Fresh out of your treatment, your skin feels a little tender, and you wonder: what should I put on my face after microneedling?
While this procedure is minimally invasive, your skin is repairing and needs gentle skincare products to heal properly.
Using the wrong face wash can undo all that good work, but choosing the right one prevents irritation, supports recovery, and keeps your glow going strong.
So, we’re covering some of the calm, best face washes to use after microneedling that calm sensitive, healing skin.
Contents
1. ALASTIN Skincare Gentle Cleanser
Alastin Gentle Cleanser is a moderate, self-foaming gel cleanser that uses gentle chemicals that remove impurities from the skin without irritating or drying it out.
It’s gentle, effective, and safe to use on skin that has undergone microneedling treatment. Also strong enough to remove any makeup.
Dermatologists recommend incorporating this cleanser into your skincare routine to keep your skin from drying out after cleansing.
The sophisticated composition of D-panthenol and oat kernel extract prevents clogging of skin pores. Because it’s hypoallergenic, it works safely on all skin types without irritating the face after microneedling.
The face wash is also cruelty-free and ethically produced.
Key Ingredients
- D-Panthenol helps moisturize and soften the skin
- Bisabolol is a powerful ingredient with skin-soothing properties
- Oat Kernel Extract is meant to soothe irritations
Why it’s great post-microneedling: soothing, non-stripping, and keeps skin calm for beautiful healing.
2. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Fresh offers their best-selling Soy Face Cleanser, a 3-in-1 gel that fits all skin types and tones. It’s designed to remove high-quality makeup, improve moisture, and keep the pH balance.
With cucumber extract and aloe vera, it brings moisture and a cooling sensation to the newly exposed skin, and borage seed oil nourishes it.
Infused with soy proteins rich in amino acids, the face wash is non-stripping.
You can use this gentle face wash every day for a complexion that is balanced and smooth and feels mild on freshly exposed skin.
Key Ingredients
- Aloe Vera helps soothe skin
- Borage Seed Oil boosts dry skin’s suppleness and nourishes it
- Cucumber extract soothes and calms the skin
- Soy Proteins contain amino acids that promote smooth skin and boost collagen and elastin production
Why it’s great post-microneedling: lightweight, cooling, and packed with plant-powered goodness.
3. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
If your skin feels tight or sensitive after microneedling, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is one of the safest and most dermatologist-recommended choices you can make.
Its micellar technology lifts away dirt gently without stripping the barrier, and brims with glycerin, panthenol (vitamin B5), and niacinamide (vitamin B3).
The fragrance-free formula makes it ideal for post-microneedling care, protecting the skin from dryness and irritation, and maintaining a soft and balanced complexion.
It’s a cleanser that can leave your skin feeling clean yet soothed, ideal after a microneedling procedure.
Key Ingredients
- Glycerin is a water-soluble emollient meant to smooth and soften skin
- Niacinamide is an antioxidant with hydrating properties
- Panthenol is a vitamin B5 derivative that keeps the skin moist and glowing
Why it’s great post-microneedling: the perfect everyday essential for irritated, sensitive skin.
4. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
If your skin leans toward the dry or sensitive side, this cleanser from La Roche-Posay will refresh your skin.
By maintaining your skin’s natural pH and moisture barrier it supports the skin’s natural healing process while lifting away makeup, oil, and impurities with an airy, creamy touch.
Infused with La Roche-Posay’s prebiotic thermal spring water, niacinamide, and ceramide-3, this formula restores balance and comfort. After each wash, your skin will feel supple, calm, and hydrated.
Many describe this face wash as a skin comfort essential in their usual skincare routine: the kind of product that keeps your face feeling fresh and dewy, even on no-makeup days.
Key Ingredients
- Ceramide 3 maintains a healthy skin barrier
- Glycerin hydrates
- Niacinamide soothes and fades discolorations and acne scars
Why it’s great post-microneedling: cushions freshly treated skin in hydration and keeps hydration levels up.
5. EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser
After a microneedling session, your skin deserves something that feels clean yet comforting, and EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser delivers exactly that.
Its gentle mix of enzymes and amino acids lifts away makeup, oil, and debris without disturbing the skin’s healing barrier, ideal for microneedling aftercare.
The self-foaming technology stands out, which creates ultra-fine, cushiony bubbles that give your skin a light, oxygenating massage as you cleanse.
The formula features bromelain, a natural enzyme derived from pineapples with soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits. Together, these ingredients help calm redness, reduce post-procedure irritation, and leave your complexion soft and refreshed.
For those recovering from microneedling, this cleanser helps minimize sun exposure damage and gives you a better glow over time.
Key Ingredients
- Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory enzyme found in pineapples
Why it’s great post-microneedling: ideal if you love that clean, just-washed feeling without tightness.
6. Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser
The Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser offers a creamy, non-foaming formula that melts away daily buildup while hydrating.
With Prebiotic Oat and Calming Feverfew, this gentle cleanser supports your skin’s natural moisture barrier and helps reduce after-treatment redness or tightness.
The oat complex nourishes and restores balance, while feverfew adds an antioxidant boost to protect against environmental stress.
This face wash comforts skin that’s just been through needle pricking. Clean yet cushioned, refreshing yet calm, this cleanser is exactly what sensitive, healing skin needs.
Key Ingredients
- Oat (Avena Sativa Kernel Flour) deeply hydrates and restores the skin’s natural balance.
- Feverfew (Chrysanthemum Parthenium) is a potent antioxidant that soothes irritation and fights free radicals.
- Glycerin is a gentle emollient that locks in moisture and soothes dryness.
Why it’s great post-microneedling: this creamy cleanser wraps freshly needled skin in calm hydration and antioxidant protection.
7. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
After microneedling, your skin’s barrier is in recovery mode, which makes a gentle, hydrating cleanser essential.
The CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is a longtime dermatologist favorite. Featuring ceramides and hyaluronic acid, it helps replenish what your skin loses during the microneedling process.
The brand’s signature MVE Technology slowly releases moisturizing ingredients throughout the day that support long-term hydration and barrier repair.
It’s effective—no fragrance, no foam, no fuss—ideal to include in post-procedure skincare routine.
Key Ingredients
- Ceramides restore and strengthen the skin’s protective barrier, keeping moisture in.
- Hyaluronic Acid creates a plumper, smoother appearance.
Why it’s great post-microneedling: a dermatologist-trusted staple that truly delivers. Gentle enough for healing skin yet rich in moisture-locking ingredients.
Why Choose a Special Face Wash After Microneedling?
Since the procedure creates tiny micro-injuries in your skin, your post-microneedling skincare routine needs to be extra gentle and restorative.
Despite microneedling’s low infection rate, cleaning your face too soon or using harsh cleansers can slow down the healing process and increase sensitivity.
After your session, wait at least 24 hours before washing your face to allow your skin to recover.
After that, you may use a mild, non-exfoliating cleanser to support healing, maintain hydration, and avoid irritation.
That’s why choosing a gentle, soothing face wash designed specifically for microneedling aftercare is essential to your recovery routine.
Ingredients to Look For While Selecting A Face Wash
Post microneedling, avoid harsh exfoliants or strong actives. The best cleansers for microneedling recovery will likely have one of these gentle, soothing ingredients:
- Vitamin E
- Green tea
- Glycerin
- Hyaluronic acid
- Aloe vera
- Ceramides
- Linseed oil
- Antioxidants like resveratrol
- Kiwi oil
Note: Avoid using active ingredients like vitamin A/retinol or alpha hydroxy acids, since they can compromise the skin barrier further.
How to Wash Your Face After Microneedling
- First 24 hours: no cleanser, lukewarm water only and avoid touching your face
- After 24 hours: mild, non-foaming cleanser and pat your face dry, with regular sun protection with SPF 30 minimum
- Avoid exfoliation, makeup, sun, steam, wand orkouts until fully healed
- Slowly reintroduce active ingredients once skin is no longer red or irritated, one at a time
FAQs
When to wash face after microneedling?
Avoid washing your face with a cleanser for at least a day. However, after 8 hours, you can wash your skin with only cool water.
When to wash face after microneedling with PRP?
It’s recommended to keep PRP on the skin for a minimum of 8 hours if you are using it in conjunction with your therapy. The next day, you can use the skin cleanser approved and apply makeup, moisturizer, and other topical items approved by your aesthetician.
Can I use my regular face wash after microneedling?
Not right away. For the first day, skip cleanser altogether and stick to room temperature water. After 24 hours, you can use a mild, non-exfoliating face wash, something fragrance-free and hydrating.
When can I shower after microneedling?
For the first week of your recovery, avoid taking lengthy showers and baths. Also, skip taking a bath on the day you have your treatment. Additionally, skip the sauna and spa. Avoid the ocean or chlorine pools.
The takeaway
Microneedling can do wonders in making your skin look smoother, brighter, and more youthful. But the real results show in how you care for your skin afterward.
So, choose something from this list of the best face washes to use after microneedling that your skin actually needs right now.
Each of these picks supports your microneedling aftercare routine beautifully. For anyone searching for reliable microneedling aftercare tips, gentle cleansing is the first step to truly bring out that post-treatment glow.
