Can You Buy Tretinoin Over The Counter?

While it is very popular, tretinoin is not available over-the-counter. If you’d like to try tretinoin, you’ll have to reach out to a healthcare professional to obtain this prescription product.

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Why can’t you get tretinoin over-the-counter?

While you can get other helpful skincare acids over-the-counter, these products are not classified as medications.

Like with other prescription medications, a consultation and evaluation are required; prescribed dosages and duration of treatment should be overseen by a medical professional.

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Tretinoin is a powerful medication

In the same way you can buy some anti-inflammatory medicines at the grocery store, you’d have to go to your healthcare provider for prescription-strength anti-inflammatory medications. When it comes to prescription retinoids, these are prescription-only treatments.

Retinoid products purchased over-the-counter are cosmetic-grade.

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Read Related: How Does Tretinoin Cream Improve Your Skin?

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What about over-the-counter alternatives?

If you want to dip your toes in the retinoid treatment waters without a prescription, there are a few over-the-counter options.  Keep in mind that these treatments are not tretinoin (aka retinoic acid), and do not behave exactly like tretinoin. They are in the same family with varying strengths and effects.

Retinol is available over-the-counter

Retinol is a part of the vitamin A family but is considerably weaker than tretinoin. For this product to work, a 2 step oxidative conversion must take place on the skin.

This makes retinol weaker, and the effects take much longer (than tretinoin) to become visible.

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‍Learn more: Is Tretinoin The Same As Retinol?

Adapalene is available over-the-counter

Adapalene is available in low concentrations over-the-counter.

This treatment is great for those treating acne and have very sensitive skin. (Tretinoin is a great acne treatment, but it can be very irritating to some.)

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The retinoid cheat sheet

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Where to buy: Retinoid - Uses:

‍OTC: Retinol - Gentle on the skin but requires a conversation process so benefits up to 6-12 months to become visible.

OTC: Adapalene: A comedolytic that may help keep pores clear.

Prescription: Retinoic acid topical (tretinoin): A retinoid that may help with wrinkles, scars, discoloration, signs of aging, and acne.

Prescription: Oral isotretinoin: An oral treatment for severe acne.

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You can buy tretinoin online through Strut Health

While you can’t buy tretinoin over-the-counter, you can get a tretinoin prescription online.

You can consult with a healthcare provider remotely, and if they find you’d benefit from tretinoin, they’ll approve your prescription and some online companies can fill this prescription too.

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Strut Health offers compound tretinoin products online

No, tretinoin is not available over-the-counter, but you can get a prescription online through Strut Health.

‍If you’d like to try a prescription-strength retinoid, simply complete our questionnaire-based online provider's consultation.

Our providers will review your input and if you’re a good fit, we can prescribe one of our tretinoin-containing formulas and ship it right to you.

‍We have compounded tretinoin-containing products designed to improve acne, melasma, signs of aging, and acne scars. If you think you’d benefit from a prescription-strength retinoid, we’re here to help make it as easily accessible and cost-effective as possible.

*Compounded drug products are not approved or evaluated for safety, effectiveness, or quality by the FDA. Rx required.