The Process: Tretinoin Before And After

posted in Compounded Ingredients on May 09, 2025

Did you know that your skin doesn’t have to age with you? As our skin cells are exposed to sunlight, over time it’s natural for the skin to start developing fine lines, wrinkles, sun spots, and other signs of aging. But there are plenty of ways that you can work towards preserving a youthful, healthy, and clear complexion!


Tretinoin is a powerful prescription skincare ingredient and is a great option for anti aging treatment for you to treat aging skin. Tretinoin is a topical retinoid, commonly known as Retin A. The before and after transformations that patients with retinoid treated skin have achieved, along with many scientific studies, have proven that this is an effective solution to prevent aging. And it could be the right one for you! But what is tretinoin, and what does it actually do?

What is tretinoin?


To better understand tretinoin, you’ll need to first understand retinoids. Retinoids are a class of chemical compounds (substances of two or more chemical elements) that include both natural and synthetic forms of Vitamin A such as retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, etretinate, acitretin, and tazarotene (Zasada).


Topical Tretinoin, or Tretinoin Retin-A, refers to retinoic acid, a natural Vitamin A derivative. This is a topical treatment and was actually the first retinoid treatment to be developed (Baldwin). Tretinoin was first formulated for use as an acne treatment in the 1970s by Dr. Albert M. Kligman at the University of Pennsylvania. Tretinoin before and afters for acne showed very powerful results. Patients using tretinoin daily began to report general improvement in their skin aside from the reduction in frequency of acne breakouts, so Dr. Kligman and colleagues studied the effects of tretinoin on skin damaged by ultraviolet light (UV light), which causes skin damage such as wrinkles and fine lines. In the 1990s, tretinoin began to be utilized as an anti-aging treatment (Baldwin).


Since then, tretinoin has been referenced as a “gold standard” ingredient in skincare and anti-aging treatments in particular (McDaniel). Tretinoin is a powerful, prescription-only ingredient in the United States, so you’ll need to consult with a doctor and receive a prescription before using it.

How does tretinoin work?


Your skin, the largest organ in your body (Mukherjee), suffers the most direct effects of the environment compared to any other bodily tissue, which is ultimately harmful and causes a lot of wear and tear (Alberts). Your skin cells are constantly regenerating and replacing old cells with new ones so that they can react to this exposure with constant repair. In the average healthy adult, it generally takes about 28 days for the epidermis, the outer layer of skin cells, to be gradually replaced by new cells (Rodan). The length of time it takes for the epidermis to be replaced with new skin cells is typically referred to as skin cell turnover or the skin cell cycle.


As we age, skin cell turnover slows down, leading to skin damage at a molecular level that causes changes in skin texture and the development of wrinkles to be more visible. The standard 28 day rate of skin cell turnover can increase by approximately 30% to 50% once you reach age 80 (Fore). Tretinoin speeds up your body’s production of new skin cells (McDaniel). The tretinoin causes the outermost layer of the skin to shed off more quickly, sometimes known as skin purging, and as a response, the skin underneath begins to produce more skin cells faster as well. This delays the aging process by speeding up the skin cell cycle, keeping the skin at the surface new and baby-soft, while treating the visible signs of age-related skin cell damage.


Tretinoin can also reduce wrinkles and fine lines by encouraging your skin to produce more collagen, which makes the skin more plump and elastic (Baldwin). This is why tretinoin before and after photos are so powerful: this treatment sheds the dead, dull, top layer of skin and encourages a new, plumper, healthier layer of skin to shine through and preserve a youthful, healthy glow where applied.


Are there other benefits to tretinoin?


Tretinoin was actually first used as an acne treatment before the other benefits of using this ingredient were discovered: anti-aging and generally improving the condition of UV-damaged skin (age spots) and uneven skin tone (Baldwin). Many dermatologists recommend tretinoin use before and after inflammatory acne vulgaris breakouts for reducing the severity of the breakouts and preventing future occurrences. This is because tretinoin reduces certain chemical reactions and inhibits inflammatory pathways in the skin known to be involved in the development of acne (Leyden).

How can I use tretinoin?


Interested in trying tretinoin yourself? Musely offers The Anti-Aging Night Cream, a prescription tretinoin cream formulated by board-certified dermatologists to treat wrinkles, fine lines, and overall skin texture. The Anti-Aging Night Cream also includes two other active ingredients: hyaluronic acid, which draws moisture to the skin to keep it healthy and hydrated, and niacinamide, which brightens the skin and shrinks the pores.


The Anti-Aging Night Cream is also available in multiple formulas, each with varying strengths of tretinoin, so that your treatment is personalized based on your skincare needs.


Tretinoin results in effects that are wonderful and powerful and have significant improvement in skin health. However, as with many prescription-strength ingredients, your skin will need time to adjust to this medication. A few common side effects to expect are slight burning, dryness, itchiness, redness, and flaking. Sometimes with prescription skincare, things get a little tougher before they get better as your skin adjusts to them, but the calm after the storm is well worth it!


In addition, tretinoin can increase your skin’s sensitivity to sunlight, so it is essential to have adequate sun protection. This includes wearing sunscreen (at least SPF 30) and hats outdoors while staying in the shade. One great moisturizing sunscreen option is The Day Cream from Musely. This sunscreen of SPF 50 has 5% titanium dioxide and 7% zinc oxide, creating a strong and effective clinical-grade barrier against both UVA and UVB rays.


Tretinoin is available in multiple forms, such as tretinoin cream and tretinoin gel. Before and after applying any form of tretinoin, be mindful about any other treatments you use on your face, and be sure to give the tretinoin time to absorb so that it can be effective in the areas you’ve applied it and not transfer onto another surface, like your pillow. The Anti-Aging Night Cream is tretinoin in its cream form.


How long does tretinoin take to work?


There’s no one-time fix treating signs of aging. The skin you have now won’t be the skin you have in a year, or even in a month; skin cells shed and are completely replaced every 28 days on average in healthy adults (Rodan). How long does it take for Retin-A to work on wrinkles, and will the effects go away? Within six to eight weeks of using tretinoin, once your skin has had time to go through multiple skin cell turnover cycles, you may see improvement in your skin’s texture, fine lines, wrinkles, and sun spots. You and your skin are worth the time and the wait! If you’ve never used Retin-A, how long you wait to see results can depend on your skin adjusting to the ingredient.


Long-term use of The Anti-Aging Night Cream will ensure maintenance of your life-changing results.


Tretinoin Results

Patience and consistency is key to seeing results with tretinoin. Check out some of our patients' tretinoin before and after results for wrinkles and more on their journey to youthful skin using The Anti-Aging Night Cream.

tretinoin before and after aging

“I've been very pleased with the results of Musely’s FaceRx...It has eliminated the beginnings of crepe-like texture on my cheeks, and overall my face feels very smooth and hydrated.” - Mimi B.

tretinoin for wrinkles before and after

“My skin is now super soft and the lines are not as deep.” - Natalie E.

tretinoin before and after wrinkles

“My skin tone is much more even!” - Leah C.

These patients all have at least one thing in common: using tretinoin or Retin-A, but how long it takes to see results can depend on other factors that influence your medical history or skin condition.

The Anti-Aging Night Cream, formulated to effectively treat wrinkles and fade sun damage, is a must-have tretinoin product for any skincare routine. Start aging youthfully with FaceRx today!

Behind The Scenes: The FaceRx Story


Musely CEO’s wife Cherry, struggled with melasma for years with no solution. She spent thousands of dollars on lasers and OTC treatments, all to no avail. One day, Musely got a tip from dermatologist Dr. Marie Jhin, who shared her secret of prescription skin care. After seeing Dr. Jhin, Cherry’s dark spots were gone and her wrinkles were significantly reduced. Her skin was completely transformed in just a matter of two months! The treatment? It included a prescription for tretinoin, hydroquinone, among others that can only be obtained through doctor visits or pharmacies. Musely CEO Jack Jia was so blown away by Cherry’s results that he wanted to share her amazing transformation with the entire Musely community and make prescription skin care treatments accessible to everyone. 


9 months later, FaceRx was born! Musely engineers built an online telemedicine platform. A dozen of the country’s top board-certified dermatologists joined Dr. Jhin to form what is now known as The Musely Medical Board. They developed special formulas that can be customized for each individual. A patient would receive a treatment prescribed and dispensed by their dermatologist and pharmacist just for them! Musely also developed eNurse, an extension to the existing Musely tips app, to allow the same doctor and pharmacist to support the patient during the 60-day treatment period.


Thanks to FaceRx, dermatologists can now oversee treatment for multiple patients at the same time from anywhere. Users can finish their doctor visit within minutes from the comfort of their home and receive their treatments at their doorstep within days.


With prescription skin care treatments that are affordable and accessible to everyone, FaceRx is the number one choice for treating dark spots, aging, and more—with results that actually last!


About Musely


Does Musely really work? Musely provides prescription skin care treatments through technology. Musely enables talented dermatologists and pharmacists to deliver and administer medical treatments for skin conditions and skincare, online. With its revolutionary approach, Musely enables the science of youth quickly and inexpensively from the convenience of your home. Founded by successful Silicon Valley serial entrepreneurs, Musely is on a mission to deliver health and healthy living to every person in the world.

How to Utilize Tretinoin Long Term


Topical Tretinoin is widely used in dermatology, for skin concerns in anti aging and managing hormonal acne. Here's a guide on how to approach the continued use of Tretinoin over a long period of time.


Sources:
Alberts, Bruce. “Epidermis and Its Renewal by Stem Cells.” Molecular Biology of the Cell. 4th Edition., U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 Jan. 1970.

Mukherjee, Siddharth, et al. "Retinoids in the treatment of skin aging: an overview of clinical efficacy and safety." Clinical interventions in aging 1.4 (2006): 327.

Leyden, James, et al. “Why Topical Retinoids Are Mainstay of Therapy for Acne.” Dermatology and Therapy, Springer Healthcare, Sept. 2017.

Figura, Laura. “What's so Special about Retin-A?” American Society of Plastic Surgeons, American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 5 Nov. 2019.

Baldwin, Hilary E. et al. “40 Years of Topical Tretinoin Treatment In Review.” Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, vol. 12, no. 6, 2013, pp. 638.

Rodan, Katie, et al. "Skincare bootcamp: the evolving role of skincare." Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 4.12 Suppl (2016).

Bhawan MD, Jag. "Short‐and long‐term histologic effects of topical tretinoin on photodamaged skin." International journal of dermatology 37.4 (1998): 286-292.

McDaniel, David H, et al. “Efficacy and Tolerability of a Double-Conjugated Retinoid Cream vs 1.0% Retinol Cream or 0.025% Tretinoin Cream in Subjects with Mild to Severe Photoaging.” Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 1 Aug. 2017.

Zasada, Malwina et al. "Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments." Advances in Dermatology and Allergology/Postępy Dermatologii i Alergologii, vol. 36, no. 4, 2019, pp. 392-397. doi:10.5114/ada.2019.87443.

Fore, Jane. "A review of skin and the effects of aging on skin structure and function." Ostomy/wound management 52.9 (2006): 24-35.