Tretinoin
What is tretinoin?
Tretinoin is a prescription vitamin A cream, also called retinoic acid, applied to the skin. It speeds skin cell turnover and helps rebuild collagen. It is approved for acne and, at some strengths, for fine wrinkles and blotchy pigment from sun damage. It is one of the best studied anti-aging skin treatments.
Listed here because well-known people have tried it on themselves. Trying something is not recommending it; each entry says whether the person tells others to do it.
Who has tried it
Tried by 1 person we can source: 1 kept.
Kept
Bryan JohnsonEntrepreneur, founder of BlueprintBlueprint (Bryan Johnson)
Dates not stated · Does not recommend it to others
Uses tretinoin at 0.025 to 0.1% as part of his daily skin routine.
“Tretinoin 0.025-0.1%”
Bryan Johnson, Bryan's Protocol (checked November 2026) · Status checked November 1, 2026 · Suggest a correction
What the evidence shows
For sun-damaged skin the evidence is consistent. In a 16-week vehicle-controlled trial, 14 of 15 people using tretinoin on the face improved, and none on vehicle did [1]. Ten to 12 months of 0.1% tretinoin raised collagen formation in sun-damaged skin by 80% [2], and a review of 7 randomized trials found that every one reported better wrinkles, pigment and texture [3].
One large trial in older veterans, set up to prevent skin cancer, was stopped early because more people died on 0.1% tretinoin; the authors judged a causal link unlikely [4].
Tretinoin improves the look of aging skin. It is approved for acne and sun damage, and has no known effect on aging elsewhere in the body.
Safety
- Tretinoin is a prescription drug approved for acne and, in some formulas, for sun-damaged skin.
- Redness, peeling, dryness and stinging are common at first; starting with a low strength a few nights a week helps.
- It makes skin more sensitive to the sun, so daily sunscreen is needed.
- It is not for use in pregnancy, while trying to conceive, or on broken or eczema-affected skin.
Common questions
Does Bryan Johnson use tretinoin?
Yes. As of November 2026 his published skin routine lists tretinoin at 0.025 to 0.1%. His 2024 hair formula also contained a small amount of tretinoin.
Does tretinoin reverse skin aging?
Is tretinoin safe long term?
It has been used for decades and is generally well tolerated on the skin. A trial in older veterans saw more deaths on tretinoin, but the authors judged it unlikely to be caused by the cream [4].
Sources
- 1.Weiss JS, Ellis CN, Headington JT, et al. Topical tretinoin improves photoaged skin. A double-blind vehicle-controlled study. JAMA, 1988. PubMed 3336176
- 2.Griffiths CE, Russman AN, Majmudar G, et al. Restoration of collagen formation in photodamaged human skin by tretinoin (retinoic acid). N Engl J Med, 1993. doi:10.1056/NEJM199308193290803
- 3.Sitohang IBS, Makes WI, Sandora N, et al. Topical tretinoin for treating photoaging: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Int J Womens Dermatol, 2022. doi:10.1097/JW9.0000000000000003
- 4.Weinstock MA, Bingham SF, Lew RA, et al. Topical tretinoin therapy and all-cause mortality. Arch Dermatol, 2009. doi:10.1001/archdermatol.2008.542