One of the harsh truths we had to face growing up was the emergence of acne on our face throughout our younger years. These breakouts occur in the form of pimples, whitehead, blackheads, and sometimes, cystic acnes. Impurities on our skin are oftentimes the main reason why we get pimples. If we don’t regularly wash our face, we might find ourselves regretting in the future when we look in the mirror and notice the scars left behind by our pimples.
The Top Cleansing Product for your Face
Murad Daily Cleansing Foam
Why we like it best:
- Helps stimulate healthy cell function
- Product is ideal for all skin types
- Great smelling product tested and loved by many users
Others are lucky—they’re not prone to acne and only need to wash their faces with warm water regularly. But the rest of us can probably relate to having to try so many brands of face wash just to see which one really suits our skin.
It is recommended to use face wash twice daily, once in the morning and then in the evening before going to sleep. Washing gets rid of impurities, dirt, excess oil, and dead skin cells. Some people think you can just pick any face wash in the counter. Some people just choose the “highly-rated” ones, but even if they’re good, it doesn’t mean that it’s good for your skin. So how do you decide which face wash suits you best?
What makes a good face wash?
A good face wash should be able to strip away impurities and excess oil without stripping away your natural skin oil. Depending on the skin type that you have, it must be powerful enough to clean the clogged hair follicles without drying your skin completely.
Don’t bother doing a trial-and-error on different brands just to check which one is good for your face. You can save so much time and effort if you do this very first step: you must determine what skin type you have. You can either go to the dermatologist and help you with choosing the right products or sometimes you can read the description online and see which characteristics fit your type. There are four different types—normal, oily, dry, and combination. You can test which type you fall under by dabbing some tissue on your T-zone an hour after you wash your face. The most common skin type is the combination skin. It’s normally when your T-zone is oily and dry everywhere else.
People with sensitive and dry skin must take note not to buy products that are specially made for people with oily skin. This will significantly dry your face, causing it to irritate and even trigger more breakouts.
People with oily skin have a harder time maintaining their skin since on top of the impurities and dirt you can get every day, they also have to put pressed powder once in a while and it can also cause to clog pores. Therefore, they have to make sure they clean their skin every day before going to sleep to wash away all the makeup on their skin. Fortunately, there are face wash nowadays that can help people with oily skin control oil for hours and we will be mentioning those brands later.
Another thing to remember are the ingredients that you might need if you have severe acne breakouts. Acne-fighting face wash products have benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid with them. (Salicylic acid is not recommended, by the way, for women who are pregnant.) And while you’re at it, check if they have moisturizing ingredients to avoid your skin from getting extra dry. Some of these ingredients are emollients and humectants (e.g. glycerin).
Best Face Wash For Oily Skin
| | | | | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser | Among the best brands for acne control; powerful while being gentle on skin; good for all skin types | 16 oz | Very Good | Moderate | 4.4 / 5 |
| Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser | Contains salicylic acid for acne breakouts; smells great; specially made for oily skin types | 6 oz | Very Good | Moderate | 4.2 / 5 |
| Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser | Ice cool facial wash perfect to start the morning right; 2% Salicylic acid removes dirt & blemishes + prevents acne; other skin types not recommended to use it more than twice a day | 6.77 oz | Very Good | Moderate | 4.4 / 5 |
| Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Shine Control Cleansing Gel | Salicylic acid combined with charcoal; mattifying power to make skin oil-free all day; recommended for use with Garnier’s charcoal product line to get better results | 8 oz | Good | Low | 4.0 / 5 |
| Clean & Clear Advantage Oil Absorbing Cream Cleanser | Good for oily & acne-prone skin; contains salicylic acid; uses Powderparticles™ technology for matte finish | 5 oz | Good | Moderate | 4.0 / 5 |
| Clearasil Hydra-blast Face Wash Sensitive | For complicated or sensitive skin types; very gentle on skin even using 2% salicylic acid; moisturizes skin after – no need for moisturizers | 6 oz | Very Good | Low | 4.4 / 5 |
| Murad Daily Cleansing Foam | 2-in-1 cleanser & toner tightens pores after cleansing process; for busy people; recommended for all skin types | 5.1 oz | Superb | Moderate | 4.7 / 5 |
| Olay Foaming Face Wash | All-organic ingredients; perfect for dry to normal skin types; 100% soap % oil-free | 6.7 oz | Very Good | Moderate | 4.3 / 5 |
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
This product is probably one of the most popular over-the-counter facial wash products. You can read a lot of positive reviews that help prove its claim over being one of the best when it comes to acne control. Even dermatologists recommend this product because it’s powerful to cleanse your face but at the same time gentle enough—even for babies! Good for any type of skin, it is a safe choice especially for those who are not sure about what skin type they have.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser
It contains salicylic acid, which is good not just for current acne breakouts but prevents further breakouts in the future. It also smells great, which is definitely a plus, but be careful—this is specially made for people with oily skin and it might dry your skin even if you have combination type.
Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser
Just as the name suggests, it gives a cool feeling to your face and particularly good for those who want to start their morning fresh and vibrant with its citrus smell. Highly recommended for people with oily skin, this product removes dirt and blemishes and prevents acne with its 2% salicylic acid. So if you have dry skin and you plan to use this, don’t lather on your face more than twice a day.
Garnier SkinActive Clean+ Shine Control Cleansing Gel
We already know how salicylic acid is effective for acne control. But imagine combining it with charcoal—which acts like a magnet that pulls out dirt from the deepest of pores—and you get this Garnier SkinActive Clean+ product! With its mattifying power, it helps your skin oil-free throughout the day. Recommended for use together with Garnier’s charcoal product line for better results.
Clean & Clear Advantage Oil Absorbing Cream Cleanser
Does your skin get super oily only hours after you’ve washed them? Does it also get oily even during wintertime? On top of that, are you also prone to acne? Then this product is the best for you. It has salicylic acid while being oil-free and often highly reviewed for not totally drying your skin out. But how does it make your skin matte-looking for a long time? It has Powderparticles™ technology that works even after you’ve rinsed it.
Clearasil Hydra-blast Face Wash Sensitive
A more complicated situation would be having a super sensitive skin type but also prone to acne. In that case, this Clearasil will be your best bet. Very gentle on your skin even with 2% salicylic acid, it also moisturizes your skin after so no need for another moisturizing cream after washing your face.
Murad Daily Cleansing Foam
This 2-in-1 cleanser and toner save time by also tightening your pores after cleansing them so you avoid clogged pores. It’s a bit pricey but effective if you don’t want to do the whole routine in several steps. Recommended for any skin type.
Olay Foaming Face Wash
Although acne is most of the time associated with oily skin, even people with dry skin can get acne as well. And if this is your current problem, then this Olay product is your best bet. It has no active ingredients but has organic ingredients that are perfect for dry to normal skin types.
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