Retinol vs Tretinoin (2026) | When to Switch

A comparison set of an OTC retinol serum bottle next to a prescription tretinoin tube on a stone vanity.

I spent eight months building my retinol tolerance before my dermatologist even mentioned the word “tretinoin.” That conversation changed my entire skincare routine, but it also left me with a dozen questions that took months to answer. If you are reading this, you are probably standing at the same crossroads I did, wondering whether the … Read more