Tretinoin before pregnancy: how long to wait

MotherToBaby says stopping tretinoin one month before trying may be suggested, a number borrowed from isotretinoin. For adapalene, no body we found gives a waiting time. Here is what each body says, side by side.

By The Truva teamPublished

Answers for 6 life stages8 sources, all linked5 min read

How long should you stop tretinoin before trying to conceive?

MotherToBaby says stopping one month before you try may be suggested. Among the bodies cited here, it is the only one that gives a number.

Tretinoin is a retinoid cream and gel, sold in the US as Retin-A. MotherToBaby says most of it is gone from the body within about a day, on average, in healthy adults who are not pregnant.

The one month comes from isotretinoin, an acne pill taken by mouth. Its makers suggest stopping it 1 month before trying, MotherToBaby says. Its tretinoin page then says that, based on this, a month may be suggested for tretinoin too.

As a separate rule, MotherToBaby’s isotretinoin page asks for two forms of birth control during that pill and for 1 month after treatment.

So the month is a suggestion carried over from a pill, not a measurement of the cream. Our post on skincare to stop before trying to conceive explains why, and covers the wider list.

What do other health bodies say about the weeks before you conceive?

The EMA says not to use these creams if you are planning a pregnancy, but gives no number of weeks. The one month above is the only number on this page.

The EMA, the EU medicines agency, says retinoids on skin must not be used in pregnancy or by women planning a baby. It names tretinoin and adapalene. It calls this a precaution. Very little gets into the body from skin, it says, and harm to the baby is unlikely.

UKTIS, the UK pregnancy medicines service, says retinoid creams and gels should not be used in pregnancy. For planning, it says to talk to your doctor before you become pregnant.

ACOG, the American college of obstetricians, says avoiding retinoid creams is generally recommended during pregnancy. The US Retin-A label says to use tretinoin in pregnancy only if the benefit justifies the risk.

These are different kinds of statement. MotherToBaby makes a suggestion with a number. The EU medicines agency sets a precaution for anyone planning. ACOG and the US label speak about pregnancy, not the time before it.

What each source says about stopping tretinoin or adapalene before trying to conceiveA list of seven sources, each with what it covers and what it says. MotherToBaby, on Tretinoin: 1 month may be suggested, from isotretinoin. EMA, the EU medicines agency, on Retinoid creams, both named: Not if planning, as a precaution. No number. Differin label, UK, on Adapalene: Not if planning a pregnancy. No number. UKTIS, on Retinoid creams and gels: Not in pregnancy. No number. Ask your doctor. ACOG, on Retinoid creams: Avoid in pregnancy. Nothing on before. Retin-A and Differin labels, US, on Tretinoin and adapalene: Pregnancy wording only. No number. Truva app, Truva’s call, on Trying to conceive, data of 15 September 2026: Tretinoin and adapalene: Not Recommended.How long to stop before trying to conceiveMotherToBabyTretinoin1 month may be suggested, from isotretinoin.EMA, the EU medicines agencyRetinoid creams, both namedNot if planning, as a precaution. No number.Differin label, UKAdapaleneNot if planning a pregnancy. No number.UKTISRetinoid creams and gelsNot in pregnancy. No number. Ask your doctor.ACOGRetinoid creamsAvoid in pregnancy. Nothing on before.Retin-A and Differin labels, USTretinoin and adapalenePregnancy wording only. No number.Truva app, Truva’s callTrying to conceive, data of 15 September 2026Tretinoin and adapalene: Not Recommended.
What each body says about the weeks before trying. Last row: Truva’s call.

How long should you stop adapalene (Differin) before trying to conceive?

No body we found gives a waiting time for adapalene. Two say not to use it if you are planning a pregnancy.

Adapalene is the retinoid in Differin gel. Its UK label lists who should not use it. The list includes women planning a pregnancy. The EU medicines agency, above, names adapalene too.

The same UK label says the few data on adapalene in pregnancy do not indicate harm to the pregnancy, or to a baby exposed early in pregnancy. It also calls that experience limited.

The US Differin label says the data in pregnant women are insufficient to establish a risk of birth defects or miscarriage. Its trial left out women who were planning to become pregnant.

Can tretinoin make it harder to get pregnant, or matter if a partner uses it?

MotherToBaby says studies have not been done on whether tretinoin makes it harder to become pregnant.

The same page says no studies have looked at a man’s use. That means his fertility, and the chance of birth defects. The UK pregnancy medicines service says it does not expect any increased risk to your baby if the father uses a retinoid cream.

Nothing we found sets a waiting time because a partner uses tretinoin or adapalene.

Are tretinoin and adapalene safe in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, postpartum, trying to conceive, or with PCOS?

Pregnancy has the firmest advice. UKTIS, the EMA, ACOG and MotherToBaby advise against these creams in pregnancy. The US labels use softer wording.

Pregnancy

MotherToBaby says it has generally been recommended not to use tretinoin in pregnancy. Many women have used it and had babies with no birth defect, it says. So the chance of birth defects is probably low. The UK pregnancy medicines service says retinoid creams should not be used, as a precaution. See the app’s pregnancy ingredient list.

Breastfeeding

MotherToBaby says tretinoin while breastfeeding has not been studied, and the amount in milk would probably be small. Our post on retinol while breastfeeding covers retinoids at this stage. This post does not cover adapalene while breastfeeding.

Postpartum, not breastfeeding

No body cited here has published a rule on tretinoin or adapalene in the postpartum period when you are not breastfeeding.

Trying to conceive

MotherToBaby says a month off tretinoin may be suggested. The EU medicines agency and the UK Differin label say not to use these creams if planning, with no number. The app marks tretinoin Not Recommended and adapalene Not Recommended here. That is a Truva judgement about the weeks before a pregnancy is known. See the trying to conceive list.

PCOS

The sources cited here give no rule on tretinoin or adapalene for PCOS. Our PCOS skincare guide covers other skin questions people with PCOS ask.

Not pregnant or breastfeeding

The EU medicines agency says very little of a retinoid cream gets into the body from the skin. MotherToBaby says the same of tretinoin: used on your skin, very little tretinoin passes into your body.

Who should I ask about stopping tretinoin or adapalene?

Your doctor, before you become pregnant. The UK pregnancy medicines service says to ask your doctor or care team whether your medicine is safe to keep using.

The Retin-A label says to consult your physician before using it if you are pregnant or think you might be.

The app verdicts quoted on this page come from its data of 15 September 2026.

Where this came from

Every health claim on this page links to the body that published it. Nothing here comes from another blog.

Show all 8 sources
  • MotherToBaby (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists, OTIS)Topical TretinoinThe only body here that gives an interval: 1 month, carried over from isotretinoin; tretinoin gone in about a day; no study on fertility.
  • MotherToBaby (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists, OTIS)Isotretinoin (Accutane)The birth control rule for isotretinoin, a pill: two forms from 1 month before, during, and for 1 month after treatment.
  • ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists)Skin Conditions During PregnancyACOG's position on retinoid creams in pregnancy; it says nothing about the weeks before conceiving.
  • UKTIS (UK Teratology Information Service), via Best Use of Medicines in Pregnancy (BUMPS)Retinoid gels and creams ('topical retinoids')Retinoid creams and gels should not be used in pregnancy; no interval for stopping before conception; no added risk expected from a father's use.
  • EMA (European Medicines Agency)Updated measures for pregnancy prevention during retinoid useRetinoids on skin, adapalene and tretinoin named, must not be used by women planning a pregnancy, as a precaution; no interval given.
  • Galderma (UK) Limited, product information on the electronic medicines compendiumDifferin 0.1% w/w Gel, Summary of Product CharacteristicsA UK adapalene label lists women planning a pregnancy among those who should not use it, with no interval.
  • Galderma Laboratories, L.P. (US label, FDA approved, on DailyMed, NIH National Library of Medicine)DIFFERIN (adapalene) gel, prescribing information (revised 12/2023)The US adapalene label says data are too few to establish a pregnancy risk, gives no waiting period, and its trial excluded women planning pregnancy.
  • Bausch Health US, LLC (US label on DailyMed, NIH National Library of Medicine)RETIN-A (tretinoin) Cream, Gel, prescribing informationThe US tretinoin label gives a benefit and risk statement for pregnancy and no waiting period before conceiving.

Every link above was fetched and confirmed to resolve on .

Truva summarises published guidance from bodies including ACOG, the FDA, the EU SCCS and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review. It has no access to your medical history and it is not a substitute for your doctor, dermatologist or midwife. This post was written by the Truva team from the sources listed above. It has not been reviewed by a clinician, and nothing in it is a diagnosis or a prescription. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding or being treated for PCOS, take the ingredient list to the person looking after you.

The label in your hand, read against your situation.

Truva scans a product and answers for the profile you set: pregnancy, breastfeeding, postpartum, trying to conceive, PCOS, or general use. Every flag names the body it came from, so you can take it to a doctor or midwife rather than take it on trust.

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