The Hit List: Best Face Cleanser
Best Face Cleanser? What product wins this category?
Best Face Cleanser? What product wins this category?
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
Love the Clean and Clear Advantage Facial Cleanser!
I love Lush’s Herbalism. The smell is off-putting, but it works wonders. It cleanses and it has cleared up my spots and other problems.
I absolutely cannot live without Shu Uemura’s cleansing oil, especially A/O (the one with green tea extract). It’s perfect for my dry, eczema-prone skin!
I absolutely agree! 😀
I have always wanted to use oil cleansers but im afraid they break me out. Do u find that u have any problem with acne break outs when using it?
So long as you steam your face with a warm, damp cloth afterwards, you should have no issues with breakouts.
If you are interested in Shu Uemura cleansing oils, I believe they have some light formulas better suited for acne-prone skin. Those makeup counters at Nordstrom are usually nice enough to give you some samples! It’s definitely worth checking out!
They’re really no more likely to break you out than other cleansers: Acne isn’t really caused by the kind of oils present in oil cleansers (internal problems are usually the cause), and oil attracts oil so you’re getting a good gentle cleanse (If the cleanser is good, that is…)
Just wanted to add that I find it so ironic that people are so obsessed with washing off oils present in oil cleansers and yet are happy to use oil based moisturisers and leave these same oils on their skins without a second thought.
PS. I use Dermalogica’s precleanse on my acne prone skin and its one of the best cleansers for me.
I am looking forward to hearing the responses to this because I have yet to find one I really love. I am currently using Philosophy Purity Made Simple (foaming). It does the job and I appreciate how gentle it is on my eyes, but there’s just something about it that makes me want to try something new.
my favorite cleansers at the mo are : ultra bland from lush.com & using distilled witch hazel on a cotton pad after I have removed my makeup with a wipe then washed it. this helps my skin to stay clear n spot free xx
For me it is Bare Escentuals RareMinerals cleanser, it has kept my normally acne-prone skin completely clear for the last year! It seems to gently exfoliate my skin too, but also calms my skin and doesn’t bother my rosacea at the same time! I’ve actually stopped using exfoliating scrubs. Can you tell I’m in love? 😉
<3 BE rare minerals! I only used the overnight powder for a while (haven’t gotten around to ebaying more) but I loved it for keeping my skin clear and always gently exfoliated. I guess the cleanser is equally nice 🙂
Cetaphil–enough said!
yes! it’s simple, inexpensive, clean smelling and really gentle. it removes my leftover face snd eye makeup and doesn’t strip my skin of moisture. love it 🙂
oops! by ‘snd’ i meant ‘and’.
cetaphil is amazing.
love philosophy purity and microdelivery wash but i use proactive lotion at night for beakouts~
my mornings and nights revolve around Origins Never A Dull Moment Face Cleanser. I <3 it so much!!
Yep! Good stuff!
I love Lush for this, both Sweet japanese girl and Angels on bare skin are great! If no Lush, I use Lanc
AcneFree cleanser has kept my skin clear from day one! I have combination skin, but my cheeks are pretty acne-prone. AcneFree has taken care of that. 🙂
I love Philosophy’s Purity made simple, works great at removing my MUFE HD Foundation. Sometimes if my skin is messed up I’ll use Clingue’s Ance bar.
Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple, without a doubt. But I recently got a sample of one of the Shu Uemura’s cleansing oils and it was beyond amazing, especially for removing mascara!!! So gentle on the skin, melts the mascara super fast, and leaves skin soft and moisturized.
A bar of Dove or Ivory soap for sensitive skin. Fragrance free, non greasy, doesn’t leave soap film, and non drying. Oh, and did I mention it’s less than 2 bucks a bar? Never leaks in your luggage either. Gotta love solids.
I would def say Patricia Wexler’s cleansing foam for all skin types. Its amazing! and not that expensive ($15 at bath and body works). It leaves skin clear and with a glow. I love it!
Shiseido cleanser. Very gentle. Great one!
Totally agree! Surprising leavces skin sooooo amazingly soft while cleaning thoroughly! Love it!
Next best is Bliss.
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel all the way! Saved my skin a few years ago and I haven’t looked back.
I’m looking for a good cleanser. I’m using Nivea Face Young, it’s quite good, I like its gel consistency, but I’m deadly curious about Shu Uemura ones.
Unfortunately most of the products you’re talking about are not available here. T-T
I love my Cetaphil, its so gentle and it comes with a pump!
Since I use Retin A I prefer one that’s gentle and fragrance free so the ones I use the most are Shu Cleansing Oil, Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Cleanser, and Cerave Hydrating Cleanser.
Garnier Nutritioniste cream cleanser is my favorite. It gets my skin really clean with out drying it out.
MAC’s Green Gel work great for my skin
baby wipes! no joke! 🙂
I use baby wipes to get rid of my makeup then wash with purity made simple by philosophy.
I love Angels on Bare Skin by Lush
Proactiv! I don’t have much acne but it helps keep the oil production down.
Clarins-Cleanising Milk Normal/Dry Skin.
I’m currently using Aveda’s Outer Peace Foaming Cleanser and it’s working very well for me. My skin’s very acne-prone and picky to boot but this line is working really well for me.
I love ten 0 six toner! it has a very strong rose like smell but it has helped my pores so much!! love it
Philosophy purity made simple high foaming cleanser!
Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash. I always try out new cleansers that are fancier or more expensive, but always end up going back to Purpose. It’s gentle, removes my face makeup, and doesn’t irritate my acne prone skin.
G.M. Collin – PurAcne Oxygen Purifying Gel. It’s perfect for oily to acne-prone skin yet it’s still gentle and doesn’t dry out my face (like most acne or deep cleansers).
I love Clean and Clear’s Morning Burst Deoxifying Cleanser. It’s light and refreshing. I really cannot have hard chemicals on my skin. I break out despite my combination skin.
No drugstore cheapies for me, my face simply cant handle it
I use stone crop by
Eminence is a nice line it feels good but I’ve never found it to be real results based.
I really like Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser for my sensitive-ish skin.
I like Cerave and DHC’s deep cleansing oil.
Kiehl’s is heaven sent! Great foe all types especially sensitive skin like mine
My favorite is Philosophy Purity Made Simple (not the foaming one, the original.)
That one totally broke me out! I was really sad, but then again I have oily skin so the foaming one is probably a better choice for me.
Lush Herbalism! I love this stuff so much!
I have 3! I love Neutrogena foaming face wash in the shower, Shu Uemura Balancing Cleansing Oil to remove makeup at night and Bare Escentuals Rare Minerals cleanser after the cleansing oil at night as a mask. All 3 are great on their own and work well for my acne/rosacea prone skin!
I use Cetaphil. I have very sensitive skin.
Gamila Soap!
I second that!!
CiaoOo Marieke
Oh and by the way: Zwitsal soap free wash gel hihi
Philosophy Purity =)
A lot of philosophy purity lovers have all ready commented and I’m another one! 🙂 It is by far the best cleanser that I have ever used.
Vichy normaderm gel cleanser!
DHC deep cleansing oil & Purity foam cleanser!!
Definitely DIOR’s rinse off cleanser, it has white tea in it and smells sooooooooo good. Plus removes all makeup and doesn’t leave face dry
I am going with La Mer – foam cleanser. It is expensive but you only need a dime size amount and I am at month 5 or 6 so it is not too bad!
proactiv! I know it doesn’t suit some people but it’s been working great on me for 4 years
ME TOO!!!
Purity Made Simple by Philosophy is AMAZING!!! I have always had oily skin and breakouts. I tried every drugstore acne cleanser out there and none of them worked. Once I started using Purity and Hope in a Bottle my face completely cleared up!!! I love how it takes my makeup, including eye makeup, right OFF!
I forgot
Twitter: makeupgirl513
steam!! i cant remember the brand haha
I love Murad’s AHA/BHA cleanser
Purpose is a fave, along with skin bightener by L’Occitane. Both are great.
High-end : Shiseido Pureness Foaming Cleansing Fluid (loveeee this stuff… half squirt takes off all of myy makeup)
Low-end : Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser ( not as good as shiseido but still rocks )
i’ve loved ysl’s cleansing and toning water for years and years, even though it doesn’t really remove my stubborn eye makeup. 🙁
but it smells divine. 🙂
i’ve only recently began using clarins’ pure melt cleansing gel and i need to repeat the face – washing twice (meaning i use quite a lot of product in one go) but the end results are gleaming, flawless skin!
I was looking for a new cleanser…now I think I need to try either Lush or Shu Umera. Thanks girls!
I don’t use it to take of my makeup, but Anthony Logistics Glycolic Facial Cleanser works wonders for my skin. I have extremely dry, extremely sensitive skin and I tried over a dozen different cleansers after Clinique went and changed the formula on the cleanser I had been using, and theirs was the only one that didn’t irritate my skin or strip it so dry the skin would crack before I finished drying my face (I have seriously crazy dry skin).
I’ve been using Acne Free foaming face cleanser. I call it the poor man’s Proactiv. It’s totally helped clear up my skin. My Clarisonic doesn’t hurt either. 🙂
Cetaphil: leaves face clean and not oily, but not dried out . ONly about 5 bucks
Neutrogena Grapefruit cleanser, LUSH angels on bare skin, & dicksons witch hazel. I got the purity foam & imo its junk. It doesn’t feel like its really cleansing my face at all.
I love Burt’s Bees Carrot Complexion soap! It leaves my skin squeeky clean!
Angels on Bare Skin (AOBS) by Lush is my go-to facial cleanser. My skin is super sensitive and doesn’t agree to most cleansers. Just last week, I bought Cetaphil facial cleanser.. and for some reason, it broke me out! I had little bumps on my chin, some were white heads and some were just plain bumps. So I stopped using it and immediately started on my AOBS routine and it cleared up. I can’t express how much I love that product!
I stick with Cetaphil (actually, generic store copies of Cetaphil, I can’t tell a difference). Doesn’t overly dry my face and is gentle enough for the eye area.
anything mild + clarisonic brush is the answer to whiteheads!
philosophy purity, all the wayy 🙂
I STILL use the Clinique 3-Step system (though I use the liquid facial soap mild) and it keeps me pretty much acne free… I get the odd pimple when I am lazy and don’t wash my face at night after taking off my makeup. I’m starting to look at Dior stuff though… high end but it smells a lot nicer than Clinique’s unscented everything!
My drugstore knock off brand of Cetaphil. It’s 1 pint for 5 dollars. And I use witch hazel as a toner.
Phisoderm.
I still haven’t found the perfect one!
I’ve been using DHC cleansing moisurizing oil, their products are from Japan, works great for me, and it doesn’t strip my skin of all it’s oils, leaving it dry and flakey.
I love Cetaphil!
Like many, I use Philosophy Purity Made Simple. I don’t know how special it really is, but I’ll wait until I run out because I don’t have any complaints!
What is your fav. cleanser temptalia?
I’d love to know, too!
Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple has got to be the most amazing stuff out there. Gentle, hydrating, deep cleaning and effectively takes makeup off without any residue! I cannot live without this stuff 🙂
I use Clenziderm and it’s the only thing that calms my acne-prone face down!
Boscia MakeUp-BreakUp Cleansing Oil! I love it for removing makeup and just leaving my skin soft.
Garnier! cheap and fresh and clean !
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser. I also use Philosophy’s Purity Made Simple, but the Fresh one wins for me. I just wish there was more in the tube. I go through it pretty quickly and it’s kind of expensive for what you get, but it’s ultra gentle on my sensitive skin and removes all my makeup without rubbing.
Origins never a dull moment and their clean energy oil cleanser when I wear makeup.
Alpha Hydrox – Nourishing cleanser. It got rid of clogged pored and small pimples on my skin. Absolutely love it!
I use Renee Rouleau’s AHA/BHA Cleanser in the day time or my Clinique Oily Skin formula liquid soap, just depends on what I grab first lol. Then at night I use Clinique’s Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser to remove my makeup and then I use either Renee Rouleau’s Blemish Control cleanser or Clinique’s Acne Solutions Cleansing bar.
cetaphil!! gentle for the acne prone skin…although I really think that the clarisonic my boyfriend got me for xmas is really the HG in the cleaning department:)
cetaphil, my skin doesn’t like fancy products. i have oily combination skin and this stuff is just simple and gets the work done. doesn’t sting my eyes or dry out my skin even if i use it several times a day.
PHilosophy Purity made simple did not work for me, i found it hard to get foams. My favourite is Orbis (Japanese) Clear series facial foam cleanser !
I”d love to know the results on here as I’m planning to buy a new tube of cleanser!
I use Mario Badescu’s Glycolic Foaming Cleanser 3 times a week and Dermalogica’s Special cleansing Gel for the remainder.
Estee Lauder cleanser! Inexpensive and long lasting. It’s been a year, I’m still using my cleanser. It’s a must try!!!
Cetaphil
Makeup remover: Fancl’s Cleansing Oil
Daily facial cleanser: Kiehl’s Ultimate White Exfoliator alternated with Avalon Organics’ Lavender cleansing gel
I love L’Occitane Extra Gentle Cleansing Milk, extremely good for dry skin!
L’Oreal Skin Genesis is the only drugstore that I’ve found to be comparable to department store brands. It’s just sooo good!
I use shu uemura cleansing oil to remove my makeup, then I use either philosophy purity made simple, biore, or DHC olive soap on my clarisonic to make sure it’s completely cleaned. Working pretty well so far! my skin hasn’t had a pimple since I started this new routine:)
Amarte Perfect Balance Cleansing Foam <333
Aww, I used Purity for a while but it didn’t really impress me.
My favorite cleanser is actually a cleansing grain formula from Soapalaya Soaps on Etsy. It’s *amazing*. Since I started using it and jojoba oil as a moisturizer about a year ago, my skin has never been in better condition! The cleanser is dry, and made up of kaolin clay, jojoba beads, ground up oatmeal and ground up cold process hand poured soap (with no detergents, and all the natural glycerin left in). I mix up one spatula full w/ some water and use it every night. It’s really really great for keeping me blackhead free and yet it’s soooo gentle & effective. In the morning I just use her bar soap in Chamomile Calm & I love that too.
Love Clinque 3-step! Very refreshing and smells clean – nothing too heavy 🙂
Testing 123?
why is my comment being removed?
Stop spamming, please 🙂
testing 123
It’s working, all 3 of your comments show, so stop ‘testing’.
mary had a lil lamb
I wold not be testing if I saw it on my screen! but thanks anyway.
I like dark angels and ultrabland by lush
I love my dermologica Medibac wash which makes my skin feel so clean and soft and keeps my adult acne at bay!
I’m wary of trying new cleansers because of an incident a few years ago so the one that I’ve never had any trouble with is St Ives Apricot Scrub. It leaves my skin soft and doesn’t break me out.
i use a homemade ‘clarifying cleansing oil’, using apricot kernel oil, jojoba oil and some essential oils: lavender, rosemary and cypress. it’s gentle, great for removing all makeup and the essential oils are antiseptic as well. since i started using this 3 years ago, i have seen a massive improvement in my skin (an so have others, which is a real bonus!)…i was always told by cosmeticians(?) that my skin was oily and i should use foaming cleaners…but that turned out to be completely false and was ruining my skin big-time!
haven’t found it yet
the next one i’m trying will be angel on bare face by Lush, my order should be here tomorrow, i can’t wait to try it
i do my makeup only when imabout to go to wotk/school, or go out, … which is – either early morning or later at night..
Perter Thomas Roth Botanical Buffing Beads = <3
🙂
I must say I love Neutrogena ‘deep clean’ cleansing cream or Netrogena facial cleanser. I hate using anything specifically made for acne (if is says it on the packaging). They tend to dry my skin extremely and cause me to become flakey. I also love it because its cheap and I can find it at almost any store.
I like Shiseido White Lucent or Dermalogica Dermal Clay Cleanser if I’m having skin issues.
Clean & Clear Deep Action Refreshing Gel Cleanser, it’s so refreshing for combination skin, especially in the summer, when it’s hot!
Philosophy’s On a Clear Day for night & Purity for the morning. Love all skincare that’s by Philosophy!
My favorite is Cetaphil. Its a cheap drugstore brand but it works great! Help keep my sensitive breakout prone skin under control. I can even wash my eye makeup off without irritation.
Bar none best facial cleanser I’ve used is BeautiControl’s Skinlogics Foaming Facial Cleanser..only $16.50 and lasts months!
Philosophy Purity Made Simple.
I use these dual exfoliating/cleanser pads from Avon. The exfoliating side is the most gentle types out there and the cleanser side almost feels like it moisturizes my skin.
CLINIQUE!! It’s amazing!
I would love to get a cleanser because my face is a little oily i feel like, especially my eyelids but ihave no idea where to buy all these ones you ladies are referring to. or where to get samples. Could anyone please fill me in on the good stuff?? =]
i’ve tried every possible cleanser there is out there both drug store and higher end brand, and the two that i use on a regular basis that work for me are dove foaming cleanser for sensitive skin and mac cleanse off oil
Ponds.
it leaves my skin super soft and cleans my makeup right up 😀
Dr. Hauschka cleansing cream.
Philosophy Purity made simple
Dr. Hauschka Cleansing Cream – doesn’t have that fake, super minty, clean feel that most chemical filled cleansers have and it’s all natural and makes your skin look really nice and feel clean.
I love the chemical free cleanser Stellar Performance Cleanser by the company motion medica. for years i suffered from acne and dry skin and sensitive skin. Found out from my dermatologist about this cleanser.Now my skin is finally clear and soft and i actually get compliments HA!
Clinique (: