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33 Of The Best Face Washes To Supercharge Your Skincare Routine
Few of us dwell for long on the unsung hero of our beauty regime, but when you find the best face wash for your skin and its specific needs, you quickly realise the powerful role it plays in every step of your skincare routine.
“Get cleansing wrong and it’s very hard to get skincare right,” says skincare expert Dr Sam Bunting. “And you can tell you’ve got it wrong by looking for one – or all – of three warning signs that will indicate your cleansing routine isn’t ideal.” If your skin is dehydrated (think, dry, tight and that tell-tale “squeaky clean” feeling), irritated (bumpy, sore and stingy), or you’re suffering from breakouts, then you might be using the wrong cleanser.
Read more: 11 Best Sheet Masks To Get Glowing Skin, Fast
What's the difference between a face wash and a cleanser?
“Yes, there’s a tremendous degree of variability between different cleansers,” says Dr Bunting. “A face wash is a type of cleanser that is removed with water, rather than something that is wiped off. This is my preferred form of cleanser for all skin-types. I formulated Flawless Cleanser to be my ideal cleanser, it’s non-foaming, non-fragranced, won’t clog pores or disturb the skin’s pH. It effectively removes make-up, sunscreen and oil/grime in one go - the perfect single cleanse.”
Is it necessary to double cleanse?
“Double cleansing, use of cleansing devices and the inclusion of active ingredients in cleansers are all embellishments on cleansing that I actively recommend avoiding as they are either inefficient or leave skin depleted and less tolerant of ingredients like retinoids,” says Dr Bunting. “Unless skin is exceptionally dry, I recommend cleansing twice a day to remove dead skin cells, excess oil that can block penetration of your serum and any residual skincare applied at night.”
Take your time over it and make working whichever formula you choose into your skin a daily ritual; whether you look to invigorating facial massage with a balmy cleanser (a great first port of call in the evening to lift the day’s dirt), or simply enjoy washing off your face wash with icy cold water in the morning, make it a time for you.
From CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser to Eve Lom’s classic Balm Cleanser, here is Vogue’s pick of the best face washes to try now.
How we chose the best face washes
From cleansing balms to clay cleansers and foaming washes to gentler creams, Vogue beauty editors got hands-on with each of the face washes in this edit. Scoring them based on how well they remove make-up and grime as well as their skin feel, only the best facial cleansers made our edit. Whatever your preference, we’ve shortlisted the best face washes for every skin type, so you can take your pick of our tried and true favourites that leave the face feeling refreshed and not stripped.
- Best cleansing oil: Medik8 Lipid Balance Cleansing Oil,
£29£24.65 - Best face wash for oily skin: Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser, £39
- Best face wash for sensitive skin: Avène Tolerance Control Extremely Gentle Cleanser, £14.50
- Best face wash for dry skin: CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser,
£17£14 - Best face wash for acne-prone skin: COSRX AC Collection Calming Foam Cleanser £18.90
- Best face wash for dull skin: Skinceuticals Glycolic Renewal Cleanser Gel,
£44£38.50 - Best face wash for removing make-up: Stella McCartney Reset Cleanser, £50
Medik8
Lipid Balance Cleanser
Why we love it: "No matter what I’ve got on my face – be it foundation, powder and even eyelash glue – this oil cleanser makes taking the day off an absolute breeze. As someone who prefers a pre-cleanse, I love it before going in with another face wash, but the formula is powerful enough to get everything off in one go. It’s enhanced with antioxidant moringa extract, which acts like a magnet for impurities and dirt to thoroughly cleanse the skin.” – Tracy Achonwa, Vogue beauty commerce writer
Type: oil
Best For: All skin types, especially dry
Stella McCartney Reset Cleanser
Why we love it: Luxurious and lightweight, this cream harnesses the power of plant-derived ingredients to cleanse the skin without stripping it of moisture. Make-up melts away under the gentle emulsion that forms once you add water, and thanks to its oxygenating formula, your skin is left feeling incredibly refreshed, softened and soothed. Sustainable as ever, McCartney has designed the packaging to be refillable, so you need only buy the chic frosted bottle once and you have a face wash that you can enjoy forever.
Type: cream
Best For: all, especially sensitive skin
S'able Labs Qasil Cleanser
Why we love it: An exfoliating cleanser that intelligently refreshes while caring for the skin. Powered by Quasil, the crushed leaves from the Gob tree native to Somaliland, the fine powder (which contains twice the antioxidant level of vitamin C) is used to brighten and deep cleanse skin.
Type: Cream
Best For: All skin types
Garnier Micellar Cleansing Gel Face Wash
Why we love it: If you're a fan of the Garnier cult micellar water, this is a must have. The lightweight formula sweeps dirt and make-up away with ease. Non-irritating and hydrating, this is the perfect cleanser for sensitive skins.
Type: Gel
Best For: All Skin Types
Ssense Finesse Face Wash
Why we love it: Formulated with skin rejuvenation in mind, the Finesse Face Wash serves as the cleanser for those looking for a gentle-yet-powerful fragrance-free face wash. The skin brightening papaya and strawberry extract helps accelerate the skin cell turnover process, increasing luminosity over time.
Type: Cream
Best For: Dull/Maturing Skin
COSRX AC Collection Calming Foam Cleanser
Why we love it: Experts in solution based skincare, Cosrx latest cleansing offering is perfect for those looking for a calming yet effective cleanser. Perfect for preventing future breakouts, the 11% salicylic acid formula works to revitalise skin while effectively treating blackheads and whiteheads.
Type: Foaming
Best For: Acne-Prone Skin
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel
Why we love it: If you’re after the best face wash for glowing skin, look no further than Oskia’s Renaissance Cleansing Gel which is packed to the brim with ingredients that leave skin fresh, smooth and radiant. Think pumpkin enzyme, which helps to lift gunk from pores, vitamins C and E to brighten and protect, and starflower oil and magnesium to boost firmness.
Type: Gel-to-Oil
Best For: All Skin Types
LIXIRSKIN Electrogel Cleanser
Why we love it: Within this millennial pink tube is a pore-declogging face wash wonder which works to attract positively charged toxins out of the pores and down the drain. It’s especially brilliant for city dwellers who come into contact with a lot of pollution.
Type: Cream
Best For: Congested Skin
Dermalogica Active Clay Cleanser
Why we love it: A brilliant one if you have oily skin, this cleanser utilises charcoal and kaolin clay to absorb excess oil and detoxify the skin, while broccoli extract and aloe help to soothe. You can use it as a mask, too – just leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes for an elevated effect.
Type: Clay
Best For: Oily and Acne-Prone Skin
Dr Barbara Sturm Cleanser
Why we love it: With an onus on taking down inflammation in the skin, Dr Barbara Sturm’s skincare line is always a good bet. This cleanser is no different and contains aloe vera and panthenol to soother irritation, calm and smooth the skin.
Type: Foam
Best For: All Skin Types
Sarah Chapman Skinesis Ultimate Cleanse
Why we love it: Morphing from a sumptuous balm to milk, Sarah Chapman’s Ultimate Cleanse is an ideal companion for a facial massage. It also does a good job at lifting pollution and dirt from the face, with omega-rich oils and antioxidants making it the ultimate “all bases covered” cleanser.
Type: Balm-to-Milk
Best For: All Skin Types
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
Why we love it: They say you get what you pay for, but this squalane-filled, balmy cleanser actually stands up to the expensive guys in terms of efficacy. It’s brilliant at drawing dirt from pores while keeping skin soft and supple, and works well for all skin types.
Type: Oil
Best For: Normal to Dry Skin
Glossier Cleanser Concentrate
Why we love it: For that Glossier glow, start with your skincare regime – and more specifically, this gently exfoliating cleanser. With lactic and malic acids, as well as grape ferment and niacinamide, it works to transform a dull face into the fresh, even skin of dreams.
Type: Silk Foam
Best For: All Skin Types
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
Why we love it: An excellent cleanser – and a certified British Vogue beauty team favourite – CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser is packed full of ceramides to keep the skin barrier intact, as well as hydrating hyaluronic acid. Plus, it removes make-up in a flash. It’s good for all skin types – even those prone to irritation – as it’s soap-free and doesn’t foam.
Type: Cream
Best For: Normal to Dry Skin
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser
Why we love it: Aggravated and sensitive skin types in particular will love this La Roche-Posay formula, which is a milk consistency and helps relieve the skin of its discomfort. TLC in a bottle.
Type: Milk
Best For: Sensitive, Intolerant and Allergy-Prone Skin
Eve Lom Cleanser
Why we love it: A spa day in a tub, Eve Lom’s cult cleanser is a must-try for those who love the ritualistic side of cleaning their face. With a cocktail of aromatic plant oils, like eucalyptus, hops and Egyptian chamomile, it’s as calming as it is cleaning and helps gently exfoliate congested skin.
Type: Balm
Best For: All Skin Types
Mantle The Magic Milk Creamy CBD Cleanser
Why we love it: Made for daily use, this creamy cannabis cleanser – designed to support a clean, smooth and supple complexion – helps fight free-radicals, keeping the skin hydrated and radiant. The squalane helps soften and plump, while pre-biotic oat extract effectively balances the skin’s microbiome.
Type: Cream
Best For: Normal to Dry Skin
Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cleanser
Why we love it: Known for being the Duchess of Sussex’s go-to LA facialist, Kate Somerville’s goat milk line blends natural milk proteins with avocado oil and manuka honey to softly cleanse the skin. Excellent for sensitive skin types – and no it doesn’t smell like farmyard.
Type: Cream
Best For: Normal to Dry Skin
Medik8 Clarifying Foam Oil-Free AHA/BHA Blemish Cleanser
Why we love it: If you’re looking for the best face wash for acne prone skin, look to Medik8, whose Clarifying Foam cleanser contains a gentle combination of alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids to help exfoliate without stripping the skin. It’s also full of niacinamide, which helps calm and bolster the skin barrier, as well as tea tree oil to help prevent further breakouts.
Type: Foam
Best For: Acne-Prone Skin
Elemis Pro-Collagen Naked Cleansing Balm
Why we love it: The latest in Elemis’s brilliant balm cleanser category has all the whipped wondrousness of the brand’s bestselling Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, but without the fragrance. Offering, quite frankly, the most luxurious and spa-like cleansing experience, this one is great for even the most sensitive of skin types. A beauty editor favourite.
Type: Balm
Best For: All Skin Types
Skinceuticals Glycolic Renewal Cleanser Gel
Why we love it: For oily, mature or congested skin, look to SkinCeuticals Glycolic Renewal Cleanser, a formula that delivers glycolic to exfoliate, smooth and even out skin tone – leaving bright, refreshed skin in its place.
Type: Soft-Foaming
Best For: Dull, Discoloured or Ageing Skin
Drunk Elephant Beste No.9 Jelly Cleanser
Why we love it: If you’re in need of hydration but don’t want to over-clean your skin, Drunk Elephant’s jelly cleanser is a dream. With omegas 9 and 6, glycerine and cantaloupe extract, it hydrates and feeds the skin while leaving it clear of the day’s grime.
Type: Jelly
Best For: All Skin Types
Chanel Le Lait Anti-Pollution Cleansing Milk
Why we love it: Everyone enjoys the sight of a monochrome Chanel product on their bathroom shelf – and this is a particularly good option. Designed to combat pollution, this cleanser contains micro-algae to ease cellular stress, and marine salicornia to strengthen the skin and fend it off. Looks good and works hard, then.
Type: Milk
Best For: All Skin Types
Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser
Why we love it: Byoma, a beauty brand dedicated to creating active skincare that also helps boost the skin’s barrier function, has created the perfect cleanser for easily aggravated skin. Suitable for all skin types, this creamy jelly cleanser will remove make-up and refresh skin, all whilst protecting skin with its nourishing tri-ceramide complex.
Type: Gel
Best For: Normal to Dry
Aesop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser
Why we love it: Ideal for city dwellers, this parsley seed-powered facial cleanser removes surface impurities with ease. Its lactic acid-infused formula mildly exfoliates skin over time, working alongside liquorice root to even the complexion and reveal smooth and glowing skin.
Type: Gel
Best For: Normal, Combination to Oily Skin.
The Glowcery Blue Dew Fruit Enzyme Oil to Milk Cleanser
Why we love it: This silky oil-to-milk cleanser glides smoothly across the skin when massaged in with warm water. Its nourishing formulation, made with cold-pressed avocado and calendula oils, offers a refreshing cleanse. Look no further if you’re on the lookout for a make-up removing cleanser to help you cut out the use of cotton pads or face wipes.
Type: Milk
Best For: All Skin Types
