How much do you pay for Retin-A?

I get mine at Taraskincare.com. They do not ask for your RX but as long as you have one that should be fine. I ordered in October for the first time. They are in Hayward, CA but the product is mfg. in India by Johnson & Johnson. I ordered a 20 gram tube and with a coupon and shipping it was 25.00. It took about a week to get it. This is one that others have mentioned on the boards. hth

Pianomama - I had sticker shock a couple of months ago when I had to refill my prescription. I can't get mine with insurance so it's strictly out of pocket for me. Someone here suggested the site called GoodRx (wish I could remember who so I could thank them properly). On the site, I found a great print-at-home coupon, to use at CVS, and was able to get a 40 gram tube of 0.1% Tretinoin for $65. That was a fabulous price, considering what full price was, and the tube is so big, it'll probably be six months or more before I have to refill it again. CVS accepted the coupon w/o any question.

ETA - rechecked the size of my current tube and it's actually 45 grams.

I pay $25 at my Costco Pharmacy for a 45 gram tube of (generic) .025% Tretinoin Cream (identical to namebrand Renova). One tube lasts about 6 or 7 months.

For some reason I'll never understand, my insurance covers Retin-A. I pay $15.00 for a large tube.

On 12/17/2014 gardensla said:

For some reason I'll never understand, my insurance covers Retin-A. I pay $15.00 for a large tube.

Wow, that's great! This is bit of a pet peeve of mine how insurance companies will cover some things and not others. My insurance will only cover Retin-A/Tretinoin for a certain age range because they look at Retin-A/Tretinoin as an acne medication and that typically happens with teens and younger adults. When I got my original prescription it was required for me as a treatment to prevent scarring after facial surgery (mole removal) but they would not cover it since I was beyond the age limit. The fact that I liked the results and wanted to stay on it is purely my choice so I accept that fact that I have to pay since there's really no medical reason that I have to be on it anymore, but rather because of my own vanity. When it was truly needed, though, and wasn't covered, it really bugged me because you know darn well they are covering Viagra or someone's implants!

On 12/17/2014 gardensla said:

For some reason I'll never understand, my insurance covers Retin-A. I pay $15.00 for a large tube.

My previous insurance used to pay for it and I only paid $17 for it. Never realized how lucky I was until I became Medicare age. My DD works for a derm and she said most insurances don't pay for middle age women because it is approved for acne only.

U get what U pay 4 in this life. Look at the ACTIVE ingredient, tretinoin. It's not cheap. $15 means very little active ingredient.

My insurance pays for it as well (as long as I'm met my deductible). I am in pending mode right now waiting for the insurance override to go through. I'm not sure what the hold up is.

My insurance covered it until I was sixty seven but I had to appeal. I was told at the last appeal "this was it." I'm seventy; they drew the line at age twenty one. I honestly had adult acne but Retina micro cleared it up when I was in my fifties.

I can only Retina micro. It has a different delivery system and is much gentler. I cannot use Renova, which is tretinoin with a moisturizer or straight Retina in any strength.

I was able to use Retina micro in 0.1%. This is the strongest it comes in. Now that I'm older my skin is drier (I had extremely oily skin) and I am having some difficulty with it.

I got a large tube (45grams: think standard size toothpaste tube and then some) to use on my hands with hydroquinine. The 0.1% was two hundred dollars. The price goes up according to the amount of tretinoin. I use this combo twice a day. My derm said the strength of tretonoin would make a difference. This looks like a lifetime supply.

I tried it on my face with my own moisturizer. I couldn't tolerate it.

I then got the generic of Retina micro in 0.1%. It cost two hundred thirty five dollars. It will last me two years. I checked the expiration date.

I called many pharmacies and Costco was the cheapest. I also saved thiry five dollars on the hydroquinone, which I've already had to refill.

I have family in Mexico. They have gotten me other meds over the years but would not get me this one. My cousin even offered to pay for it here. He didn't say it wasn't safe, effective, etc. He just wasn't sure it was as good now that there are generics. He's a doctor so I trust him.

I didn't want to order from a website.

The reason there is such a difference in price is because of the higher percentage of tretinoin. 0.1% is the highest it comes. Also, very few places carry the micro version because of the expense.

Retina micro was like magic for me. I went from having "not great" skin to getting compliments. I thought people were making fun of me. I was like my very heavy friend who got thin and still thought she was fat. It faded my acne scars. At seventy I have very few wrinkles which is unusual for someone with very fair skin. Trust me, I wish I had this skin at seventeen.

I can't do Botox for medical reasons. This is my botox in a tube.

The only other thing I'm religious about is sunscreen. I was in one of the first medical trials of sunscreen in '63. They couldn't find anyone to volunteer. But I got such bad burns and never had a tan I was thrilled.

I do treat my skin like fine lace: a special cleanser: La Roche Posay and when it's sensitive I use their waterspray because there's a lot of chlorine in my water.

I use a Clinique gel moisturizer in the summer and switch to a heavier one during the dry months. I also run two humidifiers nonstop.

I don't buy any of the fancy creams that really cost me more than the Retina micro in the long run.