Tretinoin, Adapalene, Tazarotene: Understanding the Difference Between Common Retinoids
Tretinoin, Adapalene, Tazarotene: Understanding the Difference Between Common Retinoids By Sarah Taylor, PharmD What are retinoids? Retinoids are vitamin A (retinol) derivatives either synthetic or natural. Natural retinoid derivatives include retinoic acid (tretinoin), and retinyl esters. Synthetic retinoid derivatives include newer retinoids like tazarotene or adapalene. Retinoids play a role in a wide variety of processes within the body including reproduction, vision, inflammation, and cell differentiation and proliferation among others. 1 Common retinoids such as tretinoin and adapalene are FDA approved for the management of acne vulgaris, tazarotene is approved for use for acne as well as plaque psoriasis. 2,3,4 Currently, retinoids are approved for a relatively limited number of conditions, but studies have been evaluating their use for other purposes for many years. Some of these conditions include management of scars/keloids or stretch marks, aging skin, hyperpigm...