The ideal facial cleanser formula depends on your skin type, which can change from season to season and even fluctuate based on hormonal or environmental factors (such as traveling to a climate your skin is unaccustomed to). The five main skin types are normal, dry, oily, combination and sensitive.
Look for a cleanser that is hypoallergenic, free of fragrance, chemicals, or alcohol and has a non-foaming formula. It's also important to avoid antibacterial soaps and cleansers with exfoliators such as salicylic or glycolic acid, which can all dry out your skin.
Final Verdict. Sliding into first place, the best face wash overall is La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser. The dermatologist-approved formula is extra-gentle and super-hydrating, effortlessly dissolving sebum and makeup while reinforcing the skin barrier.
“A toner or toning lotion can be even better than washing in the morning,” says Carlen. “This is because your day cream penetrates better when your skin is damp but you don't want to strip your skin just to put nutrients back in.”
In an ideal world, you should wash your face twice a day.
Mona Gohara, MD, an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale School of Medicine, agrees that the morning wash is important, not only to give you a bracing wake-up, but to prime your face for your morning skin-care routine.
Gently pat a blotting paper on the different areas of your face. Hold the sheet up to the light to determine how much oil is visible. If the sheet picked up little to no oil, you most likely have dry skin. If the blotting sheet reveals oil from the forehead and nose areas, your skin is combination.
A face cleanser is made to purify, hydrate, and soothe your skin. The texture will be creamy, milky, gel-like, or even watery. Conversely, a face wash is made to clean your pores more deeply. The texture is often foamy or will lather into a foam when applied to your damp skin.
Daily: Cleanser – No matter how much you skimp on your skin care routine, you should always wash your face at least once a day. Those with oily or combination skin may benefit from twice daily washes (morning and night) while drier skin may be fine with just a nightly wash.
Have no fear – we've done our share of research, and the answer is clear: post-shower is definitely the way to go. Sure, washing your face in the shower saves time but it can also do more harm than good – like, clogging pores with other products (gross) or drying out skin with hot water (ouch).
Face washes work better than soap because they tend to be less heavy-handed, contain additional medicines that soap does not, and they will not dry out your skin. Foaming face washes help clear clogged dirt and oil from your face, preventing breakouts.
Oil provides moisture and a plump look to the skin. With dry skin, you may appear to have more wrinkles. Normal and combination skin types fall somewhere between the two. Genetically, dry skin tends to be thinner, pores are smaller, and skin appears to be smoother.
If after 30 minutes your skin appears shiny throughout, you likely have oily skin; if it feels tight and is flaky or scaly, you likely have dry skin; if the shine is only in your T-Zone, you probably have combination skin; and if your skin feels hydrated and comfortable, but not oily, you likely have normal skin.
Gentle cleansers are a mild and effective choice for those with dry and sensitive skin types. Use them in the morning and night to hydrate your skin, and clear away impurities. Unlike face washes, they are non-foaming, more moisturizing, and contain fewer harsh ingredients.
Gohara recommends Dove's Beauty Bar because it "won't strip away skin's moisture like soap can." Although it looks like a bar of soap, it's good for your face. It's considered a non-soap cleanser made with moisturizing cream to keep your skin soft, but clean.
Conclusion. Simple Refreshing Face Wash Gel is an extremely mild and gentle everyday cleanser with a runny gel-like consistency. It does cleanse well leaving the skin fresh and clean but it does give a jelly-like feeling while lathering and washing off.
Overall, there is no clear winner. It just depends on the needs of your own skin. If you experience dry skin, oily skin, acne-prone skin then CeraVe might be the clear choice. However, if you experience sensitive skin the Cetaphil is the better option.
Normal skin
The scientific term for well-balanced skin is eudermic. The T-zone (forehead, chin and nose) may be a bit oily, but overall sebum and moisture is balanced and the skin is neither too oily nor too dry. A velvety, soft and smooth texture is a sign for a healthy and radiant skin.
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.
Ultraviolet radiation, which speeds the natural aging process, is the primary cause of early wrinkling. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin's connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers, which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis).
Combination skin is the most common skin type, says Hale. And it looks different from person to person: you might have an oily T-zone (nose, forehead, and/or chin) but dry skin everywhere else, or you might be dry and sensitive only in certain concentrated spots—say, around the eyes or mouth.
By cleansing with water only, you're less likely to over-strip the skin's natural oil and therefore reduce the risk of damaging your skin barrier. Cleansing your face with water only not only reduces the oil-stripping action but also the physical rubbing action, which would reduce irritation to the skin.
When it comes to washing your face, generally you have two options – a soap or a face wash. Both will clean your face but there are differences in the way they do it. Soap is harsher whereas a face wash is gentler on your skin. Experts, therefore, suggest using a good face wash for your face.
The Takeaway. Vitamin C facial cleanser can help your skin look healthier and can prevent the visible effects of aging by inducing collagen synthesis and protecting skin from UV damage. When combined with other ingredients such as vitamin E and ferulic acid, vitamin C is far more potent as an antioxidant.