Explore Routine Login
Obagi Tretinoin 0.05% Gel

Obagi Tretinoin 0.05% Gel Ingredients Explained

Prescription
7
0
7
1

Published September 29, 2021 Added by bradley_gilbert

Save

Overview

What it is

Prescription with 16 ingredients that contains hyaluronic acid

Cool Features

It is fungal acne (malassezia) safe

Suited For

It has ingredients that are good for anti aging, dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

It doesn't contain any oils, silicones or sulfates

Fun facts

Obagi is from United States. This product is used in 39 routines created by our community.

We independently verify ingredients and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Does this product need an update? Let us know.

Quick info

Free from

Safety & Ethics

American Brand

Brand country of origin

Ingredients, at a glance

What's in this product, and how it might affect your skin.

Notable Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients List

Dive into the full list of ingredients.

Active Ingredients:
Retinoic Acid 0.05%

We don't have a description for Retinoic Acid yet.

Not enough ratings
Learn more
Inactive Ingredients:
Benzyl Alcohol Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Alcohol IconFragrance IconPreservative IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Very disliked
AlcoholAlcohol IconFragranceFragrance IconPreservativePreservative Icon6 Concerns
Learn more
Butylparaben Masking, Preservative
Preservative IconParaben IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Butylparaben is a preservative, is a paraben, and is not reef safe. It can be bad for dry skin and worsen eczema.

Very disliked
PreservativePreservative IconParabenParaben Icon3 Concerns
Learn more
BHT Antioxidant, Masking
Antioxidant Icon

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

Very disliked
AntioxidantAntioxidant Icon
Learn more
Carbomer Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
1 / 0

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

1 Com. / 0 Irr.
Disliked by users
Learn more
Ethylparaben Preservative
Preservative IconParaben IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Ethylparaben is a preservative, is a paraben, and is not reef safe.

Very disliked
PreservativePreservative IconParabenParaben IconNon-Reef-SafeNon-Reef-Safe Icon
Learn more
Hydrolyzed Collagen Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps with Anti-Aging Icon

Hydrolyzed collagen has a misleading name because it is actually a mixture of various proteins/peptides. This ingredient has skin hydrating properties.

Loved by users
2 Benefits
Learn more
Glycerin Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Loved by users
2 Benefits
Learn more
Isobutylparaben Antimicrobial
Paraben IconCan worsen Dry Skin Icon

Isobutylparaben is a paraben. It can be bad for dry skin.

Very disliked
ParabenParaben IconCan worsen Dry SkinCan worsen Dry Skin Icon
Learn more
Methylparaben Preservative
0 / 0 Preservative IconParaben IconNon-Reef-Safe IconMay worsen Eczema Icon

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very disliked
PreservativePreservative IconParabenParaben Icon2 Concerns
Learn more
Octoxynol-9 Emulsifying
0-1 / 0

Octoxynol-9 are part of a group called ethoxylated alkyl phenols. Octoxynols are usually found in hair-coloring products.

0-1 Com. / 0 Irr.
Not enough ratings
Learn more
Phenoxyethanol Preservative
Preservative Icon

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

Very disliked
PreservativePreservative Icon
Learn more
Propylparaben Preservative
0 / 0 Preservative IconParaben IconCan worsen Dry Skin IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Propylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben with antifungal and antimicrobial properties.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very disliked
PreservativePreservative IconParabenParaben Icon2 Concerns
Learn more
Water 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.

Loved by users
Learn more
Sodium Hyaluronate Humectant, Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

0 Com. / 0 Irr.
Loved by users
Hyaluronic AcidHyaluronic Acid Icon
Learn more
Triethanolamine Buffering, Emulsifying, Masking
2 / 0

Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.

2 Com. / 0 Irr.
Very disliked
Learn more

What the community thinks

Based on the number of likes and dislikes each ingredient has received.

10
10
10
liked
disliked
not rated
Unlock with Premium

Ingredients Explained

This product contains 16 ingredients. Click on any ingredient to learn more about it

We don't have a description for Retinoic Acid yet.

Perfuming, Preservative, Solvent
Very Disliked

Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.

Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.

Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.

Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.

Other types of astringent alcohols include:

According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.

Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.

Learn more about Benzyl Alcohol
Masking, Preservative
Very Disliked

Butylparaben is a preservative, is a paraben, and is not reef safe. It can be bad for dry skin and worsen eczema.

BHT
Antioxidant, Masking
Very Disliked

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.

As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.

The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.

However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.

Learn more about BHT
Emulsion Stabilising, Gel Forming
Disliked

Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.

A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.

Preservative
Very Disliked

Ethylparaben is a preservative, is a paraben, and is not reef safe.

Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Loved

Hydrolyzed collagen has a misleading name because it is actually a mixture of various proteins/peptides. This ingredient has skin hydrating properties.

Collagen is the most abundant type of structural protein found in your body. In your skin, it is responsible for keeping it firm and youthful.

Hydrolyzed Collagen is created by breaking up proteins into smaller peptide bonds. These peptides act as humectants and emollients.

Humectants are great at holding onto water, keeping skin hydrated. Emollients create a thin barrier on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.

There is ongoing debate about whether hydrolyzed collagen works because it increases skin hydration. Skin hydration is also linked to elasticity and the appearance of wrinkles.

Collagen or peptide ingredients can be used in the morning or night. They will not increase sun sensitivity, but you should always wear sunscreen during the day.

According to a manufacturer, this ingredient is a great hair conditioner as well.

This ingredient can be extracted from different sources, including:

Vegan collagen is derived from yeast, bacteria, or plant sources. Vegan collagen would go by a different INCI name, such as hydrolyzed soy protein.

The results are varied.

A study from 2021 found hydrolyzed collagen increased elasticity and improved wrinkles in 1,125 participants between age 20 and 70. Another study found increased skin thickness in participants between the ages of 45 to 59.

However, It is difficult to prove that oral collagen will end up working on your skin. Many of the studies using hydrolyzed collagen also add several vitamins and nutrients into the test mixture as well.

Further studies are needed at this time.

Learn more about Hydrolyzed Collagen
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting
Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin
Antimicrobial
Very Disliked

Isobutylparaben is a paraben. It can be bad for dry skin.

Preservative
Very Disliked

Methylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.

Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.

Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.

The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.

Learn more about Methylparaben
Emulsifying

Octoxynol-9 are part of a group called ethoxylated alkyl phenols. Octoxynols are usually found in hair-coloring products.

As an emulsifier, it helps keep other ingredients together.

The 9 stands for the average number of ethylene oxide units used to create this ingredient.

Learn more about Octoxynol-9
Preservative
Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Preservative
Very Disliked

Propylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben with antifungal and antimicrobial properties.

This ingredient can be naturally found in plants and insects, but most of it is synthetically manufactured for human use. In cosmetics, it is usually created by reacting para-aminobenzoic acid and propanol (an alcohol).

You can usually find this ingredient in water-based products.

Parabens have come under controversy due to the claim they are hormone disruptors. Studies show conflicting results. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.

Propylparaben is commonly found in food, medicine, and cosmetics.

Learn more about Propylparaben
Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Loved

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
Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
Buffering, Emulsifying, Masking
Very Disliked

Triethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.

As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.

PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.

Learn more about Triethanolamine

Reviews

Be the first to rate this product.

Verified by SkinSort

We're dedicated to providing you with the most up-to-date and science-backed ingredient info out there.

The data we've presented on this page has been verified by a member of the SkinSort Team.

Read more about us