Smoother, clearer skin over months: prescription tretinoin 0.05% with niacinamide to soften the start.
$1.28/dayBilled $229 every 180 days
Medication is charged only if your clinician prescribes it.
Start with a $20 clinician review
35 trials
In 33,472 people, single topical agents including tretinoin beat placebo on acne lesion counts
Source: Kakpovbia EE, et al. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2025;39(4):775-784Gold standard
A 2024 review of 25 studies calls topical tretinoin the gold standard for photoaging, with irritation as its main limit
Source: Siddiqui Z, et al. Am J Clin Dermatol 2024;25(6):873-890 (systematic review)3 to 4 months
The Renova label says some effect on fine wrinkles shows around 3 to 4 months, and up to 6 months may be needed
Source: Renova (tretinoin) cream 0.02% prescribing informationFigures come from published trials and reviews and from the brand-name Renova 0.02% label. Our 0.05% tretinoin with niacinamide is compounded and was not studied in them. Individual results vary.
Prescription tretinoin with niacinamide, started gently and adjusted with a clinician, delivered every 90 or 180 days.
Clinician review of your skin and history
A US-licensed clinician checks your answers, sensitivity and pregnancy plans before prescribing.
Tretinoin 0.05% with niacinamide, compounded in a US pharmacy
A 30 g tube of cream per fill, in a 90-day or 180-day plan.
A built-in ramp-up schedule
Directions start at two or three nights a week and build up as your skin tolerates.
Free, discreet shipping
Ships 2 to 5 business days after approval.
Care team messaging
Ask about dryness, peeling or breakouts and your clinician can change the plan.
Free lab panel at month 3
Biological Age Reveal, as a progress check.
“Retinoids irritate my skin.”
Niacinamide already in the tube
One nightly step instead of mixing products yourself.
“I do not want to book a dermatologist.”
No office visit
The whole review is online.
Biological Age Reveal
Tretinoin speeds up how fast skin cells turn over. That clears blocked pores, and over months it can smooth texture and soften fine lines.
It is also the topical retinoid most likely to irritate, which is why niacinamide is in the cream and why you build up the number of nights slowly. Daily sunscreen protects the skin you are renewing.
A pea-sized amount, at night. Start two or three nights a week and build up as your skin adjusts. Daily sunscreen is part of the plan.
Your concerns, how sensitive your skin is, what you use now and any pregnancy plans.
About 5 minutes
They check your answers and prescribe only if tretinoin fits, with a ramp-up plan for your skin.
Within 24 hours
If prescribed, a 30 g tube of compounded cream ships free in plain packaging, 2 to 5 business days after approval.
Start two or three nights a week and add nights as your skin adjusts. Message your care team to change the plan.
Dryness, redness or a temporary flare of breakouts is common while your skin adjusts. Back off a night or two if it feels raw.
For acne, the label says improvement can start after 2 to 3 weeks, and more than 6 weeks may be needed for a clear benefit.
For fine lines and texture, effects typically begin to show around 3 to 4 months, and up to 6 months may be needed.
Gains can fade if you stop, and use beyond a year has not been formally studied.
Three things you can do alongside your treatment.
A gentle cleanser and a daily moisturizer keep the barrier intact, which is what tretinoin tests in the first weeks. A stronger barrier means fewer dropouts.
Stress, gut health and the immune system all feed into skin. A food pattern built on anti-inflammatory foods, steady sleep and a stress outlet give the cream a better starting point.
Sun exposure is the main driver of photoaging and makes retinoid-treated skin burn more easily. A daily broad-spectrum sunscreen and a hat protect the progress you are building.
| Feature | Tretinoin 0.05% + niacinamide | Over-the-counter retinol | Plain prescription tretinoin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active form | Tretinoin, the active form of vitamin A, with niacinamide | A precursor your skin converts to the active form | Tretinoin alone |
| Evidence | Tretinoin is the most studied topical for photoaging and acne; the combination itself is not | Often gentler; head-to-head studies against tretinoin are mostly low quality | The same tretinoin evidence |
| Early irritation | Common; niacinamide and a slow start help | Usually milder | Common, with no added soothing ingredient |
| Regulatory status | Compounded, not FDA approved as a combination | Cosmetic product, not a drug | Brand-name creams are FDA approved, for acne and for fine wrinkles |
| How you get it | Online clinician review | Off the shelf | Clinician review or an office visit |
Retinol is a fair place to start if you want a gentler, over-the-counter step. Tretinoin is the stronger, prescription option.
Apply a pea-sized amount of the 0.05% cream to a clean, dry face at night, starting two to three nights a week and building up as tolerated. Use sunscreen every morning.
Tretinoin is FDA approved for acne. This preparation is compounded with niacinamide, so the combination has not been reviewed by the FDA.
Tell your care team straight away if your skin blisters or crusts, you get severe swelling, burning or stinging you cannot tolerate, you get sunburned while using it, or peeling keeps getting worse.
Common side effects
Rare but serious
Do not take this if you are pregnant, or your skin is sunburned or has active eczema.
This is not a complete list of side effects. Message your care team about any symptom that worries you. What we dispense is a compounded preparation made by a licensed US pharmacy. Compounded medications are not approved by the FDA for safety, efficacy or quality.
It can soften fine lines over months. The label for brand-name tretinoin is clear that it does not eliminate wrinkles or repair sun-damaged skin, and the effect can fade if you stop.
Niacinamide is vitamin B3. In a 12-week split-face trial of 50 women, a 5% niacinamide moisturizer improved fine lines and spots, and a separate study found a niacinamide moisturizer eased early tretinoin irritation. Both studies were small, and we cannot say our percentage matches.
Tretinoin 0.05% with niacinamide, in a 30 g tube of cream that lasts about 90 days with nightly pea-sized use. Your clinician may start you on fewer nights a week, not a lower-strength cream.
The active ingredient is the same. Ours is compounded by a licensed US pharmacy with niacinamide added, so the combination has not been reviewed by the FDA. Dermatology-office creams are usually brand or generic tretinoin on its own.
It is used across skin tones for acne. For fine wrinkles, the Renova 0.02% label notes that one study in medium to dark skin showed no benefit over sun avoidance and a good skincare routine. Irritation is the main hurdle, so go slowly.
A gentle cleanser, a moisturizer and sunscreen. Skip other retinoids, strong exfoliating acids, benzoyl peroxide and harsh astringents unless your clinician says otherwise.
180-day supply · $1.28/day · Billed $229 every 180 days
