Best moisturizer to use with tretinoin: what the experts put on top when the peeling starts

If you're on tretinoin, you may know the feeling: skin that goes tight, flaky and a little stingy, and gets worse once the heating comes on. Our tretinoin guide covers whether it's worth it. This piece answers the next question: what do you put on top of it? The experts we follow keep reaching for the same few creams, and the everyday favorite, CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, holds a Guru Score of 88%, with all 19 of the experts who reviewed it saying yes.

What is the best moisturizer to use with tretinoin?

For everyday use, the experts point to a light lotion you put straight on after it. CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion holds a Guru Score of 88%, and all 19 of the experts who reviewed it said yes. Dr. Daniel Sugai, a dermatologist, calls it very lightweight and says it layers well over prescription retinoids. His line on tretinoin is blunt: "especially tretinoin, you definitely always have to apply a moisturizer after it."

He isn't the only fan. Dr. Jenny Liu likes it for oily skin that wants "something a little bit more nourishing to support your retinoids", and Dr. Vanita Rattan, who says she uses retinol and prescription strength herself on slightly oily skin, finds it lightweight enough to wear while it keeps her hydrated. If your skin is very sensitive, Dr. Sugai also suggests Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer (85%, 9 experts), which he says works really well with retinoids.

Which moisturizer should you use when tretinoin makes your skin peel?

Something richer. Once the flaking starts, the experts trade the lotion for a barrier cream or balm, and two stand out. La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 has a Guru Score of 92% across 30 experts. Dr Dray, a dermatologist, says it's good for dryness and irritation from winter weather or topical medications like tretinoin. Dr. Sugai suggests a very thin film over your retinoid and warns that a heavy layer can clog pores. No BS Beauty says so many people swear by putting it on after their tretinoin, and that a lot of people use it like a sleeping mask.

SkinFix Barrier+ Triple Lipid & Peptide Cream (91%, 19 experts, every one of them a yes) is the cream to know. Nadine Baggott calls it perfect if you're on a retinoid journey and want something to buffer it, and Dr. Aleksandra Brown has used it at night as part of her retinol sandwich. Prefer K-beauty? Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream (90%, 20 experts) is the one Sincerely Miss Ash pairs with tretinoin at night: rich and repairing, she says, but not greasy or sticky.

And the one splurge? Dr. Sugai usually tells people not to spend big on moisturizer, but makes an exception for Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream (90%, 12 experts), his favorite after a retinol in winter, "when it's a little colder and you have the heaters on". For more creams built for cold weather, see the best barrier repair creams for cold weather.

What is the retinoid sandwich, and does it help with tretinoin?

It's moisturizer, then tretinoin, then more moisturizer, and the experts who use it say it makes the retinoid easier to tolerate. Dr. Sugai says it's what he does to get through the cold months: after washing, a layer of Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream (87%, 14 experts), then a pea-sized amount of retinoid, then another layer of Cicalfate. He also says it has never stung his face, even when his retinoid had left the skin around his eyes dry and irritated in winter.

With Vanicream Moisturizing Cream (89%, 14 experts), he gives the order of play: if you're getting really dry, first back off on how often you use the retinoid, then consider the sandwich. No BS Beauty suggests Cicaplast for the same layering. One caveat from Dr. Shereene Idriss, a dermatologist, talking about an over-the-counter retinol on the neck and chest: a thick moisturizer or Vaseline underneath makes the retinol less effective, which she says is the goal when you're trying to avoid irritation.

Can you put Vaseline over tretinoin?

This is where the experts split. Dr Dray's rule for Cicaplast is that tretinoin goes on first and the balm after, because an active put on top of an occlusive won't penetrate. Vaseline Original Healing Jelly (85%, 34 experts) is heavier still, and two experts urge caution with it over actives. 208SkinDoc says that if you use retinol, it can trap it against your skin so it penetrates too deep and causes irritation. Beyond50Skin agrees it could intensify the active skincare underneath, and says to put Vaseline on first and your retinoid after.

Cassandra Bankson sees it differently: she says the retinoid will still penetrate through Vaseline in a sandwich, with the Vaseline acting as a buffer. The delicate spots are less contested. Dr. Idriss puts Vaseline under her eyes before a dab of retinol, though only if you are not prone to milia, and No BS Beauty uses CeraVe Healing Ointment around her mouth when she uses tretinoin, because the corners get irritated when dry. If your skin is acne-prone or oily, 208SkinDoc says slugging with Vaseline isn't going to feel great.

So which moisturizer should you buy?

For most nights, a light lotion after tretinoin: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion (88%) is the experts' everyday pick. When skin flakes, move up to Cicaplast Baume B5 (92%) or SkinFix Barrier+ (91%), and try the sandwich if you need it. If you want an ointment, the experts agree far more on a dab around the eyes and the corners of the mouth than on a layer over tretinoin.

If your skin still burns, stings or peels after a richer cream and fewer tretinoin nights, it's best raised with the dermatologist or doctor who prescribed it rather than solved with more products.