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SkinTwo labels compared

Retin-A vs Renova

Retin-A Micro and Renova contain the same active ingredient, tretinoin, from the same manufacturer. One is approved for acne, the other for fine facial wrinkles. The wrinkle label is the more interesting of the two, because of how firmly it limits its own claim.

Retin-A Micro

Ingredient
Tretinoin
Approved for
Acne vulgariscovers skin
Supply
Prescription
Boxed warning
None
Pharmacy cost
$1.02 per gram, genericwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter
Bausch Health US LLC. Label version 23, effective 1 September 2025.

Renova

Ingredient
Tretinoin
Approved for
Fine facial wrinklescovers skin
Supply
Prescription
Boxed warning
None
Pharmacy cost
not listedwhat pharmacies pay to buy it, not the price at the counter
Bausch Health US LLC. Label version 14, effective 24 February 2026.
01From the FDA label

Side by side, straight from the labels

Generated from the two source labels, not typed out by hand, so it cannot drift from what the regulator approved. Rows where both labels say exactly the same thing are marked.

Active ingredientsame in bothRetin-A MicroTretinoinTopical retinoidRenovaTretinoinTopical retinoid
Approved forRetin-A MicroAcne vulgarisRenovaFine facial wrinkles
Supplysame in bothRetin-A MicroPrescriptionRenovaPrescription
What pharmacies payAcquisition cost, not retailRetin-A Micro$1.02 per gram, genericRenovanot listed
Boxed warningsame in bothRetin-A MicroNoneRenovaNone
What the FDA approved it forRetin-A Micro
  • RETIN-A MICRO is a retinoid indicated for the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older.
Renova
  • RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% is indicated as an adjunctive agent (see second bullet point below) for use in the mitigation (palliation) of fine facial wrinkles in patients who use comprehensive skin care and sunlight avoidance programs. RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% DOES NOT ELIMINATE WRINKLES, REPAIR SUN-DAMAGED SKIN, REVERSE PHOTOAGING, or RESTORE MORE YOUTHFUL or YOUNGER SKIN.
  • RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% has NOT DEMONSTRATED A MITIGATING EFFECT on significant signs of chronic sunlight exposure such as coarse or deep wrinkling, tactile roughness, mottled hyperpigmentation, lentigines, telangiectasia, skin laxity, keratinocytic atypia, melanocytic atypia, or dermal elastosis.
  • RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% should be used under medical supervision as an adjunct to a comprehensive skin care and sunlight avoidance program that includes the use of effective sunscreens (minimum SPF of 15) and protective clothing.
  • Patients with visible actinic keratosis and patients with a history of skin cancer were excluded from clinical trials of RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02%. Thus the effectiveness and safety of RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% in these populations are not known at this time.
  • Neither the safety nor the effectiveness of RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% for the prevention or treatment of actinic keratoses or skin neoplasms has been established.
  • Neither the safety nor the efficacy of using RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% daily for greater than 52 weeks has been established, and daily use beyond 52 weeks has not been systematically and histologically investigated in adequate and well-controlled trials (see WARNINGS).
Forms and strengthsRetin-A Micro
  • 0.1% (1 mg of tretinoin per gram). Gel: 0.04%, 0.06%, 0.08%, and 0.1%
Renova
  • RENOVA ® (tretinoin cream), 0.02% is supplied in 20 g tube (NDC 0187-5150-20), 40 g tube (NDC 0187-5150-40), 60 g tube (NDC 0187-5150-60), 44 g pump (NDC 0187-5150-44).
How the label says it is takenRetin-A Micro
  • For topical use only. Not for oral, ophthalmic, or intravaginal use.
  • Keep away from eyes, mouth, paranasal creases of the nose, and mucous membranes.
  • Apply a thin layer of RETIN-A MICRO to skin where acne lesions appear (cover the entire affected area) (0.04%, 0.06%, 0.08%, or 0.1%) once daily in the evening.
Renova
  • Do NOT use RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% if the patient is pregnant or is attempting to become pregnant or is at high risk of pregnancy.
  • Do NOT use RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% if the patient is sunburned or if the patient has eczema or other chronic skin conditions of the face.
  • Do NOT use RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% if the patient is inherently sensitive to sunlight.
  • Do NOT use RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% if the patient is also taking drug(s) known to be photosensitizers (e.g., thiazides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, phenothiazines, sulfonamides) because of the possibility of augmented phototoxicity. Patients require detailed instruction to obtain maximal benefits and to understand all the precautions necessary to use this product with greatest safety.
Most common adverse reactionsRetin-A Micro
  • Most common adverse reactions were skin irritation, skin burning, erythema, peeling, dryness, itching, and dermatitis.
Renova
  • (See WARNINGS and PRECAUTIONS.) In double-blind, vehicle-controlled studies involving 339 patients who applied RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% to their faces, adverse reactions associated with the use of RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% were limited primarily to the skin. Almost all patients reported one or more local reactions such as peeling, dry skin, burning, stinging, erythema, and pruritus.
Warnings and precautionsRetin-A Micro
  • Local Skin Irritation: RETIN-A MICRO can cause local skin irritation, including excessive dryness, redness, swelling, peeling, itching, blistering, burning, or stinging
  • Initial Worsening of Inflammatory Acne Vulgaris: During the early weeks of RETIN-A MICRO treatment, an apparent exacerbation of inflammatory lesions may occur. If RETIN-A MICRO is tolerated, this should not be considered a reason to discontinue therapy.
  • Photosensitivity: RETIN-A MICRO can cause photosensitivity. Advise patients to avoid or minimize unnecessary exposure to UV light, including sunlight and sunlamps. Advise patients to use sunscreen (SPF ≥15) and sun-protective clothing if UV light exposure cannot be avoided. Avoid use on sunburn skin.
Renova
  • RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% is a dermal irritant, and the results of continued irritation of the skin for greater than 52 weeks in chronic use with RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% are not known. There is evidence of atypical changes in melanocytes and keratinocytes and of increased dermal elastosis in some patients treated with RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.05% for longer than 48 weeks.
  • RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% should not be administered if the patient is also taking drugs known to be photosensitizers (e.g., thiazides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, phenothiazines, sulfonamides) because of the possibility of augmented phototoxicity.
ContraindicationsRetin-A Micro
  • None. The label states that there are no contraindications.
Renova
  • This drug is contraindicated in individuals with a history of sensitivity reactions to any of its components.
  • It should be discontinued if hypersensitivity to any of its ingredients is noted.
Drug interactionsRetin-A Micro-Renova
  • Concomitant topical medications, medicated or abrasive soaps, shampoos, cleansers, cosmetics with a strong drying effect, products with high concentrations of alcohol, astringents, spices or lime, permanent wave solutions, electrolysis, hair depilatories or waxes, and products that may irritate the skin should be used with caution in patients being treated with RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02%...
  • RENOVA (tretinoin cream) 0.02% should not be administered if the patient is also taking drugs known to be photosensitizers (e.g., thiazides, tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones, phenothiazines, sulfonamides) because of the possibility of augmented phototoxicity.
Label versionRetin-A Micro1 September 2025Renova24 February 2026
02Written by us

Two approvals, two problems

The Retin-A Micro label covers the topical treatment of acne vulgaris in adults and in patients aged 12 and older. The Renova label covers the mitigation of fine facial wrinkles, and only as an adjunct for people who are also using a comprehensive skin care and sun avoidance program.

That second qualification is part of the approved indication rather than a caveat added afterwards. Renova was approved on trials where both groups used sunscreen and emollients, and the label says so.

03Written by us

What the wrinkle label refuses to claim

The Renova label states, in capital letters, that the product does not eliminate wrinkles, repair sun-damaged skin, reverse photoaging or restore younger skin. It adds that it has not demonstrated an effect on coarse or deep wrinkling, tactile roughness or mottled pigmentation.

It is rare to find a marketing claim and its own rebuttal inside the same approved document. Anyone reading advertising for tretinoin as an anti-ageing treatment is reading past this paragraph.

04Written by us

Strength and vehicle differ

Renova is a 0.02 percent cream. Retin-A Micro comes in several gel strengths in a delivery system the label describes in detail. The strengths and forms of each are set out in the table above, from the labels themselves.

05Written by us

Common questions

Can the acne version be used for wrinkles, or the other way round?
Each label covers its own approved use, and neither mentions the other. What a prescriber decides for a particular person is outside what these documents say and outside what this page reports.
Is one stronger than the other?
They are different strengths in different vehicles, which the labels set out. Strength on its own does not translate into a comparison, because the two were approved for different problems on different evidence.
06

Sources

Every fact above comes from one of these documents. The date is the effective date of the label version this page was built from.

Each stripe is one section of the label, each division in a stripe one entry in that section.

07

Other comparisons in this category

Page last updated 23 August 2026

Compiled by the HealthyStudy editorial team from FDA source documents. No medical reviewer is credited on this page, because none reviewed it.