Where To Apply Tretinoin – Ask a Dermatologist

You’ve probably heard of the benefits of tretinoin, one of the most powerful forms of Vitamin A.
If you aren’t sure how and where to apply topical tretinoin, read on. We’re here to help. [1]

What is Tretinoin?

Tretinoin is part of a group of Vitamin A derivatives called retinoids. It is up to 20x more potent than over-the-counter retinol, delivering faster and more effective anti-ageing results. [2]

Due to its strength, tretinoin is only available as a prescription medication and must be personalised to your skin by a licensed dermatology professional.

What Does Tretinoin Do?

In skincare, tretinoin is used to treat a variety of skin concerns, from acne vulgaris to signs of skin ageing like fine lines, dark spots and melasma. Tretinoin boosts collagen production in the skin and speeds up healthy cell turnover. When used consistently, tretinoin can exfoliate dead skin cells, resulting in an even, glowing complexion in as little as 8–12 weeks of treatment. [1]

How To Apply Tretinoin

The Importance Of Proper Application

Tretinoin is a prescription-only ingredient. Although it’s safe to use and tolerated by the majority of people, applying too much, or at the wrong time of day, could cause skin irritation and damage to your skin barrier

Step-by-Step Guide For Applying Tretinoin

– Stick to a simple skincare routine with gentle, fragrance-free products until your skin has adjusted to the tretinoin.
– Wash your face with warm water and a gentle cleanser. Next, pat it dry with a clean towel.
– Apply a pea-sized amount of tretinoin on your face, avoiding your eyes and mouth (more about this later).
– Once it has fully absorbed into your skin, you can follow up with a layer of moisturiser.

Tips For Applying Tretinoin

Avoid harsh products

It’s best to avoid additional exfoliants, both physical scrubs and chemical exfoliating acids such as salicylic acid (BHA) and glycolic acid (AHA) while your skin is adjusting to tretinoin. Once your skin is tolerating tretinoin well and you’re no longer experiencing side effects such as irritation or excessive dryness, these actives can be gradually introduced

Never skip sunscreen

Retinoids can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight. Your skin may burn faster, or even lose the skin benefits your treatment provides.

Sun exposure without sunscreen also increases your risk of skin cancer and photoaging. Wear protective clothing and sunscreen with at least SPF 30+ like the SPF 50 Photodamage Defence Sunscreen, a product developed with dermatologists to protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays, year-round. We recommend reapplying every two hours, or sooner if it washes off due to swimming or sweating. [3]

Where To Apply Tretinoin

Cheeks

Tretinoin is completely safe to apply on your cheeks as it helps smooth skin texture and pigmentations like sun spots and melasma.

(Careful Around The) Eyes

How close can you apply tretinoin to your eyes? That’s a popular question, particularly if your skin goals are to reduce visible signs of ageing around the eyes like fine lines, crow’s feet and coarse wrinkles.
Imagine the width of your fingernail – that’s roughly 1 cm across for most people. Our dermatology experts suggest leaving a space about the width of your fingernail between the area where you’ve applied the tretinoin and your lower eyelid. This gap helps prevent irritation to the delicate skin around your eyes. So, when you’re gently rubbing in the treatment, keep that fingernail-width buffer in mind, and you’ll be good to go.

T-zone

Tretinoin is safe to use in the T-zone areas that include your forehead, nose and chin for concerns like fine lines, pigmentations and acne.
Body Areas To Avoid
Nose
To reduce the risk of irritation, we recommend that you avoid applying tretinoin around your nostrils, especially in sensitive skin.

Lips

Another no-go. The skin on your lips is very delicate, so applying topical retinoids could be irritating.
If you’re using a tretinoin cream to treat melasma around the top lip, be cautious. Buffer your lips with an occlusive balm like petroleum jelly first, and wash the area with a mild cleanser if there’s any transfer.

Neck, chest and body

It can be tempting to apply facial retinoid treatment to the neck, chest, or body, but this isn’t always appropriate. Facial retinoid formulations are often different from those designed for the body, which has thicker skin and different tolerance levels. For this reason, it’s best to use body-specific retinoid formulations recommended by a trusted dermatology expert.

Precautions and Considerations
Even if you stick to our guide, it’s still possible that you’ll experience skin irritation and side effects when you start tretinoin. Depending on your skin type, some people may experience side effects while others don’t experience any at all. This is the case for all skin care products within the retinoid family. The key is to monitor your skin closely and consult your doctor or skincare provider if you develop any concerns or adverse reactions.
You must not use retinoid products while you’re trying to get pregnant, pregnant or breastfeeding.

Potential Irritation and Sensitivity

Common early effects of the so-called ‘tretinoin purge’ include worsening breakouts, redness, dryness, peeling, irritation, and mild burning or stinging sensations. These effects are usually temporary and can last for up to six weeks before improving.

No matter how minor they are, side effects can be frustrating. To ease them, we’d recommend:

– Introducing tretinoin gradually. Try every other night at first until your skin gets used to it.
– Make sure you apply it on clean, dry skin. Don’t apply it to wet skin or damp skin.
– Use mild skincare products that are free from fragrance and suitable for sensitive skin, like the Dermatica skincare essentials range.
– Apply a layer of moisturiser before and after your treatment, to act as a buffer.

Remember, severe burning, redness, swelling, or irritation especially if it persists is not normal. If this occurs, stop using the product and consult your doctor immediately. For more tips on treating the tretinoin purge, or irritation from retinoids generally, read our blog post.

When To Reach Out For Help

If you’re interested in seeing what retinoids can do for your skin, our dermatology team at Dermatica can help – just visit our website.

Already a subscriber? If you have questions about tretinoin, or your personalised formula more generally, you can reach out to a dermatology expert from your dashboard at any time. Remember, as part of your treatment plan, you have free unlimited check-ins. So go ahead, ask us anything you’re curious about.

References

1. Yoham AL, Casadesus D. Tretinoin [Internet]. PubMed. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557478/
2. Sitohang IBS, Makes WI, Sandora N, Suryanegara J. Topical tretinoin for treating photoaging: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology. 2022 Mar;8(1):e003.
3. Gabros S, Zito PM. Sunscreens And Photoprotection [Internet]. Nih.gov. StatPearls Publishing; 2019. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537164/
4. Schmidt N, Gans EH. Tretinoin: A Review of Its Anti-inflammatory Properties in the Treatment of Acne. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology [Internet]. 2011 Nov 1;4(11):22–9. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3225141/