How To Choose The Best Cleanser For Your Skin

One of the least glamorous parts of our skincare ritual, but actually the most important, did you know that choosing the best cleanser for your skin can really make or break the rest of your skincare system. Good, effective cleansing removes makeup, dirt, pollution, and other unmentionables from skin's surface. If you’ve picked up any free radicals from the environmental, which can be super damaging and aging for your skin, a thorough cleanse at the end of the day is essential in prepping skin for healthy overnight regeneration. Your morning cleanse is vital to remove your night products and any debris that’s built up overnight, getting skin in gear for your more active products like face serums, and allowing them to penetrate skin's surface so they can produce results.

Gone are the days of using generic, one-size-fits-all cleansers, and time to target your specific skin goals and upgrade your facial cleanser accordingly.

Choosing which cleanser is best for your skin doesn’t need to be difficult. Take a look at our easy to follow guide and let's get cleansing.

How To Choose a Cleanser By Skin Type

Choosing your cleanser just by going on your skin type is one way to do it. These cleansers are great if you’re new to skincare, have a smaller budget, or don’t have any major skin concerns that you’re wanting to tackle—aka, you’re pretty happy with your skin. Simply identify your skin type and select a cleanser with a formulation and ingredients that suit. Here are three favorites.

The Best Cleanser for Oily Skin

A best-seller in our Oily Skin Regimen, this Purifying Gel Cleanser helps cleanse pores and purify the skin. Despite the purifying formula, it won’t strip your moisture barrier or dry you out. It features salicylic acid to exfoliate and clarify, plus niacinamide to clean out your pores. 

The Best Cleanser for Combination Skin

The perfect balance between cleansing and hydrating. As part of our Combination Skin Regimen, the Hydra-Bright AHA Cleanser is a great option if you’re unsure of your skin type or just want a good all-round effective cleanser. You'll know right away if this formula is too hydrating—as in it makes your skin more oily, or too purifying—as in it makes your skin tight and dry. If it does either, try switching to one of the other two options.

The Best Cleanser for Dry Skin

With dry skin there can be a tendency towards sensitivities and redness with very active ingredients. Look to an oil-based formulation like this Essential Cleansing Oil. Loaded with nourishing oils to help dissolve impurities and debris, it rinses away effortlessly, leaving skin feeling fresh, conditioned, and comfortable—never overly oily or tight and dry. 

How To Choose a Cleanser By Skin Solution

Next up are some more targeted cleansers. That’s not to say that the three above aren’t targeted, far from it. In fact, if you experience acne or breakout-prone skin then Purifying Gel Cleanser will be a game changer. If you’re looking to brighten and boost skin’s overall radiance then the Hydra-Bright AHA Cleanser is a must. 

Many of our cleansers will benefit several skin concerns, it’s all about finding a formulation and ingredients that best complement your complexion and your goals.

Daily Polishing Cleanser: One of our all-time favorites and a best-seller, this cleanser works for most skin types/concerns. It’s a powder formula, meaning you can travel with it easily and it combines chemical exfoliants and environmentally-friendly scrubbing particles. This unique formula leaves your skin incredibly soft, smooth and brighter than when you started. And, you can combine the powder with your favorite liquid formula for a double cleanse experience.

Phyto-Active Enzyme Cream Cleanser: Another formula that’s great for multiple skin concerns, this popular cream cleanser targets fine lines and dryness. Featuring anti-aging plant stem cells to firm and strengthen skin, plus papaya enzymes to smooth imperfections and a tripeptide for added hydration, what’s not to love?

Gentle Cream Cleanser: If sensitivity is your biggest concern, we hear you. Many times, the fragrances and added ingredients found in other formulas can irritate or exacerbate skin conditions. Our Calm Skin Solution ditches added fragrance and dyes to ensure your skin is calmed and nourished.

Clear Skin Cleanser: By combining physical and chemical exfoliation in the form of environmentally-friendly scrubbing beads and 2% salicylic acid, you can treat and prevent acne at every stage of your routine. This formula dissolves excess oil and clear pores for a refined complexion, without drying you out.

GlyPro AHA Resurfacing Cleanser: Part of our Glycolic Acid Trio and Smooth Skin Solution, this cleanser does work on retexturizing your complexion. With 10% glycolic acid, skin will become noticeably smoother and softer with continued use. Because of its active formula, we recommend limiting use to 3-5 nights per week. Use it on its own to boost your routine or with the other Glycolic Acid Trio products for best results.

Want more? For a deeper clean, try double cleansing with one of our Pre Cleanse options.