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Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need. face wash for oily skin and pimples
This formula cleans very well and even removes light makeup while also being gentle on the skin and moisturizing it for a soft, clean feel. Read More
If scent is important to you, you’ll love that this is a highly effective cleanser with a very pleasing and invigorating cucumber and mint fragrance. Read More
If you have very sensitive skin and aren’t particular about fragrance (or lack thereof), this gentle formula is a stellar all-around cleanser. Read More
This budget-friendly pick has a milky texture that spreads easily to give every inch of your face a nice, deep clean. Read More
Though pricier than most other products we tested, Clinique is popular for a reason—its silky formula is easy to spread and leaves skin feeling soft. Read More
When it comes to creating a perfect beauty routine for your skin, finding the best face wash is the first, and arguably, the most important step. Washing your face can seem like a pretty simple step in one’s skincare regimen, but finding a really great face wash isn’t as straightforward for most people.
For such a seemingly humble skincare essential, there are hundreds of options, if not thousands, out there—all of which seem to target a different skin type or concern. If finding the best face wash formula for you is proving to be more difficult than you’d like, we’re here to help. We did all the hard work for you by testing a dozen of the most popular face washes on the market to see which ones are actually worth your money.
When looking for a face wash, there are a few things to keep in mind. For starters, the best face wash rids your skin of any dirt and excess oil, leaving your face looking and feeling fresh. A quality face wash should also be gentle enough to avoid causing irritation and it shouldn’t dry your skin out.
After testing top-rated face washes across a range of price points and from different brands and retailers, there was a clear winner: the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser. This non-foaming face wash is infused with hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin to be ultra-hydrating and gentle enough for sensitive skin. Beyond its fantastic cleansing abilities, it comes at a great value of $15, making it an easy pick for the best face wash we tested.
The Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser leaves the skin feeling clean and soft.
The CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is one of the most budget-friendly face washes on our list when cost-per-ounce was taken into consideration. It proved to warrant more than a value pick ranking, however, earning a perfect score all around in our testing.
Everything about my experience with this CeraVe face wash was overwhelmingly positive. Designed for normal to dry skin, the product is easy to get out of the pump bottle, and because it’s so easy to spread, a pump or two goes a very long way, which undoubtedly stretches your dollar even further.
If I had any complaint about this face cleanser, it’s that it didn’t lather as much as I personally prefer, but that’s to be expected, considering it’s described as a non-foaming face wash. More important than the lack of a sudsy lather, my face felt incredibly soft and clean after rinsing the formula away. In fact, it washed away every drop of my signature makeup look—a Dermablend CC cream and Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions—and I didn’t even use a makeup remover before cleansing.
While I tested CeraVe for normal to dry skin, the brand also has several other options available, including formulas for oily skin and for people who have acne-prone skin. Considering how much I loved the CeraVe face wash I tested, it wouldn’t be a surprise that these other formulas are just as impressive.
A little formula goes a long way
The Burt's Bees Refreshing Foaming Cleanser took our best foaming cleanser spot amongst face washes for leaving skin squeaky clean post-cleanse while tending to our tester's sense of smell with its invigorating, earthy scent.
The first thing I noticed about the Burt's Bees Refreshing Foaming Cleanser was its cucumber and mint scent, which is delicious, invigorating, and not at all overpowering. It felt like a treat to wake up to this pleasant aroma for my morning face cleanse, and I didn’t find it too bold to use before bed as part of my nighttime routine.
The face cleanser continued to impress me in other key areas, too. It’s easy to get out of the pumpable container and spreads well on the skin, so you don’t have to use much product for each wash. It also lathers well, which made me feel like my skin was getting plenty clean.
Even more importantly, upon rinsing, my skin looked just as clean as it felt—there was little-to-no makeup left. My only small complaint is that my skin felt tighter after cleansing with this foaming cleanser than it did after using our best face wash pick, but it wasn’t anything a good face moisturizer couldn’t fix.
Burt’s Bees also has cleansers formulated for sensitive skin, sulfate-free options, and an anti-aging refining facial wash, among other options.
A little formula goes a long way
Stick with the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser if your skin is ultra-sensitive.
If you’ve had no luck finding a non-irritating face wash for sensitive skin, you should consider the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser. It has a non-comedogenic, oil-free, and soap-free formula that is also free of dyes, fragrance, lanolin, parabens, and formaldehyde.
It has even been named as sensitive skin-approved by the National Eczema Association when the organization awarded this face wash with a Seal of Acceptance, a distinction given to skincare products that have been proven to be safe for those who have eczema.
Like other great face washes I tested, the Vanicream cleanser was similarly easy to get out of the pump bottle, spread well, and lathered nicely. The face wash earned perfect scores in all questions related to cleansing power, too. After using the cleanser, my skin felt nice and clean, and was totally makeup-free. I also didn’t experience any drying or tightening sensation; instead, my skin felt supple and soft.
There’s no denying that Vanicream does a good job all-around at cleansing the skin, but there’s one drawback. The product has an obvious medicinal scent that actually is the natural scent of the product because it doesn't contain any masking fragrances. While the smell was a no-go for me, it’s worth noting that this completely fragrance-free formula could very well end up being the best face wash for you.
Has a strong medicinal smell that can be off-putting
Keep your normal to combination skin clean with the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser.
Even more affordable than our pick for the overall best face wash we tried, the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is a solid budget-friendly option.
The formula I tested is designed for dry, sensitive skin and aims to quench your skin’s thirst, thanks to ingredients like hydrating glycerin and Vitamins B5 and B3. The texture feels milky and silky on your fingertips and it spreads very easily. And although the face wash doesn’t technically lather, it’s easy to massage into the skin and provides a thorough cleanse. It’s also a cinch to wash off—something that can’t be said for all milky cleansers.
After washing my face, my skin looked clean—there was no trace of makeup left—and felt super soft and hydrated. Even after drying my skin, I didn’t experience any uncomfortable tightness.
Like others on our list, Cetaphil offers additional face washes formulated for different skin types, including combination to oily and continuously dry.
The Clinique All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap won our best for combination skin title among the face washes we tested for its unmatched ability to cleanse skin without drying it out in the process.
The Clinique All About Clean Liquid Soap face wash has been on my radar for years. In fact, I have a few friends who have been using this face wash religiously since high school (upwards of 15 years ago). After testing, I can now understand why they’re so loyal.
Clinique’s creamy formula dispenses easily out of the pump bottle. In order to get a thorough cleanse, I ended up needing more product than I initially expected (especially because it didn’t lather), but it spread with ease.
Once I rinsed the product away and towel-dried, my skin felt really clean—I didn’t see any signs of excess oil or makeup residue. Just as importantly, my skin felt comfortable with zero dryness, tightness, or film.
The mild Clinique face wash I tested was designed for dry and combination skin, but it also comes in an extra mild formula for very dry to dry skin and an oily formula for combination oily to oily skin.
Need more formula for a solid cleanse
This gel-based Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Cleansing Gel is also billed as a makeup remover, but it didn’t meet my expectations in either area. Though I didn’t see much makeup left behind, the slimy consistency of the product left a bit of a residue on my skin, which contributed to an overall feeling of wanting a deeper clean.
Need a lot of formula
The La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Facial Cleanser is very milky and soft, but I needed more product than I expected, because even though it spreads well, it doesn't lather. It rinsed off easily, and my face looked and felt clean, but not as soft as it did with others. I also experienced skin tightness for a minute or two after washing that only dissipated after I used moisturizer.
Need a lot of formula
This Clean & Clear Morning Burst Day & Night Cleanser 2-Pack deviates from others I tested because it’s a set of two different cleansers—one intended to be used as part of a morning skincare routine and the other for nighttime use.
Each of these face washes has a different scent and an altered ingredient list. The morning formula contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that’s designed to protect and heal the skin from damage caused by external aggressors like pollution, prevent dark spots (think acne scars), and supports the turnover of dead skin cells. The morning face wash also has a self-described "invigorating citrus fragrance" to help you feel a little more energized for the day ahead.
Meanwhile, the nighttime formula contains minerals and extracts like sea kelp that claim to purify the skin. It’s also infused with so-called "calming aromas" that aim to help you feel more relaxed and ready to wind down at the end of the day.
Overall, I didn’t notice that much of a difference between the two formulas—aside from the fragrances. After rinsing, my skin looked and felt clean, but I experienced some tightness, particularly after using the nighttime face wash. Having two separate cleansers seemed unnecessary to me and I'd trade both for a performance similar to the best face wash we tried.
Need a lot of formula
Once upon a time, I swore by the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. The Internet-famous beauty brand has captivated the hearts of beauty influencers and enthusiasts everywhere since 2014, and I was convinced it was the best face wash for me. It has a nice, smooth texture that glides onto the skin like butter.
But once I pitted the face cleanser against nearly a dozen others, I realized that while I like the face wash as a whole, I was probably overpaying, considering there are more affordable face cleansers I like just as much.
What’s more, the Glossier face wash didn’t seem to thoroughly cleanse, and it left my skin feeling more taut than most of the other cleansers tested.
Need a lot of formula
The Simple Water Water Boost Micellar Facial Gel Wash is almost too easy to get out of the squeeze tube, and the texture is goopy and feels extremely slimy once on the skin.To top it off, my skin didn’t feel or look all that clean after using this face wash, as it was hard to fully rinse that slimy residue off.
If you like a facial cleanser that plays to your sense of smell, the Philosophy Purity One-Step Facial Cleanser might be the winner for you. It has a very strong scent called meadowfoam that you can smell, taste, and feel. And, for me, this wasn’t a good thing.
The lemongrass-like essence was so overpowering that it almost tingled, plus it was so strong that it was hard to avoid tasting it as it ran down my face. If you’re not sensitive to fragrances, there’s a chance this face wash might not bother you, though.
Need a lot of formula
Though a somewhat decent cleanser, my experience with the Aveeno Ultra Calming Foaming Cleanser was fraught with hiccups right from the start. The pump is stubborn, which renders it difficult to get the cleanser into your hands—especially if your hands are already wet. And once dispensed, the foam is extremely light and doesn’t spread well.
With all that in mind, it’s unsurprising that the cleanser didn’t seem all that effective. After rinsing, my skin felt smooth, but it wasn’t a welcome tradeoff, considering I had much more mascara residue remaining than with other formulas.
Leaves skin feeling soft and hydrated
To find the best face wash, we used each one in the. morning and evening to cleanse the face.
I'm Brigitt Earley, a lifestyle writer and editor with nearly 15 years of experience testing all different types of beauty products. I don’t have any pressing skincare concerns, but if anything, my skin leans more dry than oily. When shopping for a face wash, I gravitate toward hydrating picks that are easy to find and relatively budget-friendly.
The testing process to find the best face wash was straightforward. After identifying identifying our list of top-rated face washes from retailers and other best-of lists, the list was narrowed down to gentle cleansers for skin that’s "normal"—neither dry nor oily.
During testing, I evaluated each face wash for bottle functionality, then lathered and rinsed. I assessed things like how the product suds up, how my skin felt, and how clean it looked after cleansing. When I finished testing all of the face washes, I teamed up with Reviewed’s in-house experts to score and weigh the results on a scientifically calibrated rubric.
A great face wash is gentle enough to work for multiple skin types.
There are different factors that can play a role in how often you need to wash face, such as how much makeup you wear and your nighttime skincare routine. For example, if you sleep in an overnight face mask, your skin might just need a rinse in the morning as opposed to a full cleanse.
As a general rule of thumb, regardless of skin type, Dr. Fran Cook-Bolden, a board-certified dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon based in New York City, recommends washing your face twice a day: in the morning and at night.
"I think it’s important to refresh the skin because water rehydrates the skin," Cook-Bolden told Reviewed. "Night and day is what I recommend. I think it’s a good habit."
Washing your face both in the morning and at night is recommended, but if you’re in a pinch to get out the door in the morning and opt for a quick rinse instead of the full cleanse, be sure to prioritize washing your face that night.
"If you’re going to skip washing your face, nighttime is not the time to do it," Dr. Dendy Engelman, a board-certified dermatologist at Shafer Clinic in New York City, previously told Reviewed. "Washing your face at night removes all of the oil, makeup, dirt, bacteria, grime, and pollution that we accumulated on our skin throughout the day."
Though Engelman emphasizes that a nighttime cleanse is more important than one in the AM, she notes that a morning skincare routine is still crucial to help keep your skin clean and healthy.
"The purpose of washing your face in the morning is to start your routine with a clean canvas and rinse away what you put on the night before, offering maximum absorption and effectiveness of your day products," she explains. "Clean skin will allow active ingredients in your skincare products to penetrate better and work more effectively."
While it’s understood that the type of face wash you use is important, the method of how you wash your face is also key to achieving the best results. Engelman says a thorough face wash should last about one minute—use a timer on your phone if you’re not keen on keeping track of time—and the cleanser should be worked into the skin with the pads of your fingers in gentle circular motions.
If you press too hard on the skin, you risk developing irritation in the forms of inflammation, redness, and dry patches.
After cleansing your face in the morning, you should at the very least apply a moisturizer to give your skin a boost of hydration. A quality moisturizer is essential to perfecting your skincare routine because it basically creates a barrier to protect your face from external pollutants and irritants that can cause damage and lead to micro-tears in the skin that are more susceptible to infection.
Finish your routine by applying a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher, per the American Academy of Dermatology Association, a national advocacy group that’s committed to upholding the highest standards and practices in the field of dermatology. The organization also recommends re-applying your sunscreen every two hours.
When it comes to face cleansers, choosing the best face wash for you will depend on your skin type and your skin concerns. From acne-prone skin to extra oily skin, each skin type can benefit from specific ingredients that address different concerns. Even if you just want a reliable face wash that focuses on removing excess oil, makeup, and impurities, start your search by knowing your skin type.
People with normal skin have the most flexibility with their skincare products, as they don’t have any issues with too much or too little oil production. If you have normal skin, you’ll want a gentle face wash that addresses any specific needs you have. We also suggest keeping seasonal and environmental factors in mind.
For instance, if you have a normal skin type but your complexion leans on the drier side during the winter months, use a face wash that contains plenty of hydrating and skin barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Similarly, if your skin skews more oily during the summer months, consider switching up your face wash to one that contains oil-busting ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
People who deal with excess oil should always prioritize cleansing their face twice a day. Face washes that either have a gel or foamy texture are the most ideal for oily skin.
But if using a face wash two times a day doesn’t cut it, consider adding a toner to your routine to curb the oil production. You can use the toner immediately after washing your face both in the morning and at night, but try looking for a formula that doesn’t contain alcohol as its base. For reference, a toner that contains witch hazel is considered safe for oily skin. We like the Dickinson's Enhanced Witch Hazel Hydrating Toner.
But your options don’t end there. The Kiehl’s Calendula Herbal Extract Alcohol-Free Toner and the Avène Thermale Gentle-Toning Lotion are also compatible with oily skin.
Once you’re done cleansing, make sure to replenish the skin’s barrier with a moisturizer. Your skin may overproduce oil to compensate for the lack of protection if you fail to use moisturizer.
Per Cook-Bolden, people who have dry skin should use a face wash that removes dirt, makeup, and grime without stripping it of essential natural oils. The goal is to clean your face but not leave it feeling tight. She says to focus on finding a cream cleanser and avoid gel or foam washes.
Ultimately, the texture of a face wash matters more for dry skin types than its ingredient list. Dry skin happens when there is "too little oil production, or when too much oil is removed from the skin," per Dr. Brendan Camp, a board-ceritifed dermatologist based in New York City, and you want to keep that in mind when choosing the right cleanser.
To compensate for the lack of oil in the skin, people with dry skin must use moisturizers, specifically cream-based options with oil-rich formulas, after their face wash.
As the goldilocks of all skin types, combination skin types may have more oily areas of the face such as the T-zone, and others that are dry, such as the cheeks. Folks with combination skin should look for a face wash that can effectively remove excess oil from problem areas while being gentle enough that it doesn’t create issues for drier patches of skin. It’s important to note that face washes aren’t necessarily meant to remove makeup.
Our testing showed many cleansers will take off some makeup, but you’ll likely need a separate makeup remover to ensure that all traces of makeup are gone. We like the Garnier Skin Active Micellar Cleansing Water, Simple Unscented Micellar Cleansing Water, and the Bioderma Sensibio H2O Cleansing Water to help clean up any remaining traces of makeup.
Makeup wipes can also effectively get rid of any stubborn bits of waterproof makeup. Look no further than the best-selling Neutrogena Makeup Remover Wipes and the Simple Kind to Skin Cleansing Facial Wipes for all your makeup-removing needs.
For some people, acne is a problem that rears its head throughout adolescence. But for many of us, having acne-prone skin is a lifelong issue. The cause of acne flare-ups that happen well beyond your teenage years can be attributed to many reasons, such as hormone fluctuation and diet.
If you struggle with getting rid of unwanted blemishes, there are face washes for acne that are specially formulated to help and include powerhouse ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide.
When it comes to clearing the skin of excess oil and dead skin cells, salicylic acid reigns supreme among acne-fighting ingredients found in over-the-counter skincare products.
"Oil is food for bacteria, so salicylic acid, by reducing some of the oil on the skin, also helps to prevent a breakout because less oil is less food for the bacteria," Dr. Suzanne Friedler, a board-certified dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology PC in New York City, previously told Reviewed.
Salicylic acid’s other responsibilities include brightening the skin and mitigating discoloration issues like hyperpigmentation and melasma.
If you’re pregnant, you will want to avoid using products containing salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. Though pretty much every skin type can use a salicylic acid-based face wash, those who would benefit the most from face washes with this ingredient are those with oily skin, acne-prone skin, and normal skin types that occasionally get pimples.
On the other hand, benzoyl peroxide aims to eliminate the onset of comedones, a formal term used to refer to clogged pores like whiteheads and blackheads. It’s characterized as an antimicrobial ingredient, meaning that it eliminates bacteria and fungi on the skin that may cause acne.
Benzoyl peroxide also has the added benefit of curbing oil production and the growth of swollen hair follicles. And the best part about using benzoyl peroxide "is that you can use it forever and ever and you’ll never really develop a resistance to it," Friedler previously told Reviewed.
Like most things, there are some concerns that have been raised about using benzoyl peroxide. If your skin is vulnerable to sensitivity, benzoyl peroxide can be irritating and cause the skin to dry. "The higher the percentage of benzoyl peroxide you use, the more drying it is," Friedler explained.
Basically, if you have sensitive skin and are looking to give benzoyl peroxide a try, experiment with a benzoyl peroxide-based cleanser during the warmer months of spring and summer when your skin is less likely to become irritated due to outdoor elements. Otherwise, opt for a salicylic acid-based cleanser, given that it’s not as strong as benzoyl peroxide.
The other downside is that benzoyl peroxide will bleach whatever it meets in its tracks (read: fabric). There are ways around this, though. You may not want to wear your favorite shirt while washing your face with a benzoyl peroxide-based cleanser, you’ll want to use a white towel to dry your face, and you’ll be safer sleeping on a white pillowcase as an extra precaution.
Oh, and your skin and hair are also fair game for experiencing some irritation if they come into contact with benzoyl peroxide. There has been an instance in which a teenage girl’s eyebrow hairs and the hairs on her head were reportedly lightened after coming into contact with benzoyl peroxide. To be safe, be sure to put your hair back in a bun, ponytail, or headband before using skincare products with benzoyl peroxide.
Like most skincare products, the cost of face washes varies tremendously, but after our extensive testing, we’re confident that you don’t need to splurge on a high-end face wash to get the job done. Our choice for the overall best face wash, the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser (available at Amazon), rings in at just $15.
We’d be remiss not to mention that our four other favorite face washes—the Burt’s Bees Refreshing Foaming Cleanser, the Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser, the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, and the Clinique All About Clean Liquid Facial Soap, respectively—all come in at under $30.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time. The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
The product experts at Reviewed have all your shopping needs covered. Follow Reviewed on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Flipboard for the latest deals, product reviews, and more.
Brigitt Earley is a freelance writer and editor based in NJ. Her work has appeared in a number of lifestyle publications, including Real Simple and Apartment Therapy. She’s a new mom, runs an Instagram account full of the most delicious food she can find, and loves to hate a good barre class.
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