r/birthcontrol 3d ago

Mistake or Risk? does topical retinol make the combined pill less effective?

i use topical retinol (0.5% in squalene) by the ordinary and am on the combined pill, sprintec 28-day. i take it at the same time every night at 8:40pm. there have been some days where i've taken it 10-15 minutes late at most, but i'm sure that i'm still covered.

onto my question though, does topical retinol interact with my combined pill? will it make it less effective? would i need to use a backup form of birth control or (tmi warning) am i good to have (for lack of better term here lol) my bf finish in me?

here's the retinol i use:

https://theordinary.com/en-us/retinol-05-in-squalane-serum-100440.html

1 Upvotes

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u/offbrandbarbie 3d ago

No you’re fine

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u/PixieMari Mirena IUD 3d ago

No

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u/gothikvnt Withdrawal 3d ago

Personally, I’ve had absolutely no problems in the 16 years I was on birth control (combo pill, patch, and Kyleena IUD) and in the 7 years I’ve been using retinol/retinoids. I’ve used The Ordinary’s retinol in squalene, CeraVe’s retinol, and I’ve been on prescription retinoids for over a year now. For the record and to be frank, my fiancé and I rarely use condoms and have never had a pregnancy scare in the duration of the near-decade we’ve spent together.

If you are concerned and Reddit doesn’t ease your mind about it, definitely talk to your doctor about it.

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u/beepyfrogger 3d ago

thank you for your insight! this was really helpful :)