Thursday, November 7, 2024

17 Best Face Washes 2023, Tested & Reviewed

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Cleansing is hardly the most glamorous step in a skin-care lineup, but in many ways, it’s the most important — so we believe in using only the best face wash around. Whether your skin-care routine consists of a basic wash-and-moisture duo or you indulge in a 10-step ritual that your younger self would probably find very impressive, starting with a fresh canvas is vital. Only after you sweep away all of the breakout-causing dirt, makeup, and excess oil residing on your face, can your skin properly absorb and reap the benefits of all that skin-loving goodness — including, but not limited to, toners, essences, serums, and moisturizers — you layer on afterward.

To make this daily task a little bit more enjoyable, here are 17 refreshingly pampering options at a variety of price points that do the job seamlessly and wash away without a trace. This elite breed of all-star face cleansers includes Best of Beauty-winning classics and Readers’ Choice gems that are gentle as can be, board-certified dermatologist favorites that pack numerous benefits, and some fancy finds for those who want to give your skin a spa-like treatment. (P.S. If you’re looking for cleansing balms or cleansing oils, we have separate roundups for those.)

So, what sets this lineup apart from all other cleansers and puts them in a league of their own? The answer lies in the meticulous formulations that combine dirt-eliminating, makeup-melting cleansers with impressively softening hydration that’ll leave your face feeling refreshingly clean without ever over-drying your skin. The result is a fresh, supple, and glowy complexion that turns an everyday chore into a twice-daily treat.

Ready to feel more confident when reading your beauty products’ ingredient labels? Enter, the Allure Ingredient Index. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about the most in-demand (and under-the-radar) ingredients in your favorite skin-care products.

Our Top Picks:

  1. Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser, $17
  2. Best for Oily Skin: SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanser, $39
  3. Multitasking Formula: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, $39
  4. Best for Dry Skin Types: Glow Recipe Avocado Ceramide Moisture Barrier Cleanser, $28
  5. Antioxidant-Fueled Formula: Youth to the People Kale + Green Tea Spinach Vitamins Superfood Cleanser, $39
  6. Skin-Soothing Formula: Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Foaming Cleanser, $28
  7. Best Gel Cleanser: Rose Ingleton MD SuperFruit Brightening Cleanser, $38

All products featured on Allure are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

  • Best Overall: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser

    Looking for a no-frills cleanser that gets the job done without rubbing your skin the wrong way — literally? La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser’s creamy, soap-free formula gently whisks away makeup and impurities without stripping your skin. It’s void of common causes of irritation, like fragrance, dyes, and sulfates, but rather includes soothing ceramides, niacinamide, glycerin, and prebiotic thermal water to amp up hydration levels and restore your barrier. Do yourself a favor and shell out the (reasonable) $16 to buy this 2021 Best of Beauty Award winner — and thank us later.

    Our dermatologist friends also name this bottle as one of the best face washes on the market. Elyse Love, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New York City, says it’s “a great go-to cleanser for colder months that cleanses skin without stripping the skin.” Mamina Turegano, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in New Orleans, Louisiana, is a fan of this particular formula for dry skin.

  • Best for Oily Skin: SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanser

    Brendan Camp, MD, a New York City-based board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology, says the SkinCeuticals Purifying Cleanser is a nourishing face wash that contains glycolic acid, one of the best exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids that’ll target clogged pores, dullness, and uneven skin tone all at once. This gel cleanser also contains glycerin, a highly hydrating humectant that leaves skin feeling soft to the touch.

  • Multitasking Formula: Fresh Soy Face Cleanser

    Dr. Camp is also a major fan of the ever-popular Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, a foaming face wash that washes away blackhead-inducing bacteria and excess sebum while skin-soothing ingredients like cucumber extract, soy-derived proteins, and aloe vera target redness and irritation. “This soy-based wash smooths dry lines and soothes visible redness with its soothing, calming formula,” he says.

    The mini, 1.6-ounce tube is a fabulous option for your travels, especially after your skin is put through the wringer — notably, moisture-sucking airplane air.

  • Allure Readers’ Favorite: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser

    CeraVe has proven itself many times over to be a crowd favorite, whether it’s coming from a dermatologist or skinfluencer. The Hydrating Facial Cleanser, which picked up a 2023 Allure Readers’ Choice Award, wraps skin in a blanket of long-lasting moisture. Helmed by ever-reliable ingredients such as glycerin, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid, our tester says that this gentle formula “gets the job done and doesn’t make skin feel stripped or greasy.”

    While it’s a great, no-fuss cleanser with an affordable price tag, it might not be the best-equipped in terms of removing heavy-duty, waterproof makeup. For that, we recommend kicking off your cleansing routine with a cleansing oil or balm.

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