Moisturizer with retinol: what to use and when

Retinol and the other retinoids dry skin, and a moisturizer is the first thing dermatologists reach for to make that easier. The questions are which moisturizer, when to put it on, and whether it makes the retinoid weaker. This guide answers those from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the 2024 acne guideline and three clinical trials. It is part of Skinli's guide to retinoids for acne.

Why a retinoid calls for a moisturizer

The AAD's page on moisturizer for acne lists the treatments that make one worth using. It names benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, isotretinoin, and "Adapalene, tazarotene, or tretinoin." It says: "These treatments tend to dry and irritate the skin. Using a moisturizer every day can help your skin tolerate these medications."

The 2024 AAD acne guideline says the same thing in medical language. It lists the side effects of topical retinoids as burning, dryness, redness, peeling and pain, and says irritation "may be mitigated by reduced frequency of use and concurrent emollients use." An emollient is a moisturizer, and concurrent means at the same time.

Dry skin can also feed acne. The AAD says, "When your skin becomes dry, your body makes more oil. The extra oil can clog your pores, which may lead to more breakouts." A dermatologist quoted on the AAD's retinol page adds that for darker skin, irritation can trigger dark marks, and that starting slowly and using moisturizer will help lower that risk.

What to look for on the label

The words on the container tell you most of what you need.

Label word	What it means	Source
Oil-free, non-comedogenic, or won't clog pores	The AAD says any of these means the moisturizer is unlikely to cause acne	AAD moisturizer page
Fragrance-free	Dermatologists recommend fragrance-free products for dry, sensitive skin	AAD dry skin page
Glycerin, hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, petrolatum and others	Ingredients the AAD lists for a cream or ointment that relieves dry skin	AAD dry skin page

The full list on the AAD's dry skin page is jojoba oil, dimethicone, glycerin, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, lanolin, mineral oil, petrolatum and shea butter. If you have acne, check that a jar with these ingredients also says non-comedogenic. The AAD's page on large pores is firm on this point: "If you don't see one of these terms, don't use the product."

Cream, lotion or ointment

The AAD's dry skin page says "Ointments and creams add more moisture to skin and are more effective than lotions." For skin that is dry or peeling from a retinoid, that points to a cream. No source read for this guide compares the three forms used alongside retinol, so choose by how your skin feels, within the AAD's label rules.

When to put it on

The AAD's page on skin care in your 20s gives one clear method. It says to apply a retinoid before bed, and after washing your face to wait 20 to 30 minutes and then apply it. For skin that finds the retinoid too drying, it says: "apply a moisturizer immediately after washing your face, using a moisturizer that won't clog your pores. Then apply the retinoid 20 to 30 minutes later."

The AAD's acne treatment page says the same in shorter form. Among the ways a dermatologist may reduce irritation, it lists applying a smaller amount of medication, using the retinoid less often, and applying moisturizer first, especially if your skin needs a stronger retinoid. It asks you to make those changes with your dermatologist's help.

The AAD's moisturizer page also says applying moisturizer after washing "helps to trap much-needed water in your skin." Other sources give a different order for some products, and Skinli's guide to starting retinol for acne sets the orders side by side. If your retinol or retinoid has its own label directions, follow them.

Does moisturizer weaken a retinoid?

The trials read for this guide found no sign that a moisturizer weakened the retinoid. None of them measured retinol with a moisturizer directly, so the evidence comes from adapalene and a retinol study that used moisturizer throughout.

• Adapalene with a moisturizer, 2016. A trial of 120 people at a hospital in Bangkok split them into three groups: adapalene gel alone, adapalene with a test moisturizer, and adapalene with a placebo cream. The authors concluded that the moisturizer "could reduce undesirable side effects without interfering the efficacy of adapalene" over 8 weeks. The test moisturizer held licochalcone A, l-carnitine and 1,2-decanediol.
• Adapalene and benzoyl peroxide with a ceramide moisturizer, 2024. A split face trial of 40 people used adapalene 0.1 percent gel and benzoyl peroxide 5 percent, then a moisturizer with ceramides and niacinamide on one side and a plain cream on the other. The ceramide side had fewer acne lesions at 8 weeks, and the authors concluded it decreased skin irritation.
• Retinol with moisturizer, 2020. A 12-week study of 45 women raised the strength of retinol serum or tretinoin cream step by step, always with a moisturizer. The authors reported that the retinol serum performed as well as or better than tretinoin and was as well tolerated or better.

The AAD's moisturizer page also cites studies in which most patients saw less acne between 4 and 8 weeks after starting an acne friendly moisturizer, as part of a plan that included acne medicine and cleanser.

Retinol inside a moisturizer

Some products put retinol into the moisturizer itself. Two trials used retinol in a lotion or cream base. A 2007 trial applied 0.4 percent retinol lotion to the arms of older adults up to 3 times a week and found less fine wrinkling after 24 weeks. A 2015 trial of a 0.1 percent retinol product on the face reported improvement at every visit over 52 weeks.

Two facts limit what a shopper can tell from the jar. The FDA says cosmetic products "do not require FDA approval before they go on the market." And the AAD says that for over-the-counter retinol products, "there's no standard requirement that the percentage of retinol be disclosed on the label or packaging." If your moisturizer already holds retinol, count it as your retinoid when you follow the slow-start advice. Skinli's guide to what retinol does for your skin covers what the studies found.

A simple night and morning order

Put together, the AAD's advice gives this order for a night when you use retinol and your skin feels dry:

1. Wash your face gently.
2. Apply a moisturizer labeled non-comedogenic right away.
3. Wait 20 to 30 minutes.
4. Apply the retinol or retinoid.

In the morning, wash, moisturize, and apply sunscreen. On nights without retinol, the moisturizer alone is enough. If you use a prescription retinoid, the AAD says to change how you apply it only with your dermatologist's help, so ask before you add a moisturizer under it.

What to keep out of the moisturizer step

The AAD's dry skin page lists products to stop if skin is dry: those with alcohol, fragrance, and retinoids. That last item is a reminder that retinoids themselves dry skin. If your skin stays dry and sore even with a moisturizer, ask a dermatologist whether to use the retinoid less often.

The AAD also warns against exfoliating on top of a retinoid. It says products with retinol can make skin more sensitive or peel, and that exfoliating while using them "may worsen dry skin or even cause acne breakouts." The AAD says chemical exfoliation uses acids, so a moisturizer with added exfoliating acids is a form of exfoliation too. Skinli's guide to what to mix with a retinoid lists what the labels say to keep apart, and its guide to retinoid dryness and peeling covers what to do when peeling starts.

Moisturizer on darker skin

For darker skin, the moisturizer does a second job. An AAD dermatologist says that with skin of color, irritation can trigger dark marks known as hyperpigmentation, and that starting slowly and using moisturizer will help lower that risk. Another AAD page warns that for darkly pigmented skin, even at-home versions of chemical peels, microdermabrasion and laser treatments can cause permanent dark marks and light spots, and advises seeing a dermatologist first. Skinli's guide to fading dark marks after pimples covers marks that have already formed.

Morning moisturizer and sunscreen

Retinoids make skin more sensitive to the sun. The AAD advises using a retinoid only at night and using sun protection during the day, including sunscreen on all skin not covered by clothing. For people with sensitive skin, it suggests a sunscreen with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. A morning moisturizer and sunscreen can be two products or one product that carries both labels.

When to see a doctor

See a dermatologist if your skin blisters, swells or burns in a way a moisturizer does not ease, or if acne has not improved after 12 weeks of steady care. Ask your prescriber before you change how you use a prescribed retinoid.