Cetaphil's $10 Face Cleanser Has a Cult Following (2024)

You may feel tempted to try every type of face wash (waters! gels! lotions!), but when it comes to taking care of your dry skin, simple — and hydrating — is better. "Gentle cleansers are best, with no fragrances," says Amy McMichael, M.D., a professor and chair of the department of dermatology at Wake Forest Baptist Health. "Cleansers with ceramides can be particularly moisturizing as well."

The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has a long history of testing face washes for cleansing efficacy and effects on skin. The beauty team scours the market for the best face washes, which are then vetted by Beauty Lab scientists. The product labels are then masked to eliminate brand bias before they are distributed to hundreds of consumers across the country. Testers use the products in their regular routine then evaluate them on criteria including ease of application, texture, scent, and how effectively they wash away makeup, impurities, and excess oil without irritation. In the most recent GH Beauty Lab face washes test, 4,512 data points were tallied to find the best face wash for dry skin.

How to find the best face wash for dry skin

When shopping for the best face cleansers for dry skin, including sensitive skin, choose a formula by looking for the same hydrating ingredients you'd find in moisturizers, like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and botanical oils and butters. On product packaging, seek out key words such as moisturizing, moisture, hydrating, hydration, nourishing, softening, and for dry or dehydrated skin to find formulas that are tailored to dry skin types. And don't stop at face wash: "Dry facial skin will really require a moisturizer, since cleanser alone is not usually enough," Dr. McMichael explains. (Luckily, we've got you covered with the best face moisturizers.)

Whether you prefer a liquid, gel, foam, cream, or balm formula (or something in between!), we've got an option for you. These best face washes for dry skin tested by the scientists in the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab and recommended by dermatologists and shoppers will help hydrate, smooth, and nourish your complexion in no time through any season, from winter and beyond.

When the GH Beauty Lab conducted a test on 17 different cleansers, this was the consumer favorite. Though it's labeledfor normal to oily skin, it ranked the high among testers with dry and sensitive skin."This didn't overdry or make my skin feel stripped," a Lab tester reported. "My face even appears smoother," another said.

This creamy fragrance-free, glycerin-basedNeutrogena face wash is a dermatologist favorite."I really like this formulation because it's very gentle," says Rajani Katta, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist and author ofGlow: The Dermatologist’s Guide to a Whole Foods Younger Skin Diet. "While it does cleanse, it does not strip away the skin's natural oils," she says. "It also contains very few of the ingredients that can trigger allergic reactions, such as fragrance additives, which is important for those with dry, sensitive skin."

This cult favorite Fresh gel cleansermade with softening soybeanoil and aloewas the least irritating among all those in the Beauty Lab's test, and wasparticularly popular among testers with dry skin."I haveextremelysensitive skin and had no reactions to this," one shared. Plus, there must be a reason why it has more than 5,o00 five-star reviews from Sephora customers.

This light foaming cleanser made with glycerinhadthe best texture in the Beauty Lab's test. "Instead of feeling tight and dry, this facial wash left my skin feeling much more silky, nourished, and smooth and rinsed off easily," one tester noted. "But it didn't feel like it was rinsing off all of my natural oils."

Amazon buyers love how this botanical-based liquid face cleanser infused with coconut oilfeels on their skin."Ihave very sensitive dry skin and have been using this face wash for a few years now," said one shopper. "My skin has remained clear the whole time I've used it."

This Good Housekeeping Beauty Award-winning Pond's cleansing balm doubles as a makeup remover.This unique face wash in solid form morphs into an oil on skin. Itleft one tester’s complexion feeling “supple, as if I’d applied moisturizer.”

Among the nearly 700 five-star reviews, many Ulta customers raved about how this CeraVe formulawith three types of ceramides relieved their dry skin. "I have dry skin and this face cleanser leaves my skin hydrated and plump," wrote one reviewer. "Ino longer buy my high end face wash because this is just as good!"

A Good Housekeeping beauty editor all-time favorite face wash formula, this buttery cleansingbalm from Elemis is packed with nourishing botanical oils, includingsweet almond, elderberry, lavender, coconut, geranium, and chamomile. "This cleanser melts in,softeninguncomfortably parched skin," she says. "And it smells like an aromatherapy treatment at the spa."

Many Sephora shoppers have turned to this foaming cleanser for hydrating relief."Two pumps wipe off all my makeup easily and leave my skin feeling clean and happy (with no dryness or tingling)," one buyer wrote.

Made with high levels of heavy-duty moisturizers like sweet almond oil, shea butter, and honey, this richNaturopathicabalm cleanser relieves dehydrated skin as it gently cleanses. "My inflamed face actually felt better — and the jar lasts," a GH Beauty Labtester said.