When using tretinoin for wrinkles, it is vital to comply with the dermatologist's or doctor's instructions. Most patients will start with the lowest available concentration since the medicine can cause severe irritation. If tretinoin cream is swallowed, call a doctor or poison control center right away. This medicine may cause harm to the unborn baby if you take it while you are pregnant. If you are pregnant or you get pregnant while taking tretinoin cream, call your doctor right away. Interestingly, study participants given a cream with a lower amount of tretinoin (.01% tretinoin, as opposed to.05% in the other group) didn’t experience the same anti-aging benefits as the participants given tretinoin.05% cream. Tretinoin’s bioavailability isn’t the best, meaning it isn’t easily absorbed by the skin. In fact, upwards of 80% of it remains on the skin’s surface. As an aside, tretinoin cream has been shown to penetrate a little bit better than tretinoin gel (by about 5%). Our list of tretinoin side effects tells you what to expect from the medication, as well as solutions for common issues. Choosing the Right Strength Tretinoin (Retin-A) Cream. Tretinoin comes in a range of different concentrations, from creams and gels with.01%.025% and.05% tretinoin content to stronger products with.1% tretinoin. Does this mean that tretinoin is a flawless treatment for acne scars? Not quite. While this study is promising, there’s very little complementary research on tretinoin as a treatment for scarring from cystic acne. ALTRENO lotion is the first and only tretinoin available in a lotion formulation. The lotion helps hydrate your skin. But what does tretinoin do? Tretinoin, the acne-fighting ingredient in ALTRENO lotion, is Tretinoin makes you more susceptible to sunburn. When you first start using Retin-A, apply it every other night or every third night. The flaking and irritation side effects are usually the worst in the first two weeks of application. Tretinoin, also known as all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), is medication used for the treatment of acne and acute promyelocytic leukemia. For acne, it is applied to the skin as a cream or ointment. For leukemia, it is taken by mouth for up to three months. It doesn't work as quickly, nor does it work on the deeper layers of the skin like prescription retinoids do. You can find retinol in many OTC anti-aging skin care products. You can find retinol in many OTC anti-aging skin care products.