get a lot of irritation, take a break. If the irritation doesn’t improve, it is a good idea to see a healthcare provider.
Read more articles on retinoids:
References
- Fluhr JW, Vienne MP, Lauze C, Dupuy P, Gehring W, Gloor M. Tolerance profile of retinol, retinaldehyde and retinoic acid under maximized and long-term clinical conditions. Dermatology. 1999;199 Suppl 1:57-60. doi: 10.1159/000051381. PMID: 10473963.
- Duell EA, Derguini F, Kang S, Elder JT, Voorhees JJ. Extraction of human epidermis treated with retinol yields retro-retinoids in addition to free retinol and retinyl esters. J Invest Dermatol. 1996 Aug;107(2):178-82. doi: 10.1111/1523-1747.ep12329576. PMID: 8757759.
- C.B. Boswell, MD, Skincare Science: Update on Topical Retinoids, Aesthetic Surgery Journal, Volume 26, Issue 2, March 2006, Pages 233–239.
- Leyden J, Stein-Gold L, Weiss J. Why Topical Retinoids Are Mainstay of Therapy for Acne. Dermatol Ther (Heidelb). 2017 Sep;7(3):293-304. doi: 10.1007/s13555-017-0185-2. Epub 2017 Jun 5. PMID: 28585191; PMCID: PMC5574737.
- Kong R, Cui Y, Fisher GJ, Wang X, Chen Y, Schneider LM, Majmudar G. A comparative study of the effects of retinol and retinoic acid on histological, molecular, and clinical properties of human skin. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2016 Mar;15(1):49-57. doi: 10.1111/jocd.12193. Epub 2015 Nov 18. PMID: 26578346.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for information purposes only and does not replace medical advice.