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Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
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Credit:
Reviewed / Betsey Goldwasser
Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.
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When it comes to creating a perfect beauty routine for your skin, finding the best face wash is the first, and arguably, the most important step. Washing your face can seem like a pretty simple step in one’s skincare regimen, but finding a really great face wash isn’t as straightforward for most people.
For such a seemingly humble skincare essential, there are hundreds of options, if not thousands, out there—all of which seem to target a different skin type or concern. If finding the best face wash formula for you is proving to be more difficult than you’d like, we’re here to help. We did all the hard work for you by testing a dozen of the most popular face washes on the market to see which ones are actually worth your money.
When looking for a face wash, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, the best face wash rids your skin of any dirt and excess oil, leaving your face looking and feeling fresh. A quality face wash should also be gentle enough to avoid causing irritation and it shouldn’t dry your skin out.
After testing top-rated face washes across a range of price points and from different brands and retailers, there was a clear winner: the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. This non-foaming face wash is infused with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin to be ultra-hydrating and gentle enough for sensitive skin. Beyond its fantastic cleansing abilities, it comes at a great value of $15, making it an easy pick for the best face wash we tested.
The Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser leaves the skin feeling clean and soft.
The Burt's Bees Refreshing Foaming Cleanser took our best foaming cleanser spot amongst face washes for leaving skin squeaky clean post-cleanse while tending to our tester's sense of smell with its invigorating, earthy scent.
Stick with the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser if your skin is ultra-sensitive.
Keep your normal to combination skin clean with the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
The Clinique All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap won our best for combination skin title among the face washes we tested for its unmatched ability to cleanse skin without drying it out in the process.
Easy to dispense
Spreads easily
Slimy consistency
Need a lot of formula
Milky and soft texture
Spreads easily
Rinses well
Need a lot of formula
Slightly drying
Easy to dispense
Spreads easily
Cleanses effectively
Two products seems unnecessary
Need a lot of formula
Night cleanser feels drying
Smooth texture
Need a lot of formula
Difficult to dispense
Doesn’t cleanse thoroughly
Easy to dispense
Slimy texture
Doesn’t cleanse effectively
Smooth texture
Overpowering fragrance
Need a lot of formula
Doesn’t lather much
Doesn’t cleanse effectively
Leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated
Difficult to dispense
Difficult to spread
Doesn’t effectively cleanse
To find the best face wash, we used each one in the. morning and evening to cleanse the face.
I'm Brigitt Earley, a lifestyle writer and editor with nearly 15 years of experience testing all different types of beauty products. I don’t have any pressing skincare concerns, but if anything, my skin leans more dry than oily. When shopping for a face wash, I gravitate toward hydrating picks that are easy to find and relatively budget-friendly.
The testing process to find the best face wash was straightforward. After identifying identifying our list of top-rated face washes from retailers and other best-of lists, the list was narrowed down to gentle cleansers for skin that’s "normal"—neither dry nor oily.
During testing, I evaluated each face wash for bottle functionality, then lathered and rinsed. I assessed things like how the product suds up, how my skin felt, and how clean it looked after cleansing. When I finished testing all of the face washes, I teamed up with Reviewed’s in-house experts to score and weigh the results on a scientifically calibrated rubric.
A great face wash is gentle enough to work for multiple skin types.
There are different factors that can play a role in how often you need to wash face, such as how much makeup you wear and your nighttime skincare routine. For example, if you sleep in an overnight face mask, your skin might just need a rinse in the morning as opposed to a full cleanse.
As a general rule of thumb, regardless of skin type, Dr. Fran Cook-Bolden, a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon based in New York City, recommends washing your face twice a day: in the morning and at night.
"I think it’s important to refresh the skin because water rehydrates the skin," Cook-Bolden told Reviewed. "Night and day is what I recommend. I think it’s a good habit."
Washing your face both in the morning and at night is recommended, but if you’re in a pinch to get out the door in the morning and opt for a quick rinse instead of the full cleanse, be sure to prioritize washing your face that night.
"If you’re going to skip washing your face, nighttime is not the time to do it," Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York City, previously told Reviewed. "Washing your face at night removes all of the oil, makeup, dirt, bacteria, grime, and pollution that we accumulated on our skin throughout the day."
Though Engelman emphasizes that a nighttime cleanse is more important than one in the AM, she notes that a morning skincare routine is still crucial to help keep your skin clean and healthy.
"The purpose of washing your face in the morning is to start your routine with a clean canvas and rinse away what you put on the night before, offering maximum absorption and effectiveness of your day products," she explains. "Clean skin will allow active ingredients in your skincare products to penetrate better and work more effectively."
While it’s understood that the type of face wash you use is important, the method of how you wash your face is also key to achieving the best results. Engelman says a thorough face wash should last about one minute—use a timer on your phone if you’re not keen on keeping track of time—and the cleanser should be worked into the skin with the pads of your fingers in gentle circular motions.
If you press too hard on the skin, you risk developing irritation in the forms of inflammation, redness, and dry patches.
After cleansing your face in the morning, you should at the very least apply a moisturizer to give your skin a boost of hydration. A quality moisturizer is essential to perfecting your skincare routine because it basically creates a barrier to protect your face from external pollutants and irritants that can cause damage and lead to micro-tears in the skin that are more susceptible to infection.
Finish your routine by applying a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher, per the American Academy of Dermatology Association, a national advocacy group that’s committed to upholding the highest standards and practices in the field of dermatology. The organization also recommends re-applying your sunscreen every two hours.
When it comes to face cleansers, choosing the best face wash for you will depend on your skin type and your skin concerns. From acne-prone skin to extra oily skin, each skin type can benefit from specific ingredients that address different concerns. Even if you just want a reliable face wash that focuses on removing excess oil, makeup, and impurities, start your search by knowing your skin type.
People with normal skin have the most flexibility with their skincare products, as they don’t have any issues with too much or too little oil production. If you have normal skin, you’ll want a gentle face wash that addresses any specific needs you have. We also suggest keeping seasonal and environmental factors in mind.
For instance, if you have a normal skin type but your complexion leans on the drier side during the winter months, use a face wash that contains plenty of hydrating and skin barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Similarly, if your skin skews more oily during the summer months, consider switching up your face wash to one that contains oil-busting ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
People who deal with excess oil should always prioritize cleansing their face twice a day. Face washes that either have a gel or foamy texture are the most ideal for oily skin.
But if using a face wash two times a day doesn’t cut it, consider adding a toner to your routine to curb the oil production. You can use the toner immediately after washing your face both in the morning and at night, but try looking for a formula that doesn’t contain alcohol as its base. For reference, a toner that contains witch hazel is considered safe for oily skin. We like the Dickinson's Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner.
But your options don’t end there. The Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner and the Avène Thermale Gentle-Toning Lotion are also compatible with oily skin.
Once you’re done cleansing, make sure to replenish the skin’s barrier with a moisturizer. Your skin may overproduce oil to compensate for the lack of protection if you fail to use moisturizer.
Per Cook-Bolden, people who have dry skin should use a face wash that removes dirt, makeup, and grime without stripping it of essential natural oils. The goal is to clean your face but not leave it feeling tight. She says to focus on finding a cream cleanser and avoid gel or foam washes.
Ultimately, the texture of a face wash matters more for dry skin types than its ingredient list. Dry skin happens when there is "too little oil production, or when too much oil is removed from the skin," per Dr. Brendan Camp, a board-ceritifed dermatologist based in New York City, and you want to keep that in mind when choosing the right cleanser.
To compensate for the lack of oil in the skin, people with dry skin must use moisturizers, specifically cream-based options with oil-rich formulas, after their face wash.
As the goldilocks of all skin types, combination skin types may have more oily areas of the face such as the T-zone, and others that are dry, such as the cheeks. Folks with combination skin should look for a face wash that can effectively remove excess oil from problem areas while being gentle enough that it doesn’t create issues for drier patches of skin. It’s important to note that face washes aren’t necessarily meant to remove makeup.
Our testing showed many cleansers will take off some makeup, but you’ll likely need a separate makeup remover to ensure that all traces of makeup are gone. We like the Garnier Skin Active Micellar Cleansing Water, Simple Unscented Micellar Cleansing Water, and the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Cleansing Water to help clean up any remaining traces of makeup.
Makeup wipes can also effectively get rid of any stubborn bits of waterproof makeup. Look no further than the best-selling Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes and the Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes for all your makeup-removing needs.
For some people, acne is a problem that rears its head throughout adolescence. But for many of us, having acne-prone skin is a lifelong issue. The cause of acne flare-ups that happen well beyond your teenage years can be attributed to many reasons, such as hormone fluctuation and diet.
If you struggle with getting rid of unwanted blemishes, there are face washes for acne that are specially formulated to help and include powerhouse ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
When it comes to clearing the skin of excess oil and dead skin cells, salicylic acid reigns supreme among acne-fighting ingredients found in over-the-counter skincare products.
"Oil is food for bacteria, so salicylic acid, by reducing some of the oil on the skin, also helps to prevent a breakout because less oil is less food for the bacteria," Dr. Suzanne Friedler, a board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC in New York City, previously told Reviewed.
Salicylic acid’s other responsibilities include brightening the skin and mitigating discoloration issues like hyperpigmentation and melasma.
If you’re pregnant, you will want to avoid using products containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Though pretty much every skin type can use a salicylic acid-based face wash, those who would benefit the most from face washes with this ingredient are those with oily skin, acne-prone skin, and normal skin types that occasionally get pimples.
On the other hand, benzoyl peroxide aims to eliminate the onset of comedones, a formal term used to refer to clogged pores like whiteheads and blackheads. It’s characterized as an antimicrobial ingredient, meaning that it eliminates bacteria and fungi on the skin that may cause acne.
Benzoyl peroxide also has the added benefit of curbing oil production and the growth of swollen hair follicles. And the best part about using benzoyl peroxide "is that you can use it forever and ever and you’ll never really develop a resistance to it," Friedler previously told Reviewed.
Like most things, there are some concerns that have been raised about using benzoyl peroxide. If your skin is vulnerable to sensitivity, benzoyl peroxide can be irritating and cause the skin to dry. "The higher the percentage of benzoyl peroxide you use, the more drying it is," Friedler explained.
Basically, if you have sensitive skin and are looking to give benzoyl peroxide a try, experiment with a benzoyl peroxide-based cleanser during the warmer months of spring and summer when your skin is less likely to become irritated due to outdoor elements. Otherwise, opt for a salicylic acid-based cleanser, given that it’s not as strong as benzoyl peroxide.
The other downside is that benzoyl peroxide will bleach whatever it meets in its tracks (read: fabric). There are ways around this, though. You may not want to wear your favorite shirt while washing your face with a benzoyl peroxide-based cleanser, you’ll want to use a white towel to dry your face, and you’ll be safer sleeping on a white pillowcase as an extra precaution.
Oh, and your skin and hair are also fair game for experiencing some irritation if they come into contact with benzoyl peroxide. There has been an instance in which a teenage girl’s eyebrow hairs and the hairs on her head were reportedly lightened after coming into contact with benzoyl peroxide. To be safe, be sure to put your hair back in a bun, ponytail, or headband before using skincare products with benzoyl peroxide.
Like most skincare products, the cost of face washes varies tremendously, but after our extensive testing, we’re confident that you don’t need to splurge on a high-end face wash to get the job done. Our choice for the overall best face wash, the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (available at Amazon), rings in at just $15.
We’d be remiss not to mention that our four other favorite face washes—the Burt’s Bees Refreshing Foaming Cleanser, the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser, the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, and the Clinique All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap, respectively—all come in at under $30.
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Brigitt Earley is a freelance writer and editor based in NJ. Her work has appeared in a number of lifestyle publications, including Real Simple and Apartment Therapy. She’s a new mom, runs an Instagram account full of the most delicious food she can find, and loves to hate a good barre class.
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