Improve your complexion with some of the best facial cleansers for glowing skin! The face wash you use can substantially affect how your skin looks. While cleansing primarily removes impurities and grime, additional ingredients can help create a product that is moisturizing, anti-aging, and safe for sensitive skin.
The best facial cleansers not only leave your skin feeling silky smooth and clean but help give you an even, glowing complexion. They can also help slow aging or treat conditions like acne. Here are the 10 best facial cleansers to transform your skincare regime.
- 1. Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%
- 2. Kiehl Ultra Facial Cleanser
- 3. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
- 4. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
- 5. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel
- 6. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
- 7. Ghost Democracy Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
- 8. Pure Biology Facial Cleanser
- 9. Dr. Rogers Restore Face Wash
- 10. Neutrogena Foaming Facial Cleanser
- Final Verdicts
1. Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%
Naturium’s Cleansing Gelée is not just a cleanser. Unlike many facial cleansers that just clean the skin, this Naturium face wash contains three different anti-aging ingredients that can improve collagen synthesis:
- Vitamin C
- Niacinamide
- Hyaluronic acid
These ingredients all help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and keep skin taut. As a mild acid, vitamin C’s inclusion in a skincare product also has a few other effects beyond boosting collagen synthesis too. It actively reduces blemishes and helps brighten your skin for a youthful and radiant complexion.
In addition to this, the product is free of fragrance and drying alcohols. This gentle formula makes it better for sensitive or dry skin, as fragrances can be a significant irritant for many people. Naturium Cleansing Gelée fights aging and doesn’t irritate sensitive skin while doing so.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for keeping skin youthful
- Evens complexion
- Fights blemishes
- Niacinamide reduces facial redness
- Boosts collagen and elastin
- Fragrance-free formula
2. Kiehl Ultra Facial Cleanser
Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser is another top performer. While it doesn’t have anti-aging benefits like the previous product, it makes up for this as being one of the overall best cleansers for people with dry skin.
This is because the ingredients used in the cleanser are all oriented towards keeping your skin hydrated while cleaning it. Natural avocado and apricot oils nourish your skin, while vitamin E and squalane help reestablish a healthy barrier to protect from irritants and moisture loss.
If you have dry skin, this is one of the best cleansers you can use to enjoy a fresh-feeling face without suffering from dullness or flaking.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for dry skin
- Many natural botanicals are the main ingredients
- Gentle
3. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser is another great option for dry skin sufferers. It also has some skin-improving and anti-aging effects owing to the inclusion of hyaluronic acid, though, so it can be good for getting a better complexion and keeping aging at bay too.
The product’s main unique point though is its formula of glycerin and 3 different ceramides. Ceramides are waxy molecules naturally produced in your skin. They’re most abundant in your skin’s outer layer where they act to protect it from external stresses but they can be stripped off with washing, makeup, or use of other products.
Using CeraVe Hydrating cleanser helps restore your skin’s natural barrier after glycerin gently moisturizes it. This helps prevent your skin from becoming dry during and after cleansing.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for dry, sensitive skin
- Glycerin is a gentle moisturizer
- Restores skin barrier
- Improves complexion
- Fights aging
4. Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
Cetaphil’s Daily Facial Cleanser is a classic product and there’s a reason for this. The company prides itself on making skincare products that are gentle on sensitive skin and don’t contribute to acne and other problems. In fact, it’s one of the best products if you have acne, eczema, or psoriasis.
Cetaphil Daily cleanses gently with a non-soap formula but can still remove oil and grime successfully. It’s fragrance-free and is even designed for use without water, allowing you to apply the product and then wipe it off with a towel for gentle cleansing just about anywhere.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for sensitive skin
- Widely recommended by dermatologists
- Won’t exacerbate acne or allergies
- Soap and fragrance-free
- No drying alcohols
5. Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel is a great innovation for the brand. Like other Neutrogena products, it’s designed with skin problems in mind and it won’t cause irritation or exacerbate acne. It’s another ideal choice for dry skin, especially if you have acne or other skin issues.
The product also includes hyaluronic acid, though, and this gives it some additional benefits that can help improve your complexion and reduce wrinkles. Using the Hydrating Cleansing Gel is a great way to keep some of the effects of aging at bay by boosting collagen synthesis in your skin. Follow it up with the refreshing moisturizer in the same line for maximum effect!
Product Benefits
- Perfect for acne-prone or sensitive skin
- Anti-aging
- Moisturizing
- Improves complexion and fights blemishes
6. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser
La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser has some interesting and unique ingredients in it. Primarily a form of prebiotic thermal water. A prebiotic is a substance that helps to foster the growth and function of good bacteria.
The inclusion of a prebiotic is interesting because your skin always has a population of bacteria on it. Some of these support its health and protect against infection, while others like staphylococcus and streptococcus can cause serious infections. Good bacteria actually keep these at bay by acting as competition so this cleanser may help create a healthier skin biome.
Emerging research into the use of prebiotics and probiotics in skincare seems to agree with this assumption. There is even some evidence that supporting good bacteria in your skin may reduce the severity of conditions like psoriasis.
Apart from that, the cleanser contains niacinamide and ceramides to enhance your complexion and restore your skin’s natural barrier. The face wash is also both sulfate and fragrance-free for sensitive skin. If the prebiotic effect continues to receive research and show promising results, it may even arguably deserve a much higher spot in this list.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for sensitive skin
- Restores skin barrier
- May support a healthy skin microbiome
- May reduce the severity of eczema and psoriasis
- Sulfate and fragrance-free
- Soap-free
7. Ghost Democracy Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser
Ghost Democracy Transparent Gentle Exfoliating Cleanser is another product that really deserves a higher spot on this list. It’s sitting here a bit lower because of an ingredient choice that can be incredibly beneficial but problematic for some people.
That ingredient is willow bark extract, which contains salicin. Salicin is actually the original precursor to salicylic acid, which you might be more familiar with as aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid). Like topical aspirin, it’s very effective at reducing acne and skin irritation because of its anti-inflammatory effects. It can also fight blemishes and contribute to a more even, smooth complexion.
However, many people experience skin allergies to either of these ingredients and that can make it problematic for people who do because it can cause redness, irritation, and a burning sensation. If you know you don’t have an allergy, it’s a great cleanser with other beneficial ingredients that go beyond cleaning your skin.
Glycolic and mandelic acid are two alpha-hydroxy acids included in the cleanser that help boost collagen synthesis and reduce lines and wrinkles. It also contains niacinamide, which may reduce dark spots and hyperpigmentation, making it one of the best facial cleansers for glowing skin, as it can improve your skin’s overall tone and evenness.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for problem skin (if you aren’t allergic to willow bark or aspirin)
- Boosts collagen synthesis
- Reduces inflammation and redness
- Improved complexion
- Anti-aging
8. Pure Biology Facial Cleanser
Pure Biology Facial Cleanser was designed with oily skin in mind. It’s a more powerful cleanser than many other products on this list but that’s what makes it unique because some people do have oilier skin that needs a stronger cleanser.
The product is principally also designed to deep clean pores. This makes it a great choice if you suffer from blackheads frequently, as it can help prevent them. It’s also a good cleanser for acne sufferers for this same reason.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for oily skin
- Reduces acne
- Reduces blackheads
9. Dr. Rogers Restore Face Wash
Dr. Rogers Restore Face Wash is designed by a dermatologist to be an effective makeup remover and cleanser without irritating sensitive skin or exacerbating skin problems like acne. It uses mild moisturizers to help hydrate your skin during cleansing and prevent it from drying out.
One of the key benefits of this cleanser is that every ingredient is natural and environmentally friendly so you don’t need to worry about what you’re sending down the drain. It’s also fragrance-free to reduce the risk of skin and airway irritation.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for sensitive skin
- Formulated by a dermatologist
- Removes makeup
- Glycerin and aloe vera moisturization
- Natural ingredients
- Fragrance-free
10. Neutrogena Foaming Facial Cleanser
This one’s another classic. Neutrogena Foaming Facial Cleanser is used by many people as a makeup remover primarily because it can strip makeup off your skin without exacerbating acne and other problems.
Like Cetaphil’s Daily Cleanser, it’s a product that many people are familiar with at this point and it’s a dependable, affordable choice. It may not earn the top spot on this list, but it certainly performs its job admirably.
Product Benefits
- Perfect for acne-prone skin
- Makeup remover and cleanser
- Non-comedogenic (doesn’t block pores)
- Affordable
Final Verdicts
While this list is ordered, many of the rankings are very close. Some products like the La Roche-Posay and Ghost Democracy cleansers arguably deserve higher spots if not for the lack of research into the skin microbiome to support prebiotic water and the potential for allergies to salicylate-based ingredients.
We also looked at some dependable classics like Cetaphil and Neutrogena that never really go out of style. A few cleansers on this list are moderately expensive. Most are quite affordable. There are also options for various different skin types, whether you have dry, sensitive, oily, or problematic skin.
Ultimately, the key to the best facial cleanser is finding a product that suits you individually, though. Your skin is yours alone and you need to match your needs to the right product. Just because most people rate a certain cleanser highly doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the right choice for you.