Originally Posted on Reviews.com
A face cleanser’s job is literally cleaning your skin. It should make quick work of makeup, dirt, and grease — all while being gentle. However, so many products end up stripping your face of its natural oils, making matters worse. A team at Reviews.com consulted with dermatologists and aestheticians, scoured ingredient lists, and came away with a list of top-ranked cleansers.
They spent months analyzing the hard science behind 2,000+ ingredients in these products and did their own hands-on testing. Ultimately, they compiled our findings into a comprehensive guide to help people identify which cleanser is best suited for their specific skin type.
How to Find the Best Facial Cleanser
Skip over any cleanser meant to treat specific skin conditions, like acne or excessively oily skin.
The ingredients that make a cleanser effective for specific skin conditions also make them tough on normal skin — like using a leaf blower to move a blade of grass.
Removed anything with harsh, oil-stripping ingredients.
It might sound counter-productive (or downright scary if you’re prone to breakouts), but your face needs oil. And everyone’s got some oil on their face — in fact, there’s a critical film on your skin called the acid mantle that helps produce oil. That oil is your all-over bodyguard: It works as a natural antibacterial and keeps your skin’s pH in check.
Nix any contenders with controversial ingredients.
“Controversial” is a loaded word, fueled by a lot of consumer fear and a dearth of hard facts. Look for ingredients that can be skin irritating at best and cancer-causing at worst — plus avoided any whose side effects are still undetermined or misunderstood.
Did You Know?
Lots of ingredients have a bad rap — some might not deserve it.
Parabens. Parabens are preservatives meant to extend the shelf life of face washes and cosmetics by stopping the growth of microorganisms, keeping them out of your product and therefore off your face.
Sulfates. Sulfates are surfactants — what puts the clean in cleanser — and were developed to replace soaps made from fat and alkali.
Alcohols. The ones people mean when they say to avoid alcohol in your face wash are simple alcohols — ethyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, SD alcohol, alcohol denat.
Fragrance. The short answer: If you have sensitive skin, avoid face wash with fragrance listed in the ingredients.
Take Action
Identify your own key ingredients. Do you wear a lot of makeup or go to the gym every day? Look for a strong surfactant. Sensitive skin? A mild cleanser with plenty of humectants is a better bet.
Don’t change your entire routine at once. Flipping your skin care world upside-down can cause your skin to freak out — and make it impossible to determine which product is guilty. Introduce new products one at a time.
Remember to moisturize. Cleaning your face is just one step in a healthy skincare routine. Next? We’d suggest a good facial moisturizer.
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