This story first appeared on Wednesday, August 27, 2024, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
I started using this back in 2022 and go back to it any time my skin is breaking out or dehydrated. I think that’s what the “low pH” does: clean without drying. Either way, it works. My skin never feels tight after washing, which isn’t the case with most other cleansers! Any time it’s on sale, I buy it in bulk because I know I’ll use it eventually. —Arielle Avila
Avène is a fixture of French pharmacies. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s incredibly effective. This cleanser really does the job for my oily skin without stripping. That’s even after the longest days of wearing the heaviest makeup. —Ambar Pardilla
I’ll sing Sofie’s praises forever: She helped me get rid of a case of extremely stubborn acne, and her skin-care line is excellent. The cleanser in particular is perfect. It gives my skin a very deep, hydrating clean thanks to the inclusion of glycerin and calming panthenol. If you’re acne-prone, buy this. —Dominique Pariso
Since my acne has cleared up, I like to keep my cleanser very simple. I like that this one has a very creamy consistency and is packed with oat milk (great for sensitive skin), ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. A bottle lasts me weeks and weeks on end. —Rachael Griffiths
I’ve been using the CeraVe Cream-to-Foam face wash for a little over 18 months, the longest I’ve stuck with a single cleanser. I love the consistency — it’s thick — and I need only one pump to cover my entire face. It’s cheap and readily available; I can find it at just about every drugstore and big-box retailer. I keep a few bottles on hand and one at my parents’ house so I don’t have to lug it back and forth. —Tembe Denton-Hurst
I’m a longtime fan (six years and counting) of Jordan Samuel Skin’s gel cleanser. It’s a non-foaming gel with gentle surfactants and a touch of salicylic acid. That means I can use it no matter what phase my skin is in — dehydrated in the winter, oily and sticky in the summer, breaking out (unfortunately year-round). It’s also a really delightful experience. There’s no added fragrance, so the scent comes from ingredients like aloe-leaf juice and chamomile and cucumber extracts. If you’re a fragrance lover, you’ll notice subtle, lovely differences in the scent from bottle to bottle. —Crystal Martin
I find that just one pass with a face wash usually isn’t enough for me, especially if I’m wearing a full face of makeup, so I always double-cleanse. My current winning two-step combo is Banila’s cleansing balm. It’s very silky and hydrating and melts my makeup right off. Then I’ll go in with this Vintner’s Daughter cleanser to remove any lingering residue. It has a scent that’s like walking through a pine forest — sharp, earthy, uplifting. —Kitty Guo
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