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Retin-A

Tretinoin · Gel

Prescription NDA TE AB RLD Official labelling
Informational index, not medical advice. Content is reproduced from public FDA and NLM data. Always confirm against the manufacturer's current prescribing information. Report adverse events to FDA MedWatch.

Overview

Brand name
Retin-A
Generic name
Tretinoin
Dosage form
Gel
Route
Topical
Marketing category
NDA · NDA
Labeler
Bausch Health US, LLC
Product type
Human Prescription Drug
DEA schedule
Not scheduled
Active ingredients
2
NDC product codes
2
Packages
4
Data completeness
76% of corroborating sources present

Active ingredients

Source: NDC Directory
Active ingredients and strengths as listed in the NDC Directory.
Ingredient Strength RxCUI Monograph
Tretinoin .1 mg/g 106302 View
Tretinoin .25 mg/g 106302 View

Forms, strengths and routes

Source: NDC Directory
Dosage form
Gel
Route of administration
Topical
Presentations
6

Pharmacologic classes are listed in the class section below.

Pharmacologic class

Source: NDC Directory
Established pharmacologic classes (EPC), mechanisms of action (MoA), chemical structures (CS) and physiologic effects (PE).
Class Type Browse
Retinoid [EPC] EPC All 35 members
Retinoids [CS] CS All 35 members

Regulatory status

Source: Drugs@FDANDC Directory
Application number
017579
Application type
NDA · New Drug Application
Approval date
April 18, 1975
Sponsor
VALEANT INTL
Products on application
1
Submissions recorded
22
Products approved under application 017579.
Product Trade name Form Strength Ingredient Status TE Flags
017579-002 RETIN-A GEL TRETINOIN Prescription AB RLD RS

Therapeutic equivalence

Source: Orange Book
TE code
AB
Reference Listed Drug
Yes
Reference Standard
Yes

What this rating means: Therapeutically equivalent — bioequivalence demonstrated by in vivo or in vitro testing

Codes beginning with “A” indicate products the FDA considers therapeutically equivalent. Codes beginning with “B” indicate bioequivalence has not been established. See methodology.

Approval history

Source: Drugs@FDA
Most recent submissions on application 017579.
Type No. Action Status Date Review
Supplement 32 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved May 14, 2013 Standard
Supplement 23 Labeling Approved June 10, 2002 Standard
Supplement 20 Labeling Approved June 10, 2002 Standard
Supplement 18 Labeling Approved June 10, 2002 Standard
Supplement 24 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved March 20, 2001 Standard
Supplement 22 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved January 25, 1999 Standard
Supplement 21 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved July 23, 1998 Standard
Supplement 16 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved January 31, 1992 Standard
Supplement 14 Labeling Approved August 28, 1990 —
Supplement 13 Labeling Approved August 28, 1990 —
Supplement 15 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved July 3, 1990 Standard
Supplement 12 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved December 1, 1989 Standard
Supplement 9 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved July 23, 1986 Standard
Supplement 10 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved June 11, 1985 Standard
Supplement 8 Labeling Approved November 30, 1982 —
Supplement 7 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved July 29, 1981 Standard
Supplement 5 Labeling Approved April 28, 1980 —
Supplement 4 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved October 23, 1979 Standard
Supplement 3 Labeling Approved December 1, 1978 —
Supplement 2 Manufacturing (CMC) Approved June 14, 1977 Standard
Supplement 1 Labeling Approved January 4, 1977 —
Original application 1 Type 3 - New Dosage Form Approved April 18, 1975 Standard

Review documents

  • 0 · Supplement · June 10, 2002
  • 0 · Supplement · June 10, 2002
  • 0 · Supplement · June 10, 2002
  • 0 · Supplement · June 10, 2002
  • 0 · Supplement · June 10, 2002
  • 0 · Supplement · June 10, 2002

Prescribing information

Source: openFDA Drug Labeling

Reproduced verbatim from the Structured Product Labeling submitted to the FDA (effective 20240517). This is the manufacturer's labelling text, not a summary and not advice.

HUMAN PRESCRIPTION DRUG · 20240517

Indications and Usage

openFDA Drug Labeling

INDICATIONS AND USAGE RETIN-A is indicated for topical application in the treatment of acne vulgaris. The safety and efficacy of the long-term use of this product in the treatment of other disorders have not been established.

Dosage and Administration

openFDA Drug Labeling

DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION RETIN-A Gel or Cream should be applied once a day, before retiring, to the skin where acne lesions appear, using enough to cover the entire affected area lightly. Gel: Excessive application results in “pilling” of the gel, which minimizes the likelihood of overapplication by the patient. Application may cause a transitory feeling of warmth or slight stinging. In cases where it has been necessary to temporarily discontinue therapy or to reduce the frequency of application, therapy may be resumed or frequency of application increased when the patients become able to tolerate the treatment. Alterations of vehicle, drug concentration, or dose frequency should be closely monitored by careful observation of the clinical therapeutic response and skin tolerance. During the early weeks of therapy, an apparent exacerbation of inflammatory lesions may occur. This is due to the action of the medication on deep, previously unseen lesions and should not be considered a reason to discontinue therapy. Therapeutic results should be noticed after 2 to 3 weeks but more than 6 weeks of therapy may be required before definite beneficial effects are seen. Once the acne lesions have responded satisfactorily, it may be possible to maintain the improvement with less frequent applications, or other dosage forms. Patients treated with RETIN-A (tretinoin) acne treatment may use cosmetics, but the area to be treated should be cleansed thoroughly before the medication is applied (see PRECAUTIONS ).

Contraindications

openFDA Drug Labeling

CONTRAINDICATIONS Use of the product should be discontinued if hypersensitivity to any of the ingredients is noted.

Adverse Reactions

openFDA Drug Labeling

ADVERSE REACTIONS The skin of certain sensitive individuals may become excessively red, edematous, blistered, or crusted. If these effects occur, the medication should either be discontinued until the integrity of the skin is restored, or the medication should be adjusted to a level the patient can tolerate. True contact allergy to topical tretinoin is rarely encountered. Temporary hyper- or hypopigmentation has been reported with repeated application of RETIN-A. Some individuals have been reported to have heightened susceptibility to sunlight while under treatment with RETIN-A. To date, all adverse effects of RETIN-A have been reversible upon discontinuance of therapy (see DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION ). To report SUSPECTED ADVERSE REACTIONS, contact Bausch Health US, LLC at 1-800-321-4576 or FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Drug Interactions

openFDA Drug Labeling

Drug Interactions Concomitant topical medication, medicated or abrasive soaps and cleansers, soaps and cosmetics that have a strong drying effect, and products with high concentrations of alcohol, astringents, spices or lime should be used with caution because of possible interaction with tretinoin. Particular caution should be exercised in using preparations containing sulfur, resorcinol, or salicylic acid with RETIN-A. It also is advisable to “rest” a patient’s skin until the effects of such preparations subside before use of RETIN-A is begun.

Description

openFDA Drug Labeling

DESCRIPTION RETIN-A Gel and Cream, containing tretinoin, are used for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris. RETIN-A Gel contains tretinoin (retinoic acid, vitamin A acid) in either of two strengths, 0.025% or 0.01% by weight, in a gel vehicle of butylated hydroxytoluene, hydroxypropyl cellulose and alcohol (denatured with tert -butyl alcohol and brucine sulfate) 90% w/w. RETIN-A (tretinoin) Cream contains tretinoin in one of three strengths, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.025% by weight, in a hydrophilic cream vehicle of stearic acid, isopropyl myristate, polyoxyl 40 stearate, stearyl alcohol, xanthan gum, sorbic acid, butylated hydroxytoluene, and purified water. Chemically, tretinoin is all - trans -retinoic acid and has the following structure: Chemical Structure

OVERDOSAGE If medication is applied excessively, no more rapid or better results will be obtained and marked redness, peeling, or discomfort may occur. Oral ingestion of the drug may lead to the same side effects as those associated with excessive oral intake of Vitamin A.

How Supplied / Storage and Handling

openFDA Drug Labeling

HOW SUPPLIED RETIN-A (tretinoin) is supplied as: RETIN-A Cream RETIN-A Gel NDC Code RETIN-A Strength/ Form RETIN-A Qty. NDC Code RETIN-A Strength/ Form RETIN-A Qty. 0187-5160-20 0.025% Cream 20 g 0187-5172-15 0.01% Gel 15 g 0187-5160-45 0.025% Cream 45 g 0187-5172-45 0.01% Gel 45 g 0187-5162-20 0.05% Cream 20 g 0187-5170-15 0.025% Gel 15 g 0187-5162-45 0.05% Cream 45 g 0187-5170-45 0.025% Gel 45 g 0187-5164-20 0.1% Cream 20 g 0187-5164-45 0.1% Cream 45 g Storage Conditions: RETIN-A Gel, 0.025% and 0.01%: store below 86°F. RETIN-A Cream, 0.1%, 0.05%, and 0.025%: store below 80°F.

Adverse event reports

Source: openFDA FAERS
8,793
FAERS reports mentioning this drug
as of 2026-09-25T03:42:24+00:00
A report count is not a risk measure. FAERS accepts voluntary and mandatory reports without establishing causation, and reporting is influenced by how widely a drug is used, how long it has been marketed, and media attention. FDA states that reports “do not prove that the drug caused the event”. Compare rates, not totals.

Attributed to this product's most-reported active ingredient: TRETINOIN. Combination products with more than six active ingredients are not attributed, because a report count summed across a long ingredient list measures the list, not the medicine.

Packaging and NDCs

Source: NDC Directory
Every National Drug Code package associated with this medication. The NDC is the identifier used for dispensing, billing and pharmacovigilance in the United States.
Package NDC Product NDC Labeler Description Marketing start
0187-5170-15 0187-5170 Bausch Health US, LLC 1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (0187-5170-15) / 15 g in 1 TUBE July 30, 1975
0187-5170-45 0187-5170 Bausch Health US, LLC 1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (0187-5170-45) / 45 g in 1 TUBE July 30, 1975
0187-5172-15 0187-5172 Bausch Health US, LLC 1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (0187-5172-15) / 15 g in 1 TUBE July 30, 1979
0187-5172-45 0187-5172 Bausch Health US, LLC 1 TUBE in 1 CARTON (0187-5172-45) / 45 g in 1 TUBE July 30, 1979
0187-5170 0187-5170 Bausch Health US, LLC — July 30, 1975
0187-5172 0187-5172 Bausch Health US, LLC — July 30, 1979

Sources for this page

Every dataset that contributed a fact to this page.
Dataset Agency Used for
NDC Directory FDA Identity, ingredients, strengths, forms, routes, labelers, packages
Drugs@FDA FDA Application, sponsor, submissions, review documents, marketing status
Orange Book FDA Therapeutic equivalence codes, reference drug flags, patents, exclusivity
Drug Labeling FDA / NLM Prescribing information reproduced above
FAERS FDA Adverse event report counts

Generated September 25, 2026 · 12 sections on this page.