Drug & supplement interaction

Vitamin A + Tazarotene

Tazarotene brand names: Avage, Tazorotene, Zorac, Fabior, Arazlo.

Major Interaction
Medically reviewed by · Updated September 2026
The bottom line Major

Vitamin A has a major interaction with Tazarotene. Concomitant use of retinoids with vitamin A supplements might produce supratherapeutic vitamin A levels.

Read the full interaction report
SeverityMajor
LikelihoodProbable
EvidenceD
What do Severity, Likelihood & Evidence mean?
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Interaction report

Vitamin A and Tazarotene

Here is the interaction we found between these two, with the evidence behind it.

Major

RETINOIDS

Why this applies to Tazarotene

Tazarotene falls under RETINOIDS — the group Vitamin A interacts with.

Concomitant use of retinoids with vitamin A supplements might produce supratherapeutic vitamin A levels.
Retinoids, which are vitamin A derivatives, could have additive toxic effects when taken with vitamin A supplements.
Severity Major Likelihood Probable Evidence D

Interaction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports..

Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Dr. Brian Staiger explains PharmD, Clinical Pharmacist

Here's the simple version: tazarotene is a retinoid, which basically means it's a cousin of vitamin A. When you add a vitamin A supplement on top, you're stacking two things that act in similar ways, and the worry is that the vitamin A-type effects could add up too much in your body.

Now, a little reassurance. Tazarotene is usually a cream, gel, or foam you put on your skin, so very little gets into your bloodstream, and this concern is theoretical, based on how these compounds work rather than lots of real cases. Still, since both are vitamin A relatives, high-dose supplements could nudge you toward signs of too much vitamin A, like headaches, dry or peeling skin, and irritation. Food-level amounts are unlikely to matter, but please check with your pharmacist or doctor before adding a vitamin A supplement, especially if you might be pregnant.

Contact Dr. Brian directly if you have additional questions on this interaction
References
  1. Hansten PD, Horn JR. Drug Interactions Analysis and Management. Vancouver, WA: Applied Therapeutics Inc., 1997 and updates.

What These Ratings Mean

Every interaction above is graded three ways — here’s the key to each label.

Severity how clinically significant the interaction is
Major

Clinically significant. Avoid the combination, or use only under close professional supervision.

Moderate

Usually worth avoiding or managing — may need monitoring, a dose change, or timing apart.

Minor

Generally not serious. Be aware of it and mention it to your pharmacist.

Likelihood how strong the evidence is that the interaction actually happens in people
  • LikelyWell-controlled human studies have demonstrated the likely existence of this interaction.
  • ProbableInteraction has not been documented in well-controlled studies, however, the interaction has been demonstrated in some small human studies or in controlled animal studies in conjunction with multiple case reports.
  • PossibleInteraction has been documented in animal or in lab research, or the interaction has been documented in humans but is limited to case reports or conflicting clinical research exists.
  • UnlikelyInteraction has been demonstrated in animal or in lab research but has been shown not to occur in humans.
Evidence the quality of the studies behind the rating (graded A–D)
  • AHigh-quality meta-analysis (quantitative systematic review).
  • BCase-control study.
  • CConsensus.
  • DAnecdotal evidence.

These ratings are for information only. Never start, stop, or otherwise change your therapy before speaking with your provider.

Keep it in perspective

Vitamin A Also Interacts With Other Medications

Vitamin A has 8 major, 378 moderate known drug interactions in our database — the Tazarotene one above is one of them. If you take anything else, check it against the full list below.

Major 8 Moderate 378 No known interaction 2,444 (incl. Tazarotene)
Taking anything else?

Check Another of Your Medications Against Vitamin A

Covers the 2,830 medications we’ve checked against Vitamin A. Pick one to open its full report.

From our Q&A

Questions About Vitamin A or Tazarotene

These are real questions from readers, answered by the pharmacists at HelloPharmacist — written by a person, not generated from a database. Each one covers Vitamin A or Tazarotene, not necessarily both, but if one is close to what you were about to ask it will usually go further than a database entry can:

Not quite your question? Ask our pharmacists directly — it is free, there is no account required, and answers usually come back within 24 hours.

Everything else you take

See Every Supplement That Interacts With Tazarotene

This page covers Vitamin A only. If you take other supplements — a multivitamin, a sleep aid, something for joints — the Tazarotene page lists 24 supplements it has a documented interaction with, worst first, each one explained.

The most serious there right now: Alfalfa (moderate), Angelica Archangelica (moderate), Arrach (moderate), Bergamot (moderate) and Bishop's Weed (moderate).

By severity: 1 major · 21 moderate · 2 minor.

From our pharmacist’s overview on the Tazarotene page

“Tazarotene (Fabior, Arazlo) is a topical retinoid, a vitamin A relative prescribed for acne and psoriasis, and its supplement list deserves genuine attention. The one major-rated entry is vitamin A itself.”

Reviewed by 2 · Jul 18, 2026

Open the Tazarotene interaction page

One more smart check

Taking Vitamin A as Part of a Dietary Supplement Product? Check It for Interactions

We hold 19,215 real supplement products containing Vitamin A, each one broken down to its full ingredient list — and combination products often carry several ingredients besides Vitamin A. Your product may carry other ingredients that interact with Tazarotene too, on top of Vitamin A — and those would not show on this page. Find your product and we’ll check every ingredient on its label:

How much people look this up

Where Vitamin A and Tazarotene 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 Vitamin A
Top 1%

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

29 days ago today
Medication Tazarotene
Steady interest

#1,577 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.

Supplement

About Vitamin A

What is Vitamin A?

  • Eye and vision health
  • Skin health and acne
  • Immune support
  • Correcting vitamin A deficiency
  • Childhood growth and development

Vitamin A is an essential nutrient important for vision, skin, immune function, and growth. Most people get enough from a balanced diet, and supplements are mainly useful for correcting a true deficiency. Because vitamin A is fat-soluble and can build up to harmful levels, more is not better, and high doses are especially risky in pregnancy.

Read the full Vitamin A monograph & all interactions
Medication

About Tazarotene Topical

What Is Tazarotene Topical Used For?

Brand names: Avage, Tazorotene, Zorac, Fabior, Arazlo

Tazarotene cream 0.1% is used as part of a broader skin care routine to help lessen the look of fine facial wrinkles, mottled skin discoloration (uneven patches of lighter or darker skin), and benign facial lentigines (age spots or flat brown spots on the face). It is meant to be used alongside sun protection and a comprehensive skin care program.

It's important to know what tazarotene cream cannot do: it does not eliminate or prevent wrinkles, restore more youthful-looking skin, reverse sun damage, or repair photoaged skin. It has not been proven safe or effective for treating precancerous lesions (actinic keratoses) or skin cancers. Tazarotene gel formulations are also used for plaque psoriasis and acne vulgaris.

See full Tazarotene Topical drug information
Keep checking

Other Drugs & Vitamin A

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

8Major
378Moderate
0Minor
2,443No known interaction
8 Major 378 Moderate 2,443 No interaction
Major

8 interactions

Moderate

378 interactions

Showing 60 of 378 moderate interactions — see all 378 on the Vitamin A page.

No interaction 2,443 drugs checked — show the list

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

Showing the 60 most looked-up of 2,443 medications checked with no known interaction — see the full Vitamin A list.

See the full Vitamin A interactions page
See every supplement checked against Tazarotene, ranked by severity
Sources

Sources & How We Checked

Interaction details are evidence-graded and sourced from the Natural Medicines database. The medication overview comes from MedlinePlus.

Content is written and reviewed by licensed HelloPharmacist pharmacists. See our data sources and editorial standards for how this information is built and checked.

Parts of this content are provided by the Therapeutic Research Center, LLC.

DISCLAIMER: Currently this does not check for drug-drug interactions. This is not an all-inclusive comprehensive list of potential interactions and is for informational purposes only. Not all interactions are known or well-reported in the scientific literature, and new interactions are continually being reported. Input is needed from a qualified healthcare provider including a pharmacist before starting any therapy. Application of clinical judgment is necessary.

© 2021 Therapeutic Research Center, LLC

Keep exploring
Vitamin A monograph › Uses, safety, and every drug interaction in one place Tazarotene supplement interactions › Every supplement checked against Tazarotene, ranked by severity Tazarotene Topical drug information › The full plain-English guide to this medication Supplement interaction checker › Check any supplement or product against your medications Browse medications A–Z › Every drug we've checked against herbs & supplements Ask a pharmacist › Free, personal answer from our licensed team
Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Taking Vitamin A and Tazarotene Together: Common Questions

Can you take Vitamin A with Tazarotene?
This is rated a major interaction, so the combination is best avoided unless your doctor or pharmacist has specifically told you otherwise. Read the full details on this page and confirm with your pharmacist before combining them.
How serious is the Vitamin A and Tazarotene interaction?
We rate it Major. This is a clinically significant combination that is generally best avoided, or used only under the direct supervision of your physician or pharmacist.

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

Still Have a Question About Tazarotene and Vitamin A?

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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.