Aklief

Aklief.

About this product

Aklief is a prescription retinoid lotion containing trifarotene, designed to treat acne on the trunk, chest, and back.

Guru Score

74%

Mixed

4 experts · Moderate agreement

4Gurus

3Yay

0Mixed

1Nay

What they liked

Lighter than tretinoin, less drying
Lotion texture spreads evenly on large areas
Safe for chest and back acne

What they flagged

Just as irritating as other retinoids in practice

What the gurus are saying

Trifarotene's specificity for one retinoid receptor means it works at a very low concentration, making it safe enough to apply over large body areas without the absorption concerns of stronger retinoids, and gurus find it noticeably less drying than tretinoin while still effective for acne. The lotion texture applies smoothly to chest and back, though anti-aging data on this newer retinoid remains thin for now. Many with sensitive skin or those already irritated by tretinoin may want to try it first.

Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take August 2026

Best for

Acne-prone skin

Type

Lotion

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr Dray

2.68M subs

~Nay

"Trifarotene, marketed as Aklief, was allegedly supposed to be so much less irritating because of its receptor specificity, but in clinical practice it bears out to be just as irritating as any other topical retinoid. Personally, I haven't found it to be less irritating."

All 2 takes from Dr Dray

Dermatologist Answers Skincare Questions: A313, Tretinoin, Aklief

"Aklief is [trifarotene]. It's a newer retinoid that is more specific for the gamma retinoid receptor. Because it's so specific, you can get away with using a very low percentage in the formulation. For that reason, it can be used on large surface areas like your entire back, your entire chest without concern of exposing yourself to too much of the drug due to absorption from large surface area. It's FDA approved for the treatment of acne on the trunk, back, and chest. Now, everybody wants to know right away, does it work for anti-aging? Well, it's not been around long enough. You might get a study here and there about looking at it for wrinkles and collagen, maybe somewhere along the line, but I would not be waiting with baited breath for that to come out because we don't have a lot of studies on the other retinoids for anti-aging. All topical retinoids can improve the visible signs of sun damage."

Can You Mix Azelaic Acid With Anything? Dermatologist Q&A

Dr. Daniel Sugai

720k subs

~Yay

"It's called Aklief, it's [trifarotene], it's another retinoid so it acts similar to tretinoin and retinol but this one is a little bit lighter. It's more of a lotion than a cream and I find that it goes on really well for chest and back if you ever get any body acne or can also help with anti-aging in that sense too. I definitely don't see it being as drying as the tretinoin at all. I still do put moisturizer over it but I don't feel as though I need to."

Lab Muffin Beauty Science

861k subs

~Yay

"It's approved for truncal acne, so your chest and back, because it's safer. You can apply more of it on a larger surface area compared to if it was just approved for your face. It is a lot more potent, which is why it's at such a low concentration. Because it's new, there's only this one formulation. The brand name is called Aklief, and it's got a polymer in it that spreads out the active more evenly. It's also got allantoin, which is soothing."

Gothamista

684k subs

~Yay

"Then I started using Aklief. This intrigued me so much because this uses trifarotene, which is the latest in retinoid technology that we've had in the last 20, 30 years, with a really hydrating texture that I enjoy and prefer, but it's a lot gentler on my skin. This also really noticeably affected surface appearance, especially where pores are concerned, and that's been a pleasant surprise."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is Aklief?

Aklief is a prescription retinoid lotion containing trifarotene, designed to treat acne on the trunk, chest, and back.

Is Aklief worth it?

The gurus mostly approve it, but with enough reservations to keep it in the middle at a Guru Score of 74%.

What is Aklief's Guru Score?

Aklief holds a Guru Score of 74%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected.