Contains the active ingredient: Tretinoin 0.05%, which is a form of vitamin A used in the treatment of acne.
It is not known exactly how tretinoin works, but it is thought to loosen the cells on the surface of the skin. This helps to unblock pores so that the skin's natural oil-producing glands can function normally.
In addition, tretinoin increases the turnover of the skin cells, which aids the natural exfoliation of the outer layers of the skin. This also helps to unblock pores and decrease the formation of blackheads (comedones) and spots.
It may seem like your acne has gotten worse in the early weeks of treatment. This is due to the action of the medicine on deep, previously unseen blackheads and papules. It may take six to eight weeks before definite beneficial effects on the skin can be seen. Tretinoin, a topical retinoid, works by speeding up the skin cell turnover process, allowing your body to replace older skin cells on the surface of the skin with newer, fresh skin cells that form on the lower levels of the epidermis.
