Over-the-counter medication · Vitamin A Supplement

retinol

Also sold as Vitamin A. This product is used to reduce wetness under your arms.

Data updated 2026-05-15

3
InteractionsFew interactions
OTC
Availability

retinol (Vitamin A) is an over-the-counter Vitamin A Supplement. This product is used to reduce wetness under your arms.

This product is an antiperspirant deodorant. It contains aluminum sesquichlorohydrate to reduce underarm wetness.

Compare with Another Drug →

What it does

This product is used to reduce wetness under your arms.

Common side effects

No common side effects listed.

Key warnings

No specific warnings noted. Always follow your prescriber's instructions.

The sections below are summarized in plain English from retinol's FDA-approved prescribing information. They describe what the official label says, and are not personal medical advice.

How It Works

This product contains aluminum sesquichlorohydrate. This ingredient works by blocking sweat ducts. This reduces the amount of sweat that reaches the surface of your skin.

Known Drug Interactions

Drug Interactions Vitamin A: Because of the relationship of isotretinoin capsules to vitamin A, patients should be advised against taking vitamin supplements containing vitamin A to avoid additive toxic effects.

Mechanism: Both of these are forms of Vitamin A, and taking them together can cause the vitamin to build up to toxic levels.

moderate tretinoin

( 7.2 ) • Vitamin A : Avoid concomitant use with vitamin A. 7.3 Vitamin A The concomitant use of vitamin A with tretinoin capsules may lead to vitamin A related adverse reactions. Avoid concomitant use of tretinoin capsules with vitamin A.

Mechanism: Tretinoin is a type of Vitamin A, so taking it with other Vitamin A products can cause you to have dangerously high levels of the vitamin in your body.

Vitamin A : Based on a case report in one patient receiving combination therapy with all-trans-retinoid acid (an acid form of vitamin A) and fluconazole, central nervous system (CNS) related undesirable effects have developed in the form of pseudotumor cerebri, which disappeared after discontinuation of fluconazole treatment.

Mechanism: Using these two together may lead to increased pressure inside the head, which can cause headaches and other brain-related side effects.

This is a plain-language summary of FDA-label interaction records and does not provide individual medication-combination directions.

Common Questions

What is this product used for?
It is used to reduce underarm wetness.
How do I use this product?
Apply it to your underarms only.
How often should I use it?
Use it as often as needed.
What is the active ingredient?
Aluminum sesquichlorohydrate.
Can I use this on other parts of my body?
No, apply to underarms only.
Is this a deodorant or an antiperspirant?
It is an antiperspirant deodorant.
Does this product contain retinol?
Yes, this product contains retinol.
How long does it last?
It provides 48-hour protection.
What brand is this?
Shea Moisture.
What form does this product come in?
It comes in a stick form.
Does retinol interact with other medications?
The registry has 3 documented interaction rows for retinol. Notable source-record pairings include isotretinoin, tretinoin, fluconazole. These rows are not a complete medication review.
What drug class is retinol?
retinol belongs to the Vitamin A Supplement drug class. It is available over the counter (OTC). This product is used to reduce wetness under your arms.

Other drugs grouped near retinol - same-class peers and common alternatives.

Compare retinol vs ascorbic acid side-by-side →

Medication Guides

What the FDA Data Shows for retinol

The FDA label for retinol (sold under brand names such as Vitamin A) classifies it as an over-the-counter product in the Vitamin A Supplement class. This product is used to reduce wetness under your arms. Labeling covers dosing, contraindications, and monitoring requirements derived from clinical trials.

Post-market surveillance from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) captures real-world experience. Voluntary reports accumulate over the lifetime of a drug and reflect wide-ranging clinical use. The database also lists 3 documented drug interactions derived from FDA labeling, with the top-flagged interaction rated moderate severity. Acquisition-cost data is surveyed weekly by CMS and updated as manufacturers report changes.

Report counts do not establish causation, a FAERS entry documents a temporal association, not proof that the drug produced the outcome. Widely prescribed medications naturally accumulate more reports than niche therapies, so raw totals must be interpreted alongside total exposure. Shortage status, recall history, and patent information are separate source-record fields. This page is a public FDA/CMS registry and does not provide medical, treatment, substitution, or medication-change directions.

Data Sources

Drug labeling: FDA Drug Labels (SPL/DailyMed). Adverse events: FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS).

FAERS reports are voluntary and do not establish causation. Drug interactions are derived from FDA labeling and clinical references. This registry does not provide medication decisions.

Last updated: February 21, 2024

PlainMeds is rendered directly from FDA openFDA/FAERS extracts, DailyMed labels, and CMS drug-pricing files, no number is typed in by an editor. FAERS counts, recalls, shortages, and price figures on this page are queried live from those federal extracts. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-05-15. Primary sources: openFDA / FAERS, DailyMed and CMS Part B ASP.

Data currency: FDA FAERS adverse-event reports through 2025, CMS NADAC acquisition-cost pricing effective December 2024, compiled from the source snapshot dated . See our methodology for per-source dates and refresh cadence. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a data issue.

All federal data sources used on this page