The 15 Best Cleansers to Use with Tretinoin & Retinol

In this post I’ll talk about the best cleanser to use with tretinoin. I’ll also discuss some tips for the best tretinoin skincare routine, benefits of tretinoin and skincare ingredients to combine with tretinoin (and which not to avoid).

Disclaimer: some of these cleanser links might be affiliate links, so I may earn a small % fee if you decide to buy one of them.

Benefits of tretinoin

Let’s start with the basic and recap the benefits of tretinoin for anyone interested in trying it. Tretinoin comes in a couple of formats, including tretinoin creams and gels. It is a first-generation retinoid, designed to treat acne. As a nice by-product, it is also the most powerful anti-ageing topical.

Here are some of the main benefits you’ll see from consistent use of tretinoin:

• Increased skin cell turnover resulting in reduced fine lines and wrinkles.
• A reduction in sebum production for those who have oily skin.
• A reduction of acne and pimples in acne-prone skin.
• A more even skin tone and reduced dark spots.
• Plumper looking skin.

Potential side effects of tretinoin

Using tretinoin isn’t a walk in the park. Yes it is super powerful, but it can be difficult to adjust to and often people don’t follow the treatment through. Here are some side effects that people often notice while adjusting to tretinoin:

• You might experience a tretinoin purge. This is where acne gets worse before it gets better, and it can last 2-4 months sometimes.
• Flaky skin and peeling skin is common while you’re still adjusting to the product.
• Dry skin is also common
• Sometimes using tretinoin too often too quickly can cause a damaged skin barrier.
• Skin irritation is common while using tretinoin.

Once you look at these side effects it’s easier to see what to look for in the best cleanser to use with tretinoin. It needs to be a gentle formula that’s suitable for sensitive skin types. 

Active ingredients to look for in cleansers to use with tretinoin

When you’re looking for the right cleanser to use with tretinoin, you want it to be non-irritating and without a chemical exfoliant. I know it can be hard to part with your favourite cleanser if it does have exfoliating actives, but to use both together can be very irritating.

You’ll want to limit use of that cleanser when you first begin using tretinoin, saving it for a few months down the line when you’re better adjusted.

Here are some ingredients that are okay to use in a cleanser while using tretinoin:

• Glycerin
• Centella asiatica, also known as Cica for short
• Hyaluronic acid
• Niacinamide, also known as vitamin B3
• Licorice root
• Panthenol
• Allantoin
• Aloe vera
• Ceramides
• Bisabolol
• Oatmeal or oat extract

All of these ingredients make for the perfect mild cleanser to use with prescription retinoids like tretinoin. Even if you’re not using a retinoid, these ingredients are often found in the best face washes, in my opinion.

If I didn’t use retinoids, I would still use a cleanser free of exfoliating actives. This is because I think it makes much more sense to keep your cleansers just for cleansing, and you can add exfoliation or actives later on with serums etc. Otherwise you may end up exfoliating more than you realise and damage your skin barrier.

Ingredients to avoid in cleansers to use with tretinoin

While you’re looking for a gentle cleanser, make sure to avoid the below skincare ingredients:

• Glycolic acid
• Lactic acid
• Salicylic acid cleanser, such as the Cerave smoothing cleanser, is too much in combination with tretinoin
• Beta-hydroxy acid is another name for salicylic acid, in case you weren’t aware! It often catches people out
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Artificial fragrance
• Natural fragrance
• Essential oils

I’m often asked about azelaic acid, which is now one of my favourite ingredients after getting into it in 2023! Whilst you can use these together in the long term, I would avoid it at least in the beginning while you’re still adjusting.

The best cleanser to use with tretinoin for double cleansing

You might be wondering if double cleansing is necessary when you’re using tretinoin, or if it’s safe to use oil cleansers. The answer is that it’s safe to use oil cleansers, but you just need to make sure it’s free of essential oils and fragrance. I’m also very particular about oil cleansers, which is why I’ve done a whole separate post on double cleansing for acne-prone skin.

If you’re looking for a non-irritating cleanser for double cleansing, we’ll now get into my list of the best water based cleansers for acne-prone skin. This will be all of my existing favorite cleansers, plus a few new ones! I will also update the original post soon to include these.

You might be wondering why the lists are more or less the same, this is because I always recommend gentle cleansers no matter who you are. I feel confident to say that nearly any cleanser i’ve recommended would be suitable for tretinoin users.

​Best water based cleansers to use with tretinoin

My favourite water based cleansers for acne-prone skin, plus a few new ones!

1. Dermatica Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser

I genuinely really like Dermatica’s range of simple but effective products. I like that they’re all fragrance and essential oil free, are reasonably priced and have no-frills formulas.

This water based cleanser is a good option for pretty much anyone, and has a similar texture to to Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser (which I currently use).

Shop Dermatica Balancing Glycerin Gel Cleanser

2. Dr Sam’s Flawless Water Based Cleanser

I’ve been using this water based cleanser for years now and I still haven’t tired of it. It’s super gentle and contains allantoin and aloe vera, plus it doesn’t foam.

At first it’s an unusual texture, but I’ve come to look forward to using it. I do have a discount code (NATALIEONEIL) for Dr Sam’s as I am a long time user and recommend her range any day.

Shop Dr Sam’s Flawless Cleanser

3. SOS Cleanse Facial Cleanser

Another simple gel cleanser with just eight ingredients, SOS Serum are a somewhat unknown brand who (I think) ship mostly from Amazon.

I have also gotten on pretty well with their SOS SPF, although after a while it did give me a few suspicious forehead spots – though none on my cheeks.

The only major downside of this water based cleanser is that it’s a little expensive for the amount of product you get.

Shop SOS Cleanse, Facial Cleanser

4. Aveeno Calming Oat Cleanser

Aveeno is a great drugstore range, in general I get on well with the Aveeno Calm & Restore products and also recommend their Aveeno Oat Barrier Serum.

This one is pretty affordable and often on sale for £5! This is not really a gel cleanser, moreso it has the consistency of a very thick toner.

Shop Aveeno Face CALM+RESTORE Nourishing Oat Cleanser

5. Hyram Centella and Green Tea Hydrating Gel Cleanser

I don’t really watch skincare blogger Hyram on YouTube anymore (or consume much skincare content to be honest!) but I do like this water based cleanser he has created.

If you know me, you’ll know centella is one of my favourite ingredients. It’s a barrier health ingredient which, as long as it doesn’t disagree with you, you can never really have too much of.

Shop Selfless by Hyram Centella and Green Tea Hydrating Gel Cleanser

6. [Coat]s Gentle Hydrating Facial Cleanser with Ceramides

Ever since I came across the brand [Coat]s I’ve fallen in love with this water based cleanser. The way it makes your face feel so much softer after you use it is something I’ve not experienced before. In general, I really love the [Coat]s range and I feel they don’t get enough airtime at all on social media.

The main downside of the brand is that they’re difficult to get outside of the UK and US. At the time of writing this, they’re primarily stocked on Amazon and in CVS in the states.

Coats Gentle Hydrating Facial Cleanser with Ceramides + Hyaluronic Acid

7. Curel Foaming Gentle Cleansing Face Wash Cleanser

apanese brand, Curel, is another skincare brand I gravitate towards. This time they’ve created a gentle foaming formula, which is perfect if you simply prefer the feel of a foaming wash without the stripping surfactants they often contain.

Shop Curel Foaming Gentle Cleansing Face Wash Cleanser for Dry, Sensitive Skin

8. Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel

Now we’re venturing into K beauty recommendations, and one brand I really like is Haruharu Wonder. Their black rice range is especially minimal, simple and gentle on the skin. If you’re looking for a double cleansing duo, they also have a fragrance free version of their black rice oil cleanser.

Shop Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing Gel

​10. Prequel Gleanser Glycerin Cleanser

This is a new cleanser to me, but one that I immediately liked. It has a texture that is comparable to snail mucin, but doesn’t contain snail mucin. It’s very heavy in glycerin, hence the name ‘gleanser’, but I think this is a really lovely formula that most skins will like.

I think pretty much anyone with any skin concerns should be able to get along with this face cleanser. Annoyingly it’s only in the US right now, they were kind enough to ship me one.

Shop Prequel Gleanser Glycerin Cleanser

11. Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Cleanser

You’re either going to love or hate this cleanser, and I think a few people might be confused as to why I’m recommending it. For most people this cleanser performs really well and is super gentle, perfect for using with tretinoin.

However for me I found it broke me out. I sometimes recommend products that didn’t work for me, because I know that a lot of what works for me is pure luck, to be honest. I don’t want to prevent people from finding their holy grail cleanser, just because it wasn’t quite right for me. I have very fussy and unusual skin, so I know 99% of people will love this – plus it’s very affordable.

Shop Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Cleanser

12. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser Wash

This cleanser is often compared to the Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser (which I personally didn’t like at all). I can see how they’re comparable, but formula-wise this is actually quite different. I wouldn’t trust this to remove makeup, but as a second cleanser at night I think it works just fine. This can also work well as a first cleanse in the morning.

Shop Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser

​13. Bioderma Sensibio Gel Moussant

I think Bioderma is one of the better French pharmacy skincare brands. Although I do like La Roche Posay and Avene, I am disappointed that most of their products still contain fragrance even in 2023. It’s surprising but when you look closer, most of them do.

Bioderma’s products are lesser known but just as good, and often without the fragrance. This cleanser is relatively easy to find in most UK, EU and US pharmacies, which is handy.

Shop Bioderma Sensibio Gel Moussant Cleanser

​14. Paula’s Choice Ultra Gentle Cleanser

I actually quite like Paula’s Choice for the most part, but I think people don’t think I do because I slated their 2% BHA product. I’ll say it again – it clearly works wonders for some, but just not me! I think there are far more effective ways of clearing closed comedones. *Anyway* this ultra gentle cleanser is a great choice for anyone using retinoids, or not using retinoids.

Shop Paula’s Choice Ultra-Gentle Cleanser

15. E45 Foaming Cleanser

This is a relatively new cleanser from E45 which is a pretty reliable brand for sensitive skin. It’s a traditional foaming formula, but don’t be afraid! Sometimes foaming formulas are drying, but I find this one not to be. This is a pretty good budget, no-frills cleanser for fussy skin.

This was the 15 Best Cleansers to Use with Tretinoin & Retinol

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