All-trans-retinoic acid
ALSO — RETINOIC ACID, VITAMIN A ACID
A prescription retinoid used in different finished products for acne and particular photoaging indications. The vehicle, treatment goal and trial population matter alongside its concentration.
The marker is a representative concentration from the cited records. The bar includes approved and compounded preparations recorded here. It is not a recommended dose, a minimum effective strength or a claim that other concentrations are untested. Evidence depends on the vehicle, indication and trial population.
The shaded band is the depth this molecule is understood to reach. Anything below it is out of scope, whatever the label says.
Binds the retinoic acid nuclear receptors directly, with no conversion step. Reduces cohesiveness of follicular epithelial cells and microcomedone formation, increases keratinocyte turnover, and over months increases procollagen deposition in the papillary dermis.
Four multi-centre randomised trials, vehicle-controlled, on a comprehensive sun-avoidance programme
N=559 · 24 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND
Multicentre randomised, vehicle-controlled
N=820 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND
Randomised, vehicle-controlled
N=143 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND
Single-centre randomised controlled trial in darkly pigmented, mostly African-American subjects
N=107 · 24 WK · NOT STATED
Pooled safety analysis of two randomised, vehicle-controlled trials
N=1550 · 12 WK · DOUBLE-BLIND
A telehealth service can give access to several prescriptions. A custom-formula menu can list ingredients that a patient never receives. A manufactured product has a defined strength and vehicle. Start with the actual prescribed preparation before selecting evidence or comparing a price.
Request the exact ingredients, strengths, base, quantity and usable period, then ask why they fit the concern being treated. A higher percentage is not automatically an appropriate escalation, and an ingredient trial is not a test of every possible combination.
The current TWYNEO label describes separate encapsulation of its two actives and specific discard limits. That combination shows why a universal layering prohibition is too broad. Ask about the named products and storage instructions rather than inferring a regimen from the ingredient names alone.
February 2025 label names Mayne Pharma and a 30 g pump. Trial 1 success and difference figures in Table 4 conflict; that row is not charted here. Storage limits are product-specific. Checked 13 September 2026.
Current name, $130 price, 24 g / 60-day supply, ingredient menu and formula-specific bases. Strength comparisons are not clinical outcome comparisons. Checked 13 September 2026.
Compounded preparations do not undergo FDA premarket review for safety, effectiveness or quality; they can meet individual medical needs. Checked 13 September 2026.
Guidance to avoid retinoids and hydroquinone during pregnancy. Breastfeeding decisions need separate clinician advice. Checked 13 September 2026.
One reader gets a 12 months CoreAge Rx derm plan — the compounded, physician-reviewed subscription we take apart in the register. Worth $780. Leave an address and you are entered.
VALUE IS THE PUBLISHED $64.99/MONTH SUBSCRIPTION PRICE OVER TWELVE MONTHS, AS RECORDED IN R-10. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. WE REVIEW COREAGE RX — WE DO NOT SELL IT.