Best Overall

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser

$26

$24 at Amazon$26 at Sephora$26 at Ulta

Key Ingredients: Squalane, apricot kernels, avocado oil︱Skin Type: All (including sensitive skin)︱Size: 5 oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

We love Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser because its gentle formula doesn’t strip skin of its natural oils, and its fresh scent is invigorating. When testing this one, we were thrilled to see it reduced redness, minimized pores, and left skin feeling moisturized and clean. It also efficiently removed makeup—no double cleanse required.

The face wash lathers nicely, is easy to spread onto the skin, and a little goes a long way. Plus, it’s lightweight—perfect for morning and evening cleansing. Overall, this face wash was a total hit, but the plastic cap is a little fragile, so we wish the packaging was a little higher quality.

Lisa, tester: “My face felt thoroughly cleansed after using this face wash, with no need to double cleanse. It did not over-strip my skin of natural oils or leave my face feeling tight. The face wash completely removed all of my makeup without any leftover residue.”

Best Budget

Good Molecules Cleansing Gel

$12 at AmazonView on Goodmolecules.com

Key Ingredients: Rosewater, pineapple extract | Skin Type: All︱Size: 6.7 oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Fresh, clean, moisturized skin doesn’t have to come at a huge cost, as evidenced by budget-friendly Good Molecules’ Hydrating Facial Cleansing Gel. At under $15, this cleanser impressed us with its gentle formula that left our dry skin feeling healthier and moisturized. Plus, since you only need to use a small amount of product each time you wash your face, the money you spend on it goes a long way.

We were happy to discover this face wash is fragrance-free (which was especially surprising given it’s made with pineapple extract), and we loved the radiant glow it leaves behind. It’s an effective cleanser, but as with many other products on this list, you’ll want to use a dedicated makeup remover for eyeliner and mascara.

Carrie, tester: “It did not leave my face feeling tight or dry, which I was really surprised by given the consistency, so it lives up to its name as hydrating.”

Best for Sensitive Skin

Avène Milk Cleanser

$22 at AmazonView on Aveneusa.comView on Myshopify.com

Key Ingredients: Avene thermal spring water, glycerin︱Skin Type: Dry, very dry, sensitive︱Size: 6.7 oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

The Avène Milk Cleanser is ideal for sensitive skin; it’s made with glycerin for hydration as well as the brand’s signature thermal spring water, which soothes and softens the skin. We loved how clean our skin felt each time we used this face wash, and the gentle formula.

There’s something unique about this cleanser, too: You can leave it on your face without rinsing it off (but you can rinse it off if you’d prefer). Its consistency is thick at first, but it thins down as it’s worked into the skin, so it doesn’t feel heavy (even when you leave it on). While it’s an effective cleanser, it takes a double cleanse to thoroughly remove makeup.

Lily, tester: “This is a pretty substantial cleanser that’s thick, yet thins down when applied. It’s definitely gentle enough for daily use—I’ve used it nightly for weeks without issue.”

Best Drugstore

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

$20

$19 at AmazonView on UltaView on CVS

Key Ingredients: Amino acids, ceramides, hyaluronic acid︱Skin Type: Normal, dry, sensitive︱Size: 12 oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

Drugstore favorite CeraVe created this amazing Hydrating Cream-to-Foam cleanser that checks off so many boxes. After using this one, our skin felt moisturized, and we saw a big reduction in dry spots and flakiness.

This face wash was developed by dermatologists and is formulated with amino acids and ceramides to help cleanse and hydrate skin. We were impressed with its overall performance, from how well it lathers to how soft skin feels after every use. It’s a great option for someone with dry skin, but our tester with acne-prone skin did notice a slight uptick in breakouts while using the face wash.

Rachel, tester: “The cleanser did a great job of making my skin feel hydrated without feeling stripped or oily—it felt clean and refreshed. I felt my skin was softer during the testing period.”

Best for Glow

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

$24 at AmazonView on Glossier

Key Ingredients: Rose water, allantoin︱Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily︱Size: 6 oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser offers several benefits, but we especially love how it makes the skin glow after each use. It’s formulated with rose water, which soothes and refreshes skin, and allantoin, a calming hydrator ideal for dry skin. It eliminated dry, flaky spots on the face and left behind radiant, smooth skin.

This cleanser performed well for us, and we really enjoyed the gentle, hydrating formula. It does have a thick consistency, though, which can be a little difficult to rub off and is not ideal for makeup removal.

Anna, tester: “This cleanser is super gentle and made my skin feel so hydrated after using it. I’ve never used such a calming and moisturizing cleanser, so it’s perfect for my dry, irritated winter skin.”

Best Splurge

Osea Ocean Cleansing Milk

$54 at Ulta$54 at NordstromView on Oseamalibu.com

Key Ingredients: Undaria seaweed, skin-identical moisturizing complex, witch hazel, safflower seed oil, glycerin︱Skin Type: Dry, sensitive, mature︱Size: 0.6, 5 oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you have dry skin and a little extra spending money, Osea’s Ocean Cleansing Milk is worth the splurge. The pH-balanced formula is made with high-quality ingredients like a super-hydrating skin-identical complex, soothing safflower seed oil, and glycerin. Our skin felt thoroughly clean but never stripped after using this wash.

Since this cleanser has a lightweight, lotion-like consistency, we appreciated the pump bottle because it made dispensing the product clean and easy. It also spreads well and is easy to rinse off when you’re done cleansing, but it’s worth noting that the formula doesn’t lather much. That wasn’t a dealbreaker for us, but if you like a foaming cleanser, we suggest checking out the foaming options on this list.

Riddley, tester: “I love the pump dispenser, the unscented formula, and how gentle the cleanser is. It really worked well for my skin.”

Most Moisturizing

Prequel Glycerin Cleanser

$36

$35 at AmazonView on Prequelskin.com

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, arginine, aloe vera︱Skin Type: All︱Size: 13.5 oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Made with 50% glycerin, Prequel Gleanser Non-Drying Glycerin Cleanser offers an amazing, moisturizing cleanse. The formula is dermatologist-developed and tested, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free. But most importantly, it’s effective. After testing this product, we were amazed by how well it moisturized—it always left our skin with a glowy, healthy appearance.

Even our tester with dry, acne-prone skin found the cleanser had enough moisturizing elements to offset the dryness that results from her topical acne treatments. After testing, she noticed her skin was free of dry, flaky patches. This product seriously delivers on its promise to clean and moisturize the skin; we only wish it weren’t packaged in a silver bottle so we could see how much product is left.

Libby, tester: “I loved how moisturizing the product was. My skin felt more hydrated than it was before I washed my face.”

Best for Every Day

Skinfix Barrier+ Foaming Oil Cleanser

$30 at Sephora$30 at Kohls.comView on Skinfix.com

Key Ingredients: Seaweed hyaluronate blend, aloe barbensis leaf juice︱Skin Type: All︱Size: 6 oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Skinfix’s Barrier+ Foaming Oil Hydrating Cleanser is a gentle formula that’s ideal for everyday use. Not only is it made with moisturizing ingredients such as a seaweed hyaluronate blend for a super hydrated feel, but it’s also one of the most effective face washes we’ve tried for removing makeup.

After using this product, our skin felt clean, hydrated, and fresh. A big bonus is that it also managed to reduce redness over the few weeks one tester used it—so it’s a great pick for sensitive skin types as well.

Cara, tester: “This is going to become one of my go-to face washes. I like that it helps hydrate my skin a bit without feeling super creamy or greasy.”

Best Scent

Stripes Cleanser with Squalane + Ceramides

$38

$35 at AmazonView on Stripesbeauty.com

Key Ingredients: Emeblia extract, ceramides, ecotine and squalane︱Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination︱Size: 3.7 oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

While a scented face wash isn’t for everyone, if you’re someone who loves a good fragrance, then you should check out this one from Stripes. We were pleasantly surprised by the spa-like herbal scent when we cleansed—it made our night routine that much more relaxing. It’s not overpowering and doesn’t linger (though we wouldn’t mind if it did!), but it’s a delightful extra to an already great cleanser.

The face wash has a super-hydrating formula with embelia extract, ceramides, ecotine, and squalane. Even though it doesn’t lather much, we love how lightweight it is and how clean and moisturized our skin feels after using it.

Joanann, tester: “The scent was delightful! It was my favorite part of using this face wash.”