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The best face washes for every single skin concern
Because every skincare routine starts with a great cleanser
Raise your hand if you love doing your skincare routine. Yup, same. No matter the situation – be it 3AM after a major night out, or in your Tinder date's bathroom – the skincare routine just needs to be done.
It may seem like a chore, but a deep cleanse morning and night is the key to great-looking skin. While we’re all here for a thorough skincare session – and when you're battling issues like acne or pigmentation, it pays to get serious – sometimes you just want to ditch the double cleanse in favour of a fast-working, one-and-done face cleanser.
But simplifying your skincare routine doesn’t have to come at a cost to your complexion, because today, the best face washes are a far cry from that drying gel you used when you were 12.
Now, your options are plentiful. There’s a rich decongester to draw out impurities, a hydrating gel packed with hyaluronic acid, and even a sulphate-free cream that won't f**k up your vital skin barrier.
Here in the Cosmo office, we’ve dedicated an impractical amount of time to leaning over the bathroom sink, all so we can bring you the very best face washes that money can buy (and reveal the skin types they suit best).
Whether you’re stocking up on a fave, wanting to try something new, or breaking your cleansing virginity (seriously, if that’s you, what’ve you been doing?), we’ve got you covered. Don’t ever say we’re not good to you.
The best face washes for every skin type
This clever cleanser is here to give you great-looking skin: it’s boosted with brightening ingredients – like salicylic and lactic acid – to slough away dead skin cells, leaving a noticeably radiant complexion in its wake. It’s thorough enough to cut through makeup and SPF, but it won’t leave your skin feeling stripped or dry.
Buzzy skincare launches are constantly flying through our office doors, but Glossier’s Milky Jelly cleanser remains a firm favourite. The gentle, milky formula lightly suds up to remove any trace of dirt without making your skin barrier feel stripped. It's a one-and-done cleanser that makes melting makeup a truly effortless feat.
Tatcha’s Rice Wash cleanser is one of the buzziest skincare launches of 2023 (so far): it’s formulated with the brand’s famous rice powder which naturally exfoliates and softens the skin, while hyaluronic acid keeps it supple and hydrated. If you’re after something for acne-prone skin, the Deep Cleanse is a stellar alternative for minimising pores and balancing oil.
Stressed-out skin types will love Dr Sam’s cleanser: it’s a fuss-free jelly wash that removes makeup and impurities while keeping your skin happy and hydrated. Colour and fragrance-free, it’s a wise choice for those with sensitivity, and has a non-foaming formula which is another tick for those delicate complexions. Simple, yet very effective.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser Sensitive Skin
This cleanser deserves to be in everyone’s bathroom cupboard – especially if you’re prone to sensitivity. It doesn’t include any nasty ingredient that may cause irritation – fragrance, sulphates and soap – but welcomes skin-kind ingredients – like ceramides, glycerin and niacinamide, to restore your barrier and boost hydration. Do your skin a favour and give this bottle of creamy goodness a try.
StriVectin Multi-Action Clear Gentle Daily Clarifying Cleanser
Not all cleansers for acne-prone skin are created alike. What sets StriVectin's Clarifying Cleanser apart is its team of exfoliating acids: they slough away dead skin cells, while keeping oil regulation in check. And despite all its acne-fighting prowess, it still keeps skin supple, soft and hydrated. A win, win, win.
Murad Soothing Oat and Peptide Cleanser
Eczema is a very common concern, yet it still seems like a topic that's left out of the skincare conversation. And if there's one gripe we hear about on the reg, it's the struggle to find effective products that soothe extreme dryness and irritation.
This is where Murad's Exasoothe Cleanser comes into play. Enriched with comforting colloidal oatmeal, lipids and barrier-healing extracts, it works to repair irritated and sore skin. It'll slough away makeup and excess oil but is delicate enough to keep your skin barrier calm and content.
ThisWorks Deep Sleep Overnight Cleanser
While you catch your zzz, your skin is working hard to keep your skin cells healthy and barrier restored, so indulging in an evening skincare routine will boost these processes further.
One formula up for the task is ThisWork's Deep Sleep Overnight Cleanser. It will cleanse away the day's accumulated grime (gross, right!?), while the subtle lavender aroma offers aromatherapeutic benefits, helping to soothe your mind after a long ol' day.
Paula's Choice Clear Cleanser
If you’re dealing with a family of blackheads on your nose, or one major crater that sits on your forehead, this potent face wash is a beauty-editor favourite that you *need* to know about.
The clever formula works hard to decongest pores – thanks to skin-soothing vitamin B5 and blackhead-busting salicylic acid – and leaves a brighter, healthier-looking complexion in its wake.
This gentle, non-comedogenic formula is perfect for sensitive or reactive skin types, but it still does a masterful job at breaking down excess oil without causing irritation.
The tri-ceramide complex – a fancy way of saying skin-kind fatty acids – mimic the skin’s essential fats to maintain your barrier. Plus, its playful packaging will look great in your #shelfies, too.
If you’ve been struggling with acne for a while, you’ll be no stranger to the hero ingredient salicylic acid. This non-stripping Dermalogica face wash is packed full of the stuff, which loosens stubborn dirt and dead skin cells from your pores, helping to prevent another breakout.
While the acid gets to work, the cooling menthol and tea tree soothe any lingering redness. It's on the pricier side but well worth it.
REN Clean Skincare Clarifying Clay Cleanser
REN isn't just a frontrunner in the sustainability stakes: it also makes some seriously good face washes. This one contains kaolin clay to absorb impurities without resorting to any stripping actives, meaning skin feels deeply clean but, crucially, hydrated too.
Clare Stephenson is the Senior Fashion and Beauty E-commerce Writer for Cosmopolitan, ELLE and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been an e-commerce writer since 2022, creating matter-of-fact reviews and shopping pages filled with her favourite products for every budget and need – whether that’s a glow-giving foundation, a high-tech LED face mask or the perfect wear-with-everything blazer.
Alongside writing, Clare loves to be in front of the camera creating shopping content, putting viral products to the test to see which ones are truly worth the hype. Through her work, she has interviewed leading dermatologists, makeup artists and industry experts to bring readers trusted advice and product recommendations.
Clare has contributed to titles across the Hearst UK portfolio, including Women’s Health, Good Housekeeping, Red and Prima. Prior to joining Hearst, she earned a BA in Multimedia Journalism from Bournemouth University, focusing her studies on magazines and editorial. She later worked as an editorial assistant at Voir Fashion Magazine, covering events including Fashion Week and interviewing notable brand founders.
Outside of work? You can find Clare strolling through London’s Columbia Road Market, pouring her fourth coffee of the day or heading to a Pilates class.
Follow Clare on Instagram @clarefrancesstephenson.
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