9 Best Moisturizers to Use With Tretinoin for Less Redness and Irritation

If you’re navigating the early stages of a mature skin-care routine, finding the best moisturizers to use with tretinoin can make all the difference between glowing skin and frustrating irritation. For the unfamiliar, tretinoin is a type of retinoid (a class of vitamin A-derived ingredients) that’s more powerful than retinol. Only available by prescription, it’s one of the most effective skin-care ingredients for stimulating collagen production and speeding up skin cell turnover, which in turn gives it the ability to treat acne, soften fine lines, and improve lax texture—but it’s also known for its side effects, especially dryness and sensitivity. (You might recognize it as Retin-A, which is one of the brand names.)

That’s where a good face moisturizer comes in. While it’s helpful no matter what your routine looks like, the right formula can help you make the most of a topical tretinoin cream. “Especially for patients with sensitive or dry skin, buffering tretinoin with a moisturizer can make the active ingredient more tolerable while still delivering long-term benefits,” says Sarah Sung, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Seattle. Your moisturizer should hydrate, soothe, and strengthen your skin barrier, helping you get all the perks of tretinoin with fewer downsides.

Our Top Moisturizers to Use with Tretinoin

Best Overall: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2

Why we love it: SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 isn’t your average moisturizer—it was one of the first formulas to mimic your skin’s natural lipid barrier using a precise ratio of 2% ceramides, 4% cholesterol, and 2% fatty acids. While most creams simply hydrate, this one goes above and beyond, helping rebuild what your skin loses over time, improving texture, boosting tolerance to actives like tretinoin, and visibly reducing signs of aging. “If tretinoin has you feeling tight, rough, or ‘paper-dry,’ this is one of the best creams because the formula is literally designed around replacing key lipids that retinoids can deplete,” says Dr. Karcher.

Best for Redness: Dieux Skin Mercy Intense Recovery Cream

Why we love it: Whether you’re new to tretinoin or your skin is generally sensitive, redness tends to show up when actives enter the chat. In that phase, Dieux Skin Mercy Intense Recovery Cream works nicely as a buffer or recovery cream to help settle things down and bring your barrier back to a more comfortable place. The hero ingredient here is 1% colloidal oatmeal, an FDA-recognized skin protectant you’d typically see in over-the-counter eczema creams (which makes sense, because when skin is itchy or irritated, it usually shows up as redness too). The lightweight formula forms a comforting film over the skin while dialing down that hot, flushed feeling that can follow retinoids and acids. The brand’s proprietary complex (tasman fruit, bisabolol, allantoin, panthenol) steps in to further calm cranky skin, while 10% glycerin draws in moisture, so everything looks plump and bouncy.

Best for Sensitive Skin: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream

Why we love it: Who knew we even had 15 layers of skin? Apparently, Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream is determined to hydrate all of them. “It’s lightweight, absorbs quickly, and the fragrance-free formula with squalane and pro ceramides replaces water loss, and helps repair the skin barrier,” says Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in Birmingham, Alabama. Another key ingredient is glacial glycoprotein, originally derived from Antarctic glaciers, which helps skin retain moisture and stay comfortable, which comes in handy when tretinoin’s drying side effects come into play. It’s also accepted by the National Eczema Association and tested in “extreme” conditions (likely very cold or dry climates), which is the brand’s way of proving that it protects sensitive, easily stressed skin.

Best Drugstore: La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5+

Why we love it: Sensitive, dry skin types, rejoice: Even babies as young as one week old can use La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Balm B5+ to soothe irritated, chafed skin, which tells you everything about how gentle (and reliable) it is. The formula pairs 5% panthenol (vitamin B5) to moisturize and comfort with dimethicone to protect against water loss, plus madecassoside to nourish, and the brand’s thermal spring water for instant soothing. The formula also features a prebiotic complex that helps rebalance the microbiome. Dr. Sung calls it a “do-it-all night cream for tretinoin users,” while Dr. Karcher likes the thick texture for “layering on nights your dry skin stings or flakes.”

Best for Acne-Prone Skin: M-61 BioBarrier Recovery Moisturizer

Why we love it: For oily or acne-prone tretinoin users who need support and hydration but can’t deal with thick, occlusive creams, M-61 BioBarrier Recovery Moisturizer hits a sweet spot. The cream-gel texture is lightweight but still restorative, making it “a great pick when you want barrier repair without heaviness,” says Dr. Karcher. Its mix of skin-identical lipids (a triple ceramide complex and cholesterol), plus “soothing helpers like allantoin and multiple forms of hyaluronic acid, make irritation calmer and flaking less obvious,” she says. The formula rounds things out with kokum butter, jojoba, and shea oils to replenish the skin’s protective layer without clogging pores or leaving a residue.

Best for Dry Skin: SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream

Why we love it: While tretinoin is highly effective, it often comes with a side of dryness—especially as your skin initially adjusts. That’s where a hyaluronic acid-based moisturizer like SkinMedica Dermal Repair Cream shines—a personal favorite of Alexandra Bowles, a board-certified dermatologist in Cincinnati, OH. “It’s perfect for counteracting the dryness and irritation that tretinoin can cause,” she says. “Packed with antioxidant vitamins C and E to help protect and repair, it also features sodium hyaluronate—a powerful hydrator that naturally occurs in the skin.” The nourishing formula also includes algae extract derived from freshwater and seawater plants to help you maintain hydrated skin. P.S. Dr. Bowles says, “I love the subtle scent it has, but if you’re sensitive to fragrance, patch-test it first.”

Best for Sandwiching: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Why we love it: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream has a rich, almost whipped texture that’s made to smooth and soften dry patches, minimize skin sensitivity, and dial down irritation related to eczema, rosacea, and in-office procedures. “This rich cream is loaded with colloidal oatmeal [a proven skin soother that helps calm inflammation, itching, and redness], shea butter, and allantoin, making it ideal for calming irritation and redness,” says Dr. Sung. “It’s fragrance-free, so it’s great for sensitive skin, and it works well as part of the ‘sandwich method’ to buffer tretinoin’s effects.” (For the uninitiated: The sandwich method involves applying a thin layer of moisturizer, following with a pea-size amount of tretinoin, and finishing with a final layer of moisturizer.) An Allure Best of Beauty Award winner, it’s beloved for how universal it is, no matter your skin type or concern.

Best for Flaking: Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream

Why we love it: Long before “barrier repair” became a skin-care buzzword, the Allure Best of Beauty-winning Skinfix Barrier+ Triple Lipid-Peptide Cream was leading the charge—and winning over dermatologists like Dr. Sung, who calls it “excellent for replenishing the skin’s barrier while deeply hydrating” the skin. It features three essential lipids—ceramides, fatty acids, and cholesterol—to help strengthen and restore the skin, plus peptides to support firmness and hyaluronic acid to boost moisture. “It’s fragrance-free, making it an ideal choice for sensitive skin or anyone experiencing irritation from tretinoin,” she says. “The rich, non-greasy texture absorbs beautifully and works well day and night.”

Best for Beginners: Vanicream Moisturizing Cream for Sensitive Skin

Why we love it: It’s unlikely that this white-and-blue tub needs an introduction, but in case you’ve somehow missed it, Vanicream Moisturizing Cream is the MVP among derms. “When a patient reacts to everything, I always go back to Vanicream,” says Dr. Sung. Barrier-suppporting creams can easily go greasy or feel too heavy, but this one hydrates deeply without clogging pores. It also skips the usual suspects that set reactive skin off (fragrance, dyes, lanolin, parabens, masking agents, etc.). “It simply hydrates without provoking irritation.” For tret beginners, she adds that mixing a pea-sized amount of tretinoin with Vanicream can soften the initial potency and dramatically improve tolerability.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should you look for in a moisturizer to pair with tretinoin?

When using tretinoin, it’s important to pair it with a moisturizer that hydrates, soothes, and supports your skin barrier. “The ideal moisturizer should replenish hydration, support the skin barrier, and minimize irritation,” says Dr. Sung, who recommends looking for ingredients like hyaluronic acid to attract moisture, ceramides and glycerin to lock it in, and niacinamide to help reduce redness and inflammation. “Squalane is another great option for lightweight moisture that won’t clog pores,” she says. For especially dry or compromised skin, fatty acids and cholesterol can also help keep the barrier strong and balanced.

What’s the sandwich method?

The “sandwich method” in skincare involves applying a layer of moisturizer before and after an active ingredient like tretinoin to help minimize irritation. “The first layer of moisturizer buffers tretinoin’s potency, reducing irritation, while the second seals in hydration,” says Dr. Sung.

This technique is especially helpful for those with dry or sensitive skin who need a gentler way to incorporate tretinoin into their routine, allowing the active to work effectively while protecting the skin barrier.

Is there anything to avoid in moisturizer when you’re using tretinoin?

When using tretinoin, it’s ideal to avoid moisturizers with potential irritants like fragrances, alcohols, and essential oils, since tretinoin can make skin more sensitive. “AHAs (like glycolic or lactic acid), BHAs (like salicylic acid), and vitamin C can increase irritation when used in the same routine as tretinoin,” says Dr. Sung. “If a patient wants to incorporate these, I recommend waiting a few weeks after starting tretinoin to ensure it’s well tolerated.”

She also suggests introducing exfoliants only once a week at first to avoid over-exfoliating. Occlusives like petrolatum and lanolin are great for dry skin but can be too heavy for acne-prone individuals and may trigger breakouts.

Meet the experts

• Alexandra Bowles, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MONA Dermatology in Cincinnati, OH
• Corey L. Hartman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama
• Sarah Sung, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist of The Perq based in Seattle
• Martha Viera, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist in private practice in Coral Gables, FL

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