A-Ret
A-Ret is a 0.1% tretinoin tube, a retinoid applied in the evening for acne and fine wrinkles, sold in packs of one to five tubes.
Details
- Conditions
- Acne · Fine wrinkles
- Therapeutic Class
- Retinoid
- Pharmacological Class
- Vitamin A derivative
- Minor Side Effects
- Redness, Peeling
- Moderate Side Effects
- Dry skin, Itching
- Dosage Forms
- Cream, Gel
- Administration Route
- Topical
- Manufacturer
- Menarini
- Onset Time
- Several weeks
- Duration
- Continuous use
- Storage Instructions
- Store at room temperature in a dark place.
- Drug Interactions
- Benzoyl peroxide, Sulfur
FAQ
Which A-Ret strengths and pack sizes can I order?
A-Ret comes as 0.1% tubes, in packs of 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 tubes. Larger packs cost less per tube.
How is A-Ret delivered to Hong Kong?
A-Ret tubes can go by tracked courier in 5 to 9 business days, with online tracking. Every order arrives in plain, unbranded packaging with nothing outside about the contents. If your parcel does not arrive within the delivery window or arrives damaged, it is sent again free, or refunded if that is not possible.
What other names is tretinoin sold under?
A-Ret is a branded generic of tretinoin, the ingredient in Altreno, Renova and Retin-A. Tretinoin is also sold as Airol, Atralin, Retacnyl and Retrieve. Here, tretinoin can be bought online as A-Ret, and also as generic Renova, generic Retin-A Gel and tretinoin cream. These are generics, not the original brand.
Is A-Ret the same as Retin-A?
Both contain tretinoin, so the active ingredient is identical — the difference is the brand and the strengths on offer. A-Ret is the 0.1% tube, while Retin-A Cream comes in 0.025% and 0.05% and Retin-A Gel in 0.01% and 0.025%.
Can I use moisturiser or makeup while using A-Ret?
Yes. Let the A-Ret dry first, then apply a plain moisturiser if your skin feels tight, and put makeup on over that. Cleansers and toners that are medicated, abrasive or heavily perfumed are the ones to leave out, because they sting more once tretinoin is in your routine.
What happens if I stop using A-Ret?
The improvement fades gradually. Tretinoin changes skin while it is being used, so once you stop, spots tend to return and fine lines soften back over the following months.
Do I need sunscreen with A-Ret?
Yes, daily. Treated skin burns more easily, so use a sunscreen you are happy to wear every morning and cover up when you are outdoors for long. Tanning beds and sunlamps are the worst offenders, and wind and cold can sting the treated area too.
About A-Ret
What A-Ret is for
Tretinoin comes from the vitamin A family and is used on two things: acne and fine wrinkles. It makes the skin renew itself faster and keeps pores from clogging into spots. A-Ret is the 0.1% tube, at the top of the tretinoin strengths sold here.
Fitting A-Ret into your evening
Most people apply it as the last thing before sleep, once a day. Wash your hands and the affected area with a mild, plain soap, let the skin dry, then spread a thin layer from a fingertip over the spots or lines. Keep it away from the eyes, lips, the creases beside the nose and the genital area, and off sunburnt skin or patches of eczema. A plain moisturiser on top is fine, and so are non-medicated cosmetics. Perfumed or alcohol-heavy products — astringents, shaving lotions, strongly scented creams — sting more while you use tretinoin.
The first weeks, and how long results take
Acne often looks worse before it looks better. Redness, scaling and a crop of new spots in the first week to ten days are part of the treatment, so keep going. Spots usually begin to settle within two to three weeks, sometimes after six weeks or more. Fine lines take far longer — three to four months, occasionally six — and tretinoin reduces them rather than removing them, and does not repair sun-damaged skin. Stop using it and the improvement gradually fades. Forgot a night? Apply it as soon as you remember rather than doubling up the next evening.
Peeling, stinging and sun
Skin dries, flakes, itches and stings, mostly in the first weeks, then settles as it gets used to the treatment. A moisturiser takes the edge off. Stop if a rash, hives or soreness appear where it went on. Benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, sulfur or resorcinol products and hair removers should stay off the treated skin. Treated skin also burns more easily, so use sunscreen, cover up and avoid sunbeds; wind and cold sting it too. Close the tube after each use and keep it away from heat and bright light.
A-Ret beside the other tretinoin tubes
Tretinoin comes as several tubes here. A-Ret is the 0.1% one; Retin-A Cream comes in 0.025% and 0.05%, Retin-A Gel in 0.01% and 0.025%, Tretinoin Cream in 0.025% and 0.05%, and Renova in 0.025%, 0.05% and 0.1% for fine wrinkles and uneven colour. Same active ingredient, different brand and different strengths. The tretinoin page sets out the whole range.
Sources
- Tretinoin Topical: MedlinePlus Drug Information — MedlinePlus / National Library of Medicine
- Acne: Diagnosis and treatment - American Academy of Dermatology — American Academy of Dermatology