There’s no denying social media has transformed our beauty routines. From the rise of skinfluencers to perfecting Hollywood curls with a pair of socks, apps like TikTok and Instagram have become our go-to for beauty tips and tricks. While brands and experts used to pave the way, they now run behind social media while trying to keep up with the latest trends. Instead of dermatologists informing us of the newest craze, they now respond to videos with their advice.

As seen across social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, this spreading of information has its positives – thank you, heatless curls – but also unearths products that you might not have heard of outside of a dermatologist’s office. Tretinoin, a prescription-strength retinoid derivative known for clearing acne and pigmentation, is one of social media’s most popular ingredients; just look at the hashtag #tretinoin on TikTok, which now has over 46,000 posts under it and 98,500 posts on Instagram. Take a quick glance and you’ll see many of these videos focusing on ‘before and after’ skin transformations that showcase clear, glowing skin.

However, tretinoin is a prescription-only medication in the UK, which means it should only be prescribed by your GP or a qualified dermatologist – but you wouldn’t know that by looking at social media, where it’s seemingly everywhere. In fact, searches for ‘how to get tretinoin in the UK’ have risen by 120% in the last year, according to Google trends.

The problem? Not everyone using it has severe acne, which is what the product is intended to help resolve, and that’s because they’re not getting it from their doctor. They’re buying it online via overseas marketplaces.

“I regret ever buying it”: the murky world of prescription beauty products available on the dark web