All scans / Serums / Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin)
Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) ingredients: is it worth it?
A genuinely powerful prescription retinoid trapped in a basic, irritation-prone cream base.
A genuinely powerful prescription retinoid trapped in a basic, irritation-prone cream base.
READ MORE
The efficacy score of 4.6/5 reflects tretinoin at a clinically meaningful 0.05% concentration—the active ingredient is the reason this product can treat acne and photoaging, not the supporting ingredients. The score is held below the top range because the formula provides little barrier support, has no disclosed soothing or humectant system, and uses isopropyl myristate, which may be problematic for acne-prone users. The cream vehicle is functional rather than elegant, but the prescription retinoid itself has strong evidence and does not depend on a weak derivative or rinse-off contact time. Bausch Health lists the same cream vehicle and identifies the 0.05% cream as a 20 g presentation under NDC 00187-5162-20.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Links never influence scores.
DemythSkin rates Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) 4.6/5 for efficacy and 4.0/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (6)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Tretinoin , Butylhydroxytoluene , Isopropyl Myristate , Polyoxyl 40 Stearate , Stearic Acid , Stearyl Alcohol , Sorbic Acid , Xanthan Gum , Purified Water [less] Read more on how to read an ingredient list
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (9)⌄
- Tretinoin
- Prescription retinoid treatment
- Butylhydroxytoluene
- Antioxidant formula stabilizer
- Isopropyl Myristate
- Emollient texture enhancer
- Polyoxyl 40 Stearate
- Emulsifier and solubilizer
- Stearic Acid
- Fatty acid emollient
- Stearyl Alcohol
- Fatty alcohol emollient
- Sorbic Acid
- Preservative system component
- Xanthan Gum
- Viscosity controlling thickener
- Purified Water
- Formula solvent
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Tretinoin: Prescription topical retinoid with established acne and photoaging evidence
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin): common questions
Is Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) worth it?
Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) scores 4.6 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Gold Standard) and 4.0 out of 5.0 for safety (Gentle) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. A genuinely powerful prescription retinoid trapped in a basic, irritation-prone cream base.
What are the key active ingredients in Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin)?
Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Tretinoin.
Does Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) contain fragrance or known irritants?
DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin). It scores 4.0 out of 5.0 for safety.
How is Bausch Health Retin-A Cream 0.05% (Tretinoin) scored?
DemythSkin grades every product on two independent scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.