I get asked a lot about the best face wash to use with tretinoin cream, or retinoids in general, so in this blog post I’ll share the 25 best gentle cleanser options. These suggestions are for topical tretinoin but any other topical retinoid, too.
These will be water-based cleanser recommendations that can be used as a second cleanser during double cleansing. Check out my oil and balm cleanser recommendations if that’s what you’re after instead.
Heads up, some of these links are affiliate links, meaning I may make a small commission if you decide to purchase from them.
What is tretinoin cream and how does it work?
In order to understand what the best face wash to use with tretinoin cream is, it’s important to understand what it is and how it works.
Tretinoin is a form vitamin A, retin A or retinoic acid. In layman’s terms, they really all mean a similar thing. Tretinoin is one of many topical retinoids products that are used to treat both acne and signs of ageing.
You might have heard of a retinol product, which is a cosmetic version of tretinoin. Retinol is an example of non-prescription retinoids, and therefore much weaker. Ultimately, they do the same thing, but tretinoin is proven to work in a clinical setting.
Since it’s also technically a drug, the effectiveness of tretinoin has been studied for a very long time. Any retinol you use from a store may not have any studies against it, except maybe one created by the brand itself.
Some final benefits of tretinoin cream:
- Reduction in the appearance of fine lines
- Reduced acne in acne-prone skin, even severe acne
- Reduced acne scars, with time
- Reduced production of excess oil
- Faded dark spots
- Glowy skin
- Smooth texture vs rough skin texture
Potential side effects of tretinoin
The use of tretinoin does come with many potential side effects. The good news is that a lot of these subside with continued use of the product.
Since tretinoin speeds up skin cell turnover, it can cause dry skin and skin irritation. The skin dryness is often accompanied with some light peeling that users can find irritating.
Even though it is an acne treatment, it can cause a temporary increase in acne. This is known on social media as a ‘purge’ or ‘the purge’. It happens because tretinoin use speeds up the skin cell cycle, which means lots of ‘future’ acne gets surfaced all at once.
This whole process usually takes 3-4 months, sometimes less and sometimes more. Best results come after consistency and months of use and the right tretinoin skincare routine.
If you’re not sure which retinoid is right for you I recommend my retinoid recommendations for clog prone skin to help you decide.
Creating the perfect tretinoin skincare routine
A lot of people have bad experiences with tretinoin because it can be hard to strike the right balance in your skincare routine.
Choosing the best face wash to use with tretinoin cream is important, and so are other factors like:
- Sun protection
- Protecting the skin barrier
- Selecting the right active ingredients to use with tretinoin
How many actives is too many?
For me, it’s all about choosing skincare products that are effective but not aggressive. Also, even if your products are gentle on their own, you want to make sure they’re not too much when combined.
‘Too much’ is subjective, but I generally wouldn’t suggest exfoliating more than twice per week when using tretinoin. Personally I don’t use any kind of additional exfoliation, but that can feel alien for some people.
Should you use an exfoliating cleanser with tretinoin?
When it comes to your cleanser, for example, you’ll want it to simply cleanse your skin well without stripping it. A lot of cleansers these days contain salicylic acid, which people overlook in their routine.
If you’re using a salicylic acid cleanser twice per day, every day, you are technically exfoliating 14x per week. On top of other products, I really think that’s too much for most people, so let’s get into some gentle cleanser recommendations.
The 25 best face washes to use with tretinoin cream
There is no single best face wash to use with tretinoin cream, but I can give you 25 great options!
Since I’m a keen retinoid user anyway, I will be copying the first few from my current water-based cleanser list. Anything I ever add to that list will be tretinoin-friendly, so bookmark it for future!
None of these contain exfoliating actives.
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 the Dermatica balancing glycerin 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.
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.
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 the Aveeno Calm & Restore 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 Hyram’s Centella Cleanser
6. [Coat]s Gentle Hydrating Facial Cleanser with Ceramides
![[Coat]s Gentle Hydrating Facial Cleanser with Ceramides](https://i0.wp.com/natalieoneilll.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/41Zgss1HeEL._AC_SL1200_.jpg?resize=469%2C1008&ssl=1)
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.
Shop the [Coat]s Hydrating cleanser
7. Curel Foaming Gentle Cleansing Face Wash Cleanser
Japanese 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 the Curel Foaming Cleansing Face Wash
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
9. Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin Gleanser Review
There is so much hype around dermatologist’s, Sam Ellis’, brand – and let me tell you the hype is real. This cleanser is really lovely. It feels like cleansing with pure glycerin. So hydrating and feels delightful. Only issue is that it’s HUGE and not travel friendly at all.
10. Simple Replenishing Cream Cleanser
Simple were always my go-to brand for most things when I was a teen and in my early twenties. This cleanser is a really solid, simple and hydrating drugstore option.
You can easily rely on a Simple cleanser to be a best face wash to use with tretinoin option.
Shop the Simple replenishing cream cleanser
11. T-Zone Niacinamide & Cica Calm & Clarify Gentle Foaming Gel Wash
T-Zone have done a 180 lately and started to make really awesome budget products. This cleanser is quite hard to find, but if it’s in stock you’ll find it in Superdrug. Catch it if you can because it’s less than £5 and really simple and lovely!
Shop the T-zone Niacinamide and Cica cleanser
12. Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser
Krave is one of my fave K beauty brands, they don’t bring out tonnes of new products all the time (unnecessary) and prefer to stick to the basics. I’d recommend this cleanser to most people except maybe those with *very* dry skin.
Shop Krave Beauty match cleanser
13. Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelee
This niacinamde cleanser from Naturium is a favourite amongst people with very oily skin, it’s a little more expensive but it’s very popular and for good reason.
Shop the Naturium cleansing gelee
14. Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker
I love the G&G brand in general, but sadly this didn’t quite work for me and caused some breakouts. However, it is still a great product for many and I recommend trying it if you have super sensitive skin.
Shop the Geek and Gorgeous jelly joker cleanser
15. I’m from – Mugwort Gel Cleanser
This is a staple K-beauty cleanser that is nothing but gentle and hydrating.
16. Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Ampoule Foam
The only downfall of gentle cleansers is that they sometimes don’t ‘feel’ like they’re cleaning – often people miss the foaming sensation. This is a good middle ground option if you want that foam back.
Shop the Skin1004 Foam Cleanser
17. The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser
I used to be a die hard Ordinary stan before I started experimenting with other brands and skincare became my life! I love that this only has a handful of ingredients and it’s the perfect second or morning cleanser.
Shop the Ordinary Glucoside Cleanser
18. Paula’s Choice CALM Ultra Gentle Cleanser
I’d like to try more of the Paula’s Choice range but it’s a little pricey in the UK. This cleanser, however, is a a great option if you’re using a retinoid.
Shop Paula’s Choice Calm Cleanser
19. Be Minimalist Oat Extract 06% Gentle Cleanser
Minimalist are a great brand in general, very similar to the Ordinary. This cleanser contains oat extract for an extra soothing experience.
Shop Minimalist’s Oat Cleanser
20. CeraVe Facial Foaming Cleanser
I’m not the biggest Cerave fan, and I especially dislike the hydrating cleanser, but this cleanser is pretty good. Again, ideal if you like the foaming feeling and want a cleanser that’s easy to find in stores.
Shop the CeraVe foaming cleanser
21. Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser
I *want* to like Byoma products more than I actually do. Some are great and some confuse me. This cleanser, though, is pretty great for most skin types.
Shop the Byoma Creamy Jelly cleanser
22. No7 Derm Solutions™ Comforting Cream Cleanser Suitable
I like both of the new No7 Derm Solutions cleansers. This one is a cream feeling and contains shea butter, which might be problematic for some. It is wash-off, though, so less likely to be as problematic for everyone.
Shop No7 Derm Solutions Cream cleanser
23. No7 Derm Solutions™ Calming Gel
The gel version of the formula – it’s a massive tube so will last ages!
Shop No7 Derm Solutions Gel cleanser
24. Isntree – Green Tea Fresh Cleanser
You can’t really go wrong with green tea in general, and this fresh cleanser by Isntree is a nice, simple formula for cleansing.
Shop Isntree Green Tea cleanser
25. B_LAB Matcha Hydrating Foam Cleanser
Relatively similar to Krave and Isntree, B.LAB have created a matcha cleanser. Any of these are likely to be ideal for someone using tretinoin cream.
Shop the B.LAB Matcha Hydrating Foam Cleanser
What to avoid in a face cleanser while using tretinoin:
Just to be super clear, I’ll list out some ingredients I prefer to avoid in cleansers 99% of the time. These aren’t just for the best face wash to use with tretinoin cream, but for any routine, really.
- Essential oils of any kind
- Fragrance, whether it’s naturally occurring or artificial
- Vitamin C – it can be irritating, and cleansing isn’t the right step for it (in my opinion)
- Coconut oil
- Any kind of retinoid derivative – again, not the right step for retinoids, especially if already using tretinoin
