Drug & supplement interaction

Laurelwood + Tretinoin

Tretinoin brand names: Vesanoid, Retin-A, Renova, Altreno.

No Known Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated July 2026 · Pair last verified Sep 20, 2026
The bottom line No known interaction

We found no known interaction between Laurelwood and Tretinoin in our sources. Absence of a documented interaction is not the same as proven safety, and does not guarantee one does not exist. Do not start, stop, or change a medication or supplement based on this page; confirm with your pharmacist or doctor first. Additionally, although there is no interaction, the label for Tretinoin states a food rule worth keeping to, and the two are separately associated with some of the same side effects, which would make a new symptom harder to attribute to one or the other.

Know someone taking this? Share
Facebook Post Reddit Email
On this page
Interaction report

Laurelwood and Tretinoin

We checked these two against our interaction database. Here is what we found.

No Known Interaction Found

We did not find a documented interaction between Tretinoin and Laurelwood in our sources. This does not guarantee that the combination is completely free of risk — there is often limited research on supplements and herbal products, especially around drug interactions.

Worth understanding: our licensed dataset holds no drug-interaction record for Laurelwood at all — not against Tretinoin, and not against any other medication we track. This verdict therefore rests on the absence of any recorded data, not on research that looked at this combination and found nothing. We cannot rule an interaction out.

If you decide to take both, the practical routine is simple: add one new thing at a time and note the date you started it. If the combination is going to disagree with you, it usually shows in the first days to a couple of weeks — and a start date turns “I’ve been feeling off” into something a pharmacist can actually work with. Do not stop a prescribed medicine on your own.

Always talk with your pharmacist or doctor before making changes to your medications or supplements, particularly if you take several medications or have an ongoing health condition.

Laurelwood safety at a glance

Laurelwood overall Use caution Generally used on the skin only; it can cause allergic reactions and should not be swallowed.
Pregnancy Use caution Limited safety data; topical use may be acceptable but check with your doctor first.
Breastfeeding Use caution Not enough reliable information, so use caution and keep it off the nipple area if nursing.

Safety guidance is general; always confirm with your pharmacist or doctor for your situation.

Still wondering about combining Tretinoin and Laurelwood? Ask Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS directly ›
What to actually watch for

No Interaction Found — But Data Suggests Laurelwood and Tretinoin May Share Several of the Same Side Effects

This is not an interaction. Neither one changes how your body handles the other, and nothing here says they react together. What our sources do show is that each has separately been linked to the effects below — so taking both can make those effects more likely to turn up, and harder to pin on one or the other if they do.

  • A skin rash reported in 5.2% of FDA reports for Tretinoin Additional detail

    Laurelwood

    “There is currently a limited amount of information available about the adverse effects of laurelwood. Orally, calanolide A, a constituent of laurelwood, has been reported to cause an oily aftertaste, nausea, dizziness, and headache. Topically, tamanu oil from the laurelwood nut has been reported to cause allergic contact dermatitis.”

    Laurelwood · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    2 sources cited
    1. 4290. Reuters Health. Anti-HIV herbal product shows therapeutic potential in phase I trial. November 1, 1999.
    2. 76959. Oku, H., Ueda, Y., Iinuma, M., and Ishiguro, K. Inhibitory effects of xanthones from guttiferae plants on PAF-induced hypotension in mice. Planta Med 2005;71(1):90-92. PubMed

    “Topically, there is one case report of allergic contact dermatitis related to the use of tamanu oil from the nut of laurelwood.”

    Laurelwood · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in dermatitis.

    1 source cited
    1. 76958. Le Coz, C. J. Allergic contact dermatitis from tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum, Calophyllum tacamahaca). Contact Dermatitis 2004;51(4):216-217. PubMed

    Tretinoin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tretinoin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Dizziness / Headache reported in 4.8% of FDA reports for Tretinoin Additional detail

    Laurelwood

    “Orally, the use of calanolide A, a laurelwood constituent, can cause dizziness and headache.”

    Laurelwood · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in cluster headache.

    1 source cited
    1. 4290. Reuters Health. Anti-HIV herbal product shows therapeutic potential in phase I trial. November 1, 1999.

    Tretinoin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tretinoin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

  • Nausea reported in 5.1% of FDA reports for Tretinoin Additional detail

    Laurelwood

    “Orally, the use of calanolide A, a laurelwood constituent, can cause an oily aftertaste and nausea.”

    Laurelwood · Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, reported in nausea and vomiting.

    1 source cited
    1. 4290. Reuters Health. Anti-HIV herbal product shows therapeutic potential in phase I trial. November 1, 1999.

    Tretinoin

    Listed in the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of the FDA label for Tretinoin, and in voluntary FDA adverse-event reports. Read the label on DailyMed ›

Effects for Tretinoin come from the ADVERSE REACTIONS section of its FDA label; effects for Laurelwood come from the Natural Medicines adverse-effect record, quoted above. Where a percentage is shown, it is the share of 8,580 voluntary FDA FAERS reports for Tretinoin that mention that effect — a reporting proportion, not an incidence rate and not evidence the drug caused it. Wording is matched across sources by our own clinical vocabulary, so treat this as a prompt to pay attention, not a diagnosis.

How to take them

Some Tretinoin Products Have a Food Rule — Laurelwood Should Not Break It

At least one FDA label for a product containing Tretinoin says to take it with food. If you take Laurelwood on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate — and take Tretinoin with a meal where the label says to.

This may not be true of your version. Food instructions belong to the product, not the ingredient: two Tretinoin products can carry different directions, and extended-release forms often differ from immediate-release ones. The label we read is quoted below — check the directions on your own box or bottle, or ask your pharmacist, for how to take the exact product you were given.

Take tretinoin capsules with a meal.

From the Dosage and Administration section of the FDA label we read for Tretinoin — where that label names a specific product, the instruction is that product's. Read the label on DailyMed ›

A food rule is not an interaction — it is about how much of the medicine you absorb. The directions that came with your own product, and your pharmacist, outrank anything on this page.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tretinoin

This page covers Laurelwood only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tretinoin page lists 52 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Activated Charcoal (major), Vitamin A (major), African Wild Potato (moderate), Alfalfa (moderate) and Angelica Archangelica (moderate).

By severity: 2 major · 37 moderate · 13 minor.

Open the Tretinoin interaction page

How much people look this up

Where Laurelwood and Tretinoin Sit Against Everything Else

Out of every supplement and medication people look up on HelloPharmacist, here is where these two land this week — and which way each has been moving.

Supplement Laurelwood
Steady interest

#1,237 of 1,452 supplements looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today
Medication Tretinoin
Top half

#1,397 of 2,830 medications looked up here in the last 7 days

29 days ago today

Position among everything looked up on this site, not a measure of how commonly either one is used or how important it is. A supplement can climb this list because of a news story. It counts every request to the page, automated ones included, and nothing here identifies anyone.

Where does our data come from?
  • Source: the Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) clinical database — the evidence-graded professional reference for herb & supplement interactions.
  • Citation library: 103,510 references behind our interaction content, 65,311 of them resolved to verified PubMed/DOI sources. See every Laurelwood reference on this page ↓
  • Freshness: we automatically re-check this combination every week — this pair was last verified September 20, 2026. The Laurelwood and Tretinoin records this page draws on were last updated July 10, 2026.
  • What “no known interaction” means: no documented interaction in the sources above — not a guarantee of safety. Supplements are studied far less than prescription drugs, so we say exactly what the evidence supports, and nothing more.
Data structure & sourcing designed and verified by .
Supplement

About Laurelwood

What is Laurelwood?

  • Skin care and moisturizing
  • Minor wounds and scars
  • Acne-prone skin
  • Dry or irritated skin
  • Soothing minor burns or insect bites

Laurelwood, the source of tamanu oil, is a tropical tree whose seed oil is used mainly on the skin for moisturizing, soothing irritation, and supporting wound healing. Most evidence is preliminary or based on laboratory studies, and it is meant for external use only. Talk to a pharmacist or doctor before using it, and avoid swallowing the oil.

Calophyllum inophyllum · Calophyllaceae · Seeds (pressed into oil), and at times the bark and leaves · Tamanu oil (cold-pressed seed oil), creams, balms, and topical skincare products

An interaction check asks whether these two react with each other — it does not ask whether Laurelwood is a good idea for someone in your situation. Here is what our Laurelwood record says about it on its own.

Laurelwood: dosing

There is no official or standardized dose for laurelwood (tamanu) oil. It is used topically, and the amount depends on the product and the area being treated.The safest approach is to follow the directions on the product label and to start with a small amount on a small area.

From our Laurelwood monograph — the full record covers uses, side effects and every documented interaction.

Read the full Laurelwood monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tretinoin

What Is Tretinoin Used For?

Brand names: Vesanoid, Retin-A, Renova, Altreno

Tretinoin cream 0.02% is approved to help lessen the look of fine facial wrinkles in people who also follow a comprehensive skin care and sun-avoidance program — including daily sunscreen, protective clothing, and moisturizers.

It's important to know what tretinoin does not do: it will not erase wrinkles, reverse sun damage, repair deeply weathered skin, or restore younger-looking skin. It has also not been shown to help with coarse or deep wrinkles, rough skin texture, dark spots, or sagging skin.

Most-Reported Side Effects for Tretinoin

From FAERS, the FDA’s public side-effect reporting system (0 reports, all brands). Reports are voluntary and are not proof the drug caused the effect.

Vomiting 498 reports
Rash 477 reports
Nausea 453 reports
Headache 434 reports
Diarrhea 414 reports
See full Tretinoin drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Laurelwood

Browse every other medication we’ve checked against Laurelwood — both the ones with a known interaction and the ones without. Select any drug for the full detail.

0Major
0Moderate
0Minor
2,829No known interaction
2,829 No interaction
No interaction 2,829 drugs checked — show the list

We also checked Laurelwood against these medications and found no known interaction in our sources. Open any page to confirm.

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,829 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Laurelwood list.

See the full Laurelwood interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tretinoin, ranked by severity
Evidence & sources

Laurelwood References

The 3 references that drive our Laurelwood monograph and interaction data, from the evidence-graded Natural Medicines (TRC Healthcare) database. Citations with a link open the study on PubMed or the publisher’s site.

  1. Reuters Health. Anti-HIV herbal product shows therapeutic potential in phase I trial. November 1, 1999.
  2. Le Coz, C. J. Allergic contact dermatitis from tamanu oil (Calophyllum inophyllum, Calophyllum tacamahaca). Contact Dermatitis 2004;51(4):216-217. PubMed
  3. Oku, H., Ueda, Y., Iinuma, M., and Ishiguro, K. Inhibitory effects of xanthones from guttiferae plants on PAF-induced hypotension in mice. Planta Med 2005;71(1):90-92. PubMed

Medication overviews come from MedlinePlus (NIH); supplement label data from the NIH Dietary Supplement Label Database. Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists — see our data sources and editorial standards.

Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Laurelwood and Tretinoin Together: Common Questions

Is it safe to take Laurelwood with Tretinoin?
We do not list a known interaction between Laurelwood and Tretinoin. That does not guarantee the combination is risk-free, so confirm with your pharmacist or doctor — especially if you take other medications or have a health condition.
Do Laurelwood and Tretinoin have any of the same side effects?
Yes — our sources link each of them separately to 4 of the same effects. That is not an interaction: neither changes how your body handles the other. It does mean that if one of those effects turns up, it can be harder to tell which one is behind it. They are listed on this page with the source behind each.
Should I take Laurelwood and Tretinoin at the same time of day?
At least one FDA label for a product containing Tretinoin says to take it with food. If you take Laurelwood on an empty stomach out of habit, keep them separate and take Tretinoin with a meal where the label says to. Food instructions belong to the product rather than the ingredient — two Tretinoin products can differ — so check the directions on your own box. This is about absorption, not an interaction.
Does Tretinoin interact with any supplements?
Yes. Tretinoin has documented interactions with 52 supplements in our database — Laurelwood is not one of them. The Tretinoin interaction page linked on this page lists every one, ranked by severity.

Written and reviewed by the HelloPharmacist editorial staff. Our editorial policy

Where next

Keep Exploring

Laurelwood monograph Uses, safety profile, and every drug interaction in one place Tretinoin drug information The full plain-English guide to this medication Tretinoin supplement interactions Every supplement checked against Tretinoin, ranked by severity Supplement interaction checker Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z Every drug we’ve checked against herbs & supplements References The 3 citations behind this page Ask a pharmacist Free, personal answer from our licensed team

Still Have a Question About Tretinoin and Laurelwood?

Our pharmacists answer your medication & supplement questions — free.

Ask a pharmacist

This information is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always check with your pharmacist or doctor before starting, stopping, or combining supplements and medications.