Dermatologist-Tested Facial Cleansers
The best facial cleansers will help remove makeup, dirt and oil without leaving your skin feeling tight and dry. These dermatologist-tested picks are gentle enough for daily use and won’t irritate sensitive skin.
This creamy pick with a frosting-like texture is made to boost hydration while fading discoloration and smoothing bumpy skin. The formula has a mix of chemical exfoliants and moisture-boosting ingredients, including marine peptides and chamomile extract.
1. Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
Using a mild cleanser that does not dry your skin is important because it helps prevent irritation and keeps the complexion balanced. Using harsh cleansers can pull the natural moisture and oils out of your skin which will cause your skin to become dehydrated. This can lead to a dull looking complexion that is often itchy and flaky. Use a gentle cleanser like Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser that removes makeup and daily dirt without drying your face. This facial cleanser is non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), pH balanced, and free of common chemical irritants such as dyes, masking fragrance, lanolin and parabens. It is also dermatologist tested and has been awarded the National Eczema Association Seal of Acceptance.
Vanicream also offers a pyrithione zinc cleansing bar for the body called Vanicream Z-Bar Medicated Cleansing Bar that contains 2% pyrithione zinc to help soothe red, irritated, cracking or itchy skin caused by seborrheic dermatitis and dandruff. This is also a non-comedogenic bar and free of dyes, fragrance, lanolin, parabens and formaldehyde releasers.
2. Good Molecules Clarify & Cleanse Bar
Get comfortably clean without stripping your skin with this ultra-gentle soap-free cleansing bar. Clarifying and detoxifying for a healthy complexion, this gentle cleansing bar is formulated with Salicylic Acid, Kaolin Clay, and Cocoa Powder to fight breakouts and prevent clogged pores and irritated skin. It also contains nourishing oils like Rosehip and Grapeseed to help maintain a balance of moisture and promote elasticity. Use on the face and body to promote hydrated, clear, even skin from head to toe!
INGREDIENTS: Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Water, Glycerin, Kaolin Clay, Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Powder, Tea Tree Oil, Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate.
Wet the bar and work up a rich lather, then massage it over your face and body, avoiding contact with eyes. Rinse well. For best results, use daily to support a clear complexion and even tone. This non-drying bar is suitable for all skin types, even dry and sensitive skin. This is a cruelty-free, paraben free, and sulfate free cleanser. Made with love in the USA! This sample was provided by Good Molecules.
3. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
This product is one of the best facial cleansers for dry skin because it gently but powerfully dissolves makeup, dirt and other impurities without stripping your skin of its natural moisture. It’s formulated with moisturizing ingredients, including cucumber extract, rosewater and borage seed oil. It also contains the anti-inflammatory ingredient mallow flower extract. These ingredients help soften, tone and soothe the skin and reduce redness.
This cleanser has a cult-following among dry skin types because it’s gentle yet deeply effective. It even removes waterproof mascara and eyeliner. It can be used twice daily and leaves the skin feeling nourished, refreshed and smooth. It has a light, fresh scent and is free of parabens, alcohol, formaldehyde, silicone and phthalates.
The Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is suitable for all skin types, but it’s especially helpful for those with dry and sensitive complexions. It’s dermatologist tested, and it was proven effective on nearly 200 adults of all ages, genders, skin tones, and types. It’s also fragrance-free and non-stripping. This product also features the antioxidant-rich, amino acid-rich soy protein (which is upcycled from food industry byproducts). Another option for dry and sensitive skin is the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser ($16), which uses nourishing ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid to boost moisture retention.
Many of the ingredients in this cleanser are known to be beneficial for sensitive skin, including aloe vera and shea butter. Aloe vera helps soothe and calm the skin, while shea butter softens it. Cucumber extract is soothing and anti-inflammatory, while chamomile and rosemary leaf extracts are both known to have calming properties. The Soy Face Cleanser is pH balanced for the skin and gentle enough for everyday use, but it’s not a good choice for acne-prone skin because it can exfoliate too aggressively.
You can find this cleanser in several sizes, but it’s typically sold in a 250ml tube for $50. It is available from Fresh’s website and at most major beauty retailers. The brand also offers a generous return and exchange policy that honors full refunds for any unsatisfactory product or allergy.
4. Bioderma Hydrabio Cleansing Gel
Bioderma is probably best known for their Sensibio micellar water, a super gentle makeup remover/cleanser that was the first of its kind to really work without stripping or irritating skin. But they also have other related products, including Sebium for oily skin, Hydrabio for dry skin, and ABCDerm for babies. This is a gel-cream version, and it’s designed to help balance the skin and improve its natural hydration and visible radiance.
The ingredients are fairly similar to the Sensibio H2O, with a few tweaks. The main difference is that this contains the patented complex Aquagenium (also in the full Hydrabio line of products), which creates additional surface area for the skin cells to help with hydration. It’s the second ingredient after water here, and it’s joined by glycerin, which is always good for the skin.
There are a bunch of plant-based sugars and extracts here too, which are emollients and add some softening to the formula. Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract is one of them, along with Xylitol, Mannitol, Rhamnose, and Fructooligosaccharides. And then there are some functional ingredients like Disodium EDTA and Cetrimonium Bromide, which are chelating agents that can help pull out some of the impurities in hard water.
There’s also a bit of Zinc Gluconate, which can have anti-inflammatory and possibly anti-bacterial properties, as well as Copper Sulfate, which could help in wound healing. And there’s some Fragrance (Parfum) as well. It’s a very mild, simple product that’s definitely worth trying if you have the skin type it’s intended for!
