Treti-NO-in… just kidding, you can still use it. But beware, babe. 

Dermatologist-prescribed tretinoin creams are one of the gold standards for treating congestion and texture, but here is the plot twist: Some of the most commonly prescribed tretinoin formulas contain an ingredient that can seriously slow your progress. The culprit? 

Isopropyl myristate.

This ingredient is often used as an emollient, basically a thickener that makes products glide on your skin like butta. It’s not toxic or evil in general, but for acne-prone-skin it can be a menace because of how it interacts with the oil inside pores. 

Gonna nerd out here, so stay with me: Isopropyl myristate is lipophilic, meaning it LOVES oil. This smooth little secret agent can slide right into your follicle, coat the pore lining, and trap dead skin cells and sebum underneath. The result = the perfect environment for comedones to form. Fun Fact: On the comedogenic scale from zero to five, with five being the most pore-clogging, this one ranks around a FOUR. I know.

If you are truly a Blemish BABE, this ingredient is far more likely to cause issues for you than it would for someone with dry, non-acne-prone skin.

Now, I’m not saying all tretinoins are evil…your derm definitely knows their stuff. In fact, the active ingredient of tretinoin is so so so beneficial for someone trying to combat congestion and hyperpigmentation. Tretinoin, as any Vitamin A derivative (or retinol), speeds up skin cell turnover, prevents dead cells from sticking together in pores, and reduces inflammation. Sounds like the holy trinity, right?

So take this as encouragement to check your ingredients before slathering a product on your face.

Blemish BABE tip: Look for a gel-based tretinoin prescription, those often have no pore cloggers. If you are unsure, look at the INACTIVE INGREDIENTS list and paste it into your friendly ingredient checker. 

P.S. We are launching our own ingredient checker engine soon, so do not worry, babe. We got you.