I recently ordered Retin A and was given desonite cream. Are they similar drugs? I am using it for wrinkles.

I recently ordered Retin A and was given desonite cream. Are they similar drugs? I use it for wrinkles.

You bring up a good point and no, they are not the same, at least in the U.S.  Did you order this off the web?  In most countries, if you buy a product like Retin A (generic name is tretinoin) at the pharmacy you can be pretty sure you are getting the correct product. Also, if you buy worldwide brands at the drugstore, like Neutrogena or L’Oreal, etc, you can also be pretty sure you are getting what you think.

Unfortunately, not all sources on the web are reliable and some are outright fraudulant.  In the U.S., Desonide cream is a prescription only steroid cream.  It will do nothing for wrinkles and, even worse, if you use it daily all over your face for months, it will cause thinning of the skin, broken blood vessels (telangectasias) and probably make your wrinkles worse.  It is meant to be used by a doctor for the treatment of certain skin diseases.  Hope this helps,  Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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