Versus

Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) Versus CeraVe Hydrating Toner

Prescription
Toner
South African Brand South Africa
American Brand United States

Updated on February 03, 2025

Overview

What they are

These products are both reef safe . They have a total of 2 ingredients in common

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for fighting acne, anti aging, brightening skin, reducing pores, scar healing and dark spots

Free From

They both do not contain any harsh alcohols, common allergens, fragrances, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that needs an update? Let us know.

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and see relevant ingredients

What's inside (and what isn't)

What's inside (and what isn't)

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Ingredients Side-by-side

found in both products

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming

Xanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.

On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.

Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.

Learn more about Xanthan Gum
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

When to use

1,148 Routines
3% use in am
97% use in pm
68% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->
1,045 Routines
52% use in am
48% use in pm
96% use every day
When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Retin-A (Tretinoin) Retin-A 0.025% (Tretinoin) 9 ingredients

4.0 /5
from 3 ratings
Drying (1) Great Value (1) Strong Scent (1)
APriceLife_749's avatar

APriceLife_749

2 years ago
Review

Wrinkle fighter, cellular turnover

SpaceyTrxsh's avatar

SpaceyTrxsh

1 year ago
Review

Retinol did nothing for my skin. After using different kinds of strengths and seeing no results I decided to give up on retinol and start using tretinoin and it was the best decision ever. My skin is becoming clearer and clearer every day.

#great value
#drying
#strong scent
#works well

CeraVe Hydrating Toner 25 ingredients

2.5 /5
from 10 ratings
Doesn't Work (5) Irritating (4) Broke Me Out (3)
alexisforchette's avatar

Alexis F

11 months ago
Review

Immediately irritated my skin. Heavy burning sensation. Did a spot test on a portion of my skin without any acne just to make sure and my already oily skin became about 3x more oily with little to no hydrating effects. Yikes.

#irritating
#oily
#doesn't work
Piplup85's avatar

Pip Lup

9 months ago
Review

After a week of using this, my cystic acne reappeared on my chin. Yeah I do have hormonal acne, but the painful red bumps from the last (before I used topical medicine) have returned. It does irritate my skin, and after reviewing the comments, I feel like I’m not the only one experiencing this problem with this product. I think my skin is sensitive to Hyaluronic Acid. Go with a different product

#expensive
#broke me out
#irritating
#doesn't work