Derm-Favorite Face Washes for Every Type of Skin
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As a beauty editor covering skincare since 2016, I can confidently say there's no genuinely good excuse to skip cleansing with a face wash in the morning and at night. Soap and water will eventually strip your skin's natural oils, and makeup remover can still leave behind pore-clogging residue. Yikes! On the other hand, double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brendan Camp, M.D., tells me that a great face wash will remove excess oil and residue from the skin's surface, and some will even address specific concerns, such as acne, sensitive skin, or dryness.
Since shopping for the right skincare products can be a trial-and-error process, I wanted to help streamline the process and asked Camp to share his top picks for specific skin types. Before diving into his dermatologist-approved face wash picks, here's a quick guide to how our skin type impacts shopping for our ideal face wash and the best ingredients for our skincare concerns.
Best Face Wash
- Best Overall: Kiehl's Since 1851 Ultra Facial Cleanser
- For a Non-Irritating Face Wash: SEEN Face Wash
- Best for Sensitive Skin: Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
- Best for Dry Skin: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
- Best for Normal Skin: Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
What to Consider
How to ID Your Skin Type
According to Camp, identifying if you have oily, dry, combination, normal, acne-prone, or sensitive skin will help you find the best cleanser for your skin type.
- Oily skin deals with excess oil production, so your skin typically gets shiny an hour after cleansing. If you don't care for oily skin, then your face will not only look greasy, but you'll experience large, clogged pores and potential breakouts.
- Dry skin can be caused by winter weather and harsh winds, but seasonality aside, it means your skin loses water quickly.
- Combination skin is the middle ground between oily and dry skin. Typically, your cheeks are dry spots while your T-Zone, or the forehead, nose, and chin, are oily. While it can be frustrating, a derm-approved face wash is out there for combination skin.
- Lucky you, normal skin is neither overly oily or dry, but the happy medium we strive to achieve. Those with normal skin also tend to have small pores and it doesn't break out often.
- Speaking of zits, acne-prone skin means pimples pop up more often for you.
- Lastly, sensitive skin is when your skin is more prone to irritations, such as redness, itching, and evening stinging.
Face Wash Formulation
Camp, who practices at MDCS in NYC, says there are three types of face wash formulations, and each one is designed for certain skin types:
- Cream-based cleanses are good options for dry skin because they often include ingredients that help maintain moisture, such as glycerin or hyaluronic acid, and they do not remove too much oil. Hydrating cleansers sometimes have a creamy or balm-like consistency and remove debris and dead skin cells without stripping the skin of too much oil, thereby keeping skin moisturized.
- Gel cleansers are ideal for oily skin because they tend to remove oils and clear out pores.
- Foam cleansers are helpful when addressing oily skin and when removing product residue, such as makeup and sunscreen.
Best Face Wash Ingredients
- Oily skin will appreciate salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy-acid that penetrates deep into pores to flush them of excess oil and prevent acne formation.
- Dry skin vibes with ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which help maintain the skin's water balance. "Hydrating cleansers sometimes have a creamy or balm-like consistency and remove debris and dead skin cells without stripping the skin of too much oil, thereby keeping skin moisturized," explains Camp.
- Acne-prone skin will love face washes made with salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide, and glycolic acid. Camp describes them as ingredients often included in acne face washes because of their ability to treat and prevent blemishes.
- Sensitive skin can benefit from cleansers that are free of dyes, fragrances, and some preservatives that can potentially irritate skin.
- Normal skin can use pretty much whatever ingredient they want but should consider their specific skincare goals. For example, if they're focused on hydrating the skin, use face washes infused with ingredients suitable for dry skin.
How We Chose
Camp is one of my most-trusted experts, and before joining the MDCS practice in NYC, he was previously an assistant professor of dermatology at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences and practiced in the DMV, so you know his guidance is legit.
Given his impressive expertise, I asked Camp to break down the best face moisturizers for every single skin type. The best part is the majority of his suggestions are incredibly affordable — I'm talking $25 or less.
I also included the face wash in my medicine cabinet, which was created by a doctor and earned a seal of approval from the National Eczema Association for being extremely gentle on all skin types, including sensitive ones.
Nicole Saunders is the beauty editor at Best Products with over seven years of experience researching, writing, and editing lifestyle content. She specializes in breaking down complicated topics, like high-frequency wands and microcurrent devices, into easy-to-understand guides. She takes great pride in heavily researching and testing featured beauty products, — such as hairdryers and foundations — on our site, and spotlights her all-time seasonal favorites in her quarterly column Best New Beauty. And she tests quite literally thousands of launches for our Beauty Awards package.
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