Using a cream with tretinoin in strengths between 0.025% and 0.1% can really help reduce sun damage on your skin, but the super weak 0.01% version doesn’t do much—plus, a strong 5% peel works just as well for looks but changes your skin’s inner structure differently.

Using a special cream with tretinoin (0.025% to 0.1%) every day or every other day for up to two years can noticeably reduce sun damage like wrinkles, dark spots, and dull skin — and you might start seeing results in just one month.

Using a mild acne cream with tretinoin (up to 0.1%) for up to two years is usually fine for most people — you might get a little redness, peeling, or dryness at first, but it’s usually not bad enough to make you stop using it.

Using tretinoin cream on sun-damaged skin doesn’t always make it feel smoother to the touch, even after two years of use—so it might work better for reducing wrinkles or dark spots than for smoothing rough skin texture.