Is tazarotene safe during pregnancy?
Tap your actives or paste a label. See what to avoid, with sources.
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Not medical advice: bring it to your OB-GYN.
Not medical advice: bring it to your OB-GYN.
Three stamps. The cautious one wins.
Avoid while pregnant: an FDA label, the AAD, ACOG or a peer-reviewed review advises against it. Ask your doctor first: a source says to limit it or to check with a doctor, the sources we read disagree, or we found too little to go on. Generally considered OK: every source we read that covers it says it can be used. No stamp replaces your OB-GYN.
Three stamps. The cautious one wins.
Avoid while pregnant: an FDA label, the AAD, ACOG or a peer-reviewed review advises against it. Ask your doctor first: a source says to limit it or to check with a doctor, the sources we read disagree, or we found too little to go on. Generally considered OK: every source we read that covers it says it can be used. No stamp replaces your OB-GYN.
Everything in this tool, in full
Educational, not medical advice. Every line below points to the source it comes from — bring it to your doctor.
What the sources say
Its FDA label says it is contraindicated in pregnancy, because retinoids may cause fetal harm, and asks for a negative pregnancy test within 2 weeks before starting. The AAD lists it with the acne medicines never to take during pregnancy.
SourcesTazorac (tazarotene) gel: FDA label (DailyMed)American Academy of Dermatology: Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?Chien et al., Treatment of Acne in Pregnancy, J Am Board Fam Med, 2016Dermatology Times (September 3, 2026), news summary of Kovacs et al., Cosmetic Dermatology in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Risk-Benefit Framework for Clinical Practice, Int J Dermatol, 2026 (a narrative review; news summary only, the review itself not read)
What about breastfeeding?
Its label says there is no information on tazarotene in breast milk. A 2026 review, as summarized in Dermatology Times, says it’s avoided while breastfeeding too.
SourcesTazorac (tazarotene) gel: FDA label (DailyMed)American Academy of Dermatology: Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?Chien et al., Treatment of Acne in Pregnancy, J Am Board Fam Med, 2016Dermatology Times (September 3, 2026), news summary of Kovacs et al., Cosmetic Dermatology in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Risk-Benefit Framework for Clinical Practice, Int J Dermatol, 2026 (a narrative review; news summary only, the review itself not read)
What the label requires
Tazarotene’s label sets conditions before you start. It asks for a negative pregnancy test within 2 weeks and says treatment should begin during a normal menstrual period; women who could become pregnant should use effective contraception during treatment. In animal studies, it caused retinoid-type malformations in rats and rabbits, after both topical and oral dosing.
How much gets in
The label says exposure depends on how much skin is treated. In healthy volunteers who treated 20% of their skin for 7 days, under 1% of the dose was absorbed. In people with psoriasis treating about 13% of their skin for 14 days, about 15% was absorbed.
Check your whole routine
One ingredient is a start. The pregnancy-safe skincare checker stamps every active you use — tap them or paste a label — each with the reason and its source. Educational, not medical advice.
One face scan. Your whole routine, sorted.
This page answered your question. MySkincare starts from your own skin, and the products you already use.
- 1Scan your face3 photos: front, left profile, right profile.
- 2See your skin scoreFree6 zones scored separately: forehead, eye area, T-zone, both cheeks, chin.
- 3Scan your productsIt reads each ingredient list and says: keep it, watch it or replace it.
- 4Follow your routineMorning and night, checked so your products work together. With reminders.
MySkincare reads the products you already use and builds a routine for your skin. It doesn’t judge whether an ingredient is pregnancy-safe — for that, this page and your OB-GYN or dermatologist are the guide.
Questions people ask
Is tazarotene safe to use while pregnant?
Its FDA label says it is contraindicated in pregnancy, because retinoids may cause fetal harm, and asks for a negative pregnancy test within 2 weeks before starting. The AAD lists it with the acne medicines never to take during pregnancy.
SourcesTazorac (tazarotene) gel: FDA label (DailyMed)American Academy of Dermatology: Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?Chien et al., Treatment of Acne in Pregnancy, J Am Board Fam Med, 2016Dermatology Times (September 3, 2026), news summary of Kovacs et al., Cosmetic Dermatology in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Risk-Benefit Framework for Clinical Practice, Int J Dermatol, 2026 (a narrative review; news summary only, the review itself not read)
Is tazarotene safe while breastfeeding?
Its label says there is no information on tazarotene in breast milk. A 2026 review, as summarized in Dermatology Times, says it’s avoided while breastfeeding too.
SourcesTazorac (tazarotene) gel: FDA label (DailyMed)American Academy of Dermatology: Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?Chien et al., Treatment of Acne in Pregnancy, J Am Board Fam Med, 2016Dermatology Times (September 3, 2026), news summary of Kovacs et al., Cosmetic Dermatology in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Risk-Benefit Framework for Clinical Practice, Int J Dermatol, 2026 (a narrative review; news summary only, the review itself not read)
Do I need a pregnancy test before using tazarotene?
Yes: its label asks for a negative pregnancy test within 2 weeks before starting, a start during a normal period, and effective contraception during treatment.
Where can I check my whole routine?
Use the pregnancy-safe skincare checker: it stamps every active you use, with the reason and its source. It’s educational, not medical advice — bring the result to your OB-GYN or dermatologist.
DailyMed, US National Library of Medicinedailymed.nlm.nih.gov
- Tazorac (tazarotene) gel: FDA label (DailyMed)
Contraindicated in pregnancy; negative pregnancy test within 2 weeks before starting, therapy begun during a normal period, effective contraception during treatment; retinoid-type malformations in rats and rabbits; absorption depends on the skin area treated; no information on breast milk.
American Academy of Dermatologyaad.org
- Is any acne treatment safe to use during pregnancy?
Isotretinoin, tazarotene and spironolactone: never take during pregnancy; if you’re pregnant, stop them immediately. Doxycycline, minocycline or tetracycline: stop by your 15th week of pregnancy. Adapalene and tretinoin: most experts recommend stopping. Azelaic acid and clindamycin: thought to be safe. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid: safe in limited amounts or for a limited time, ask first.
Studies and other sources
- Chien et al., Treatment of Acne in Pregnancy, J Am Board Fam Med, 2016jabfm.org
Benzoyl peroxide considered safe; salicylic acid low risk if limited to local areas for a limited time; azelaic acid a baseline option; no reports of harm from glycolic acid; topical retinoids generally avoided, tazarotene contraindicated; short-term topical clindamycin safe.
- Dermatology Times (September 3, 2026), news summary of Kovacs et al., Cosmetic Dermatology in Pregnancy and Lactation: A Risk-Benefit Framework for Clinical Practice, Int J Dermatol, 2026 (a narrative review; news summary only, the review itself not read)dermatologytimes.com
Vitamin C, azelaic acid, niacinamide and benzoyl peroxide considered acceptable in pregnancy and breastfeeding; low-strength glycolic or lactic acid may be used with caution in pregnancy, superficial glycolic peels preferably deferred; salicylic acid peels avoided in pregnancy, particularly at higher strengths; medium-depth TCA peels deferred; deep phenol peels avoided in pregnancy and breastfeeding (systemic toxicity, including heart rhythm problems); hydroquinone avoided; tazarotene avoided; injectables generally avoided or deferred in pregnancy, hyaluronic acid fillers may be considered while breastfeeding; reproductive safety data are limited.