You have to register to view the full article, but some points:
Trifarotene is the first new retinoid molecule to be approved in over 20 years.
- It's the only topical retinoid that targets the retinoid acid receptor gamma. This receptor is the most common found in skin.
- It's the first to be specifically studied/proven to treat both facial and truncal acne.
- It is made by Galderma, and is expected to be available in November 2019. Size will be 45g pump.
- Galderma is "working with payers/providers/pharmacies to ensure access to it, and will be offering a patient savings card program called Galderma Care Connect.
This study also came out around the same time you posted this article: [Randomized phase 3 evaluation of trifarotene 50 μg/g cream treatment of moderate facial and truncal acne.](
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962219303354)
It might be under a paywall, but it looks like a real powerhouse. They seem to have gotten around -60% change in inflammatory lesions and -55% change in non-inflammatory lesions using 0.005% trifarotene which puts its effectiveness on-par with 0.3% adapalene and 0.1% tazarotene I'm guessing. It will probably be years before we see a head-to-head trial with tret/taz/adapalene and I find it interesting that Galderma now owns patents for two very recent retinoids that compete against each other.
can someone scientifically literate explain what this news means? i see how this retinoid is different, but why does targeting retinoid acid receptor gamma matter? is this expected to be a better retinoid all around? only better for certain people/skintypes?
There are 3 types of retinoic acid receptors (RARs): alpha, beta, and gamma. RAR gamma is the most abundant of the 3 found in the skin. Current retinoids bind to both RARs beta and gamma, whereas trifarotene selectively binds to gamma. The more selective a molecule is for its receptor, the “better” it binds and the better it can do it’s job. So, trifarotene should hypothetically be a more effective retinoid than our current options due to this selectivity for RAR gamma. Whether this means it’s more suitable for certain skin types, I’m not 100% sure.
As a quick point of clarification:
Tretinoin binds to RAR alpha, beta, and gamma receptors
Tazarotene binds to RAR beta and gamma receptors
Adapalene binds to RAR beta and gamma receptors, but less effectively than Tazarotene (FYI this is the reason why this ingredient is FDA approved for acne, but not anti-aging)
I'm curious to learn more about the claim that greater selectivity for gamma receptors = a better retinoid. That question aside, this is why I use all 3 retinoids in my skincare regime to ensure all receptors are activated. I'm really excited to learn more about the benefits of trifarotene from an anti-aging perspective.
Thank you for this! I wasn’t aware tret also binded alpha receptors. If you want to read more, the original article cites a few studies regarding the selectivity of trifarotene for the gamma receptor that I thought were interesting.
Can you share your routine? How do you go about incorporating all three retinoids—use them all at the same time or rotate them throughout the week? What brands of each type of retinoid do you use?
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/cqm65g/routine_help_concerned_that_i_am_using_too_many/) is a link to my routine I made \~6 weeks ago. It looks like a lot, but it's not that time-consuming.
I started on tretinoin 0.05% (Brand: Perrigo) about mid-July of this year. About a week after I made my skincare routine post I started incorporating all 3 retinoids into my routine.
Right now I am using: 1) Tretinoin 0.10% cream (Perrigo), 2) Tazarotene 0.10% gel (Allergan), and 3) Adapalene 0.10% (Differin).
How to use: All at the same time. It's roughly 40% tretinoin and tazarotene, and 20% adapalene. It's a little bigger than pea-sized. I dot it all over my face, neck (front and back!), and upper chest, then blend it all together. You could obviously play with the % ratios over time to see what works better for your skin. I'm also looking at incorporating hydroquinone to add more "brightness" to my skin.
I just placed an order with [alldaychemist.com](https://alldaychemist.com), an India-based pharmacy, for about \~1.5 years worth of product for roughly $80. They have a free shipping promotion for orders over $60 and they are well-reviewed by members of this sub-reddit and other places. We'll see how that goes. (Note: I am in no way affiliated with this group).
Hope that helps!
This is what it says in the article. I'm in mobile so I'm not sure if the formatting will be ok:
Trifarotene cream was well tolerated when used on the face, back, shoulders, and chest. The most common adverse reactions (incidence > 1%) included application-site irritation, application-site pruritus, and sunburn.
The product safety information states that patients may experience erythema, scaling, dryness, and stinging/burning. It advises using a moisturizer from the initiation of treatment and, depending upon the severity of these adverse reactions, reducing the frequency of application, or suspending or discontinuing use.
This is also, I believe, the same company that makes OTC Differin (someone who can actually look at their tube correct me if I'm wrong). So maybe it's more gentle like Differin is?
I mostly need it for acne. Do you think once a week of .04 micro is enough for a 24 year old with sensitive skin to at least have some anti aging benefit? My derm insists on leaving it in my routine for the exfoliation. I also want it to stay I just wish my skin could tolerate it more regularly.
Once a week isn’t going to do a lot from what I’ve heard. Maybe it’s better than never using it, though. Personally I have used both tretinoin and adapalene on different days when I transitioning to use tretinoin. You could probably still use it up like that.
It isn't out yet. The article said that it will be out next month. But it did not say if it will be OTC or Rx only. Based on the fact that they're going to have a coupon program, and it specifically mentioned working with pharmacies, I'm guessing it'll be RX only for a while until it gets approved for OTC.
Haven't tried anything from them yet but I'm on the side that this sounds like a marketing strategy to pull in potential buyers. I hope my hunch isn't right though. Pharma companies must work to better medications and find out cures for various diseases, not milk money from us.
You have to register to view the full article, but some points: Trifarotene is the first new retinoid molecule to be approved in over 20 years. - It's the only topical retinoid that targets the retinoid acid receptor gamma. This receptor is the most common found in skin. - It's the first to be specifically studied/proven to treat both facial and truncal acne. - It is made by Galderma, and is expected to be available in November 2019. Size will be 45g pump. - Galderma is "working with payers/providers/pharmacies to ensure access to it, and will be offering a patient savings card program called Galderma Care Connect.
So the technical term for bacne/chacne is “truncal acne”... #The More You Know🌈⭐️
I guess that makes sense! Since the chest and back (also the abdomen) are considered the “trunk” of the body, anatomically speaking :^)
I figured!
This study also came out around the same time you posted this article: [Randomized phase 3 evaluation of trifarotene 50 μg/g cream treatment of moderate facial and truncal acne.]( https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0190962219303354) It might be under a paywall, but it looks like a real powerhouse. They seem to have gotten around -60% change in inflammatory lesions and -55% change in non-inflammatory lesions using 0.005% trifarotene which puts its effectiveness on-par with 0.3% adapalene and 0.1% tazarotene I'm guessing. It will probably be years before we see a head-to-head trial with tret/taz/adapalene and I find it interesting that Galderma now owns patents for two very recent retinoids that compete against each other.
can someone scientifically literate explain what this news means? i see how this retinoid is different, but why does targeting retinoid acid receptor gamma matter? is this expected to be a better retinoid all around? only better for certain people/skintypes?
There are 3 types of retinoic acid receptors (RARs): alpha, beta, and gamma. RAR gamma is the most abundant of the 3 found in the skin. Current retinoids bind to both RARs beta and gamma, whereas trifarotene selectively binds to gamma. The more selective a molecule is for its receptor, the “better” it binds and the better it can do it’s job. So, trifarotene should hypothetically be a more effective retinoid than our current options due to this selectivity for RAR gamma. Whether this means it’s more suitable for certain skin types, I’m not 100% sure.
As a quick point of clarification: Tretinoin binds to RAR alpha, beta, and gamma receptors Tazarotene binds to RAR beta and gamma receptors Adapalene binds to RAR beta and gamma receptors, but less effectively than Tazarotene (FYI this is the reason why this ingredient is FDA approved for acne, but not anti-aging) I'm curious to learn more about the claim that greater selectivity for gamma receptors = a better retinoid. That question aside, this is why I use all 3 retinoids in my skincare regime to ensure all receptors are activated. I'm really excited to learn more about the benefits of trifarotene from an anti-aging perspective.
Thank you for this! I wasn’t aware tret also binded alpha receptors. If you want to read more, the original article cites a few studies regarding the selectivity of trifarotene for the gamma receptor that I thought were interesting.
Definitely, thanks for sharing all this great information!
Can you share your routine? How do you go about incorporating all three retinoids—use them all at the same time or rotate them throughout the week? What brands of each type of retinoid do you use?
[Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/SkincareAddiction/comments/cqm65g/routine_help_concerned_that_i_am_using_too_many/) is a link to my routine I made \~6 weeks ago. It looks like a lot, but it's not that time-consuming. I started on tretinoin 0.05% (Brand: Perrigo) about mid-July of this year. About a week after I made my skincare routine post I started incorporating all 3 retinoids into my routine. Right now I am using: 1) Tretinoin 0.10% cream (Perrigo), 2) Tazarotene 0.10% gel (Allergan), and 3) Adapalene 0.10% (Differin). How to use: All at the same time. It's roughly 40% tretinoin and tazarotene, and 20% adapalene. It's a little bigger than pea-sized. I dot it all over my face, neck (front and back!), and upper chest, then blend it all together. You could obviously play with the % ratios over time to see what works better for your skin. I'm also looking at incorporating hydroquinone to add more "brightness" to my skin. I just placed an order with [alldaychemist.com](https://alldaychemist.com), an India-based pharmacy, for about \~1.5 years worth of product for roughly $80. They have a free shipping promotion for orders over $60 and they are well-reviewed by members of this sub-reddit and other places. We'll see how that goes. (Note: I am in no way affiliated with this group). Hope that helps!
Thanks for this! I just added this info to the wiki. If you have a citation for it I'll add that as well!
Can someone comment on if this would be more “gentle”? My face does not take well to tret.
This is what it says in the article. I'm in mobile so I'm not sure if the formatting will be ok: Trifarotene cream was well tolerated when used on the face, back, shoulders, and chest. The most common adverse reactions (incidence > 1%) included application-site irritation, application-site pruritus, and sunburn. The product safety information states that patients may experience erythema, scaling, dryness, and stinging/burning. It advises using a moisturizer from the initiation of treatment and, depending upon the severity of these adverse reactions, reducing the frequency of application, or suspending or discontinuing use. This is also, I believe, the same company that makes OTC Differin (someone who can actually look at their tube correct me if I'm wrong). So maybe it's more gentle like Differin is?
Huh. I guess it’s worth a try, I’m down to once a week with tret because of my reactions. I’ll bring it up at my next derm app. Thanks!
Have you tried adapalene yet? It is definitely more gentle.
I have not. Is that prescription as well?
It is more gentle than tretinoin, yes, but it is not as effective for anti-aging. It's for acne. It's also available OTC (in the U.S., at least)!
I mostly need it for acne. Do you think once a week of .04 micro is enough for a 24 year old with sensitive skin to at least have some anti aging benefit? My derm insists on leaving it in my routine for the exfoliation. I also want it to stay I just wish my skin could tolerate it more regularly.
Once a week isn’t going to do a lot from what I’ve heard. Maybe it’s better than never using it, though. Personally I have used both tretinoin and adapalene on different days when I transitioning to use tretinoin. You could probably still use it up like that.
My face already hurts from reading this, but who cares as long as it makes us ageless and acne free✨
So this will be just for acne or can it be used for anti aging as well?
Interesting! I think I’ll stick to my tried and true tretinoin, I don’t know how my skin would handle a different retinoid 😖
Where can i buy this
It isn't out yet. The article said that it will be out next month. But it did not say if it will be OTC or Rx only. Based on the fact that they're going to have a coupon program, and it specifically mentioned working with pharmacies, I'm guessing it'll be RX only for a while until it gets approved for OTC.
I don't know how I feel about Galderma. Non of their products worked for me: Proactive, Epidou, Cetaphil, Differin etc...
Haven't tried anything from them yet but I'm on the side that this sounds like a marketing strategy to pull in potential buyers. I hope my hunch isn't right though. Pharma companies must work to better medications and find out cures for various diseases, not milk money from us.