“What’s the best cleanser?” This question is posed to me often. My immediate response? “There is no such thing as the best cleanser. But there is such a thing as the best cleanser for you.” The cleanser is arguably the most important product in your skincare routine. If your cleanser isn’t doing its basic job – ie, cleaning skin thoroughly without upsetting its PH balance – the efficacy of everything that follows after is compromised. But choosing is a minefield. There are so many on the market. Trial and error is an expensive option, so whittle down your choices by considering the condition you want to address. Blemishes? Oiliness? Unevenness? Dryness? And then, texture. Gel? Oil? Cream? Foam? I love gels, many, like Carbon Theory and CeraVe, keep blemishes and breakouts under control. Non-stripping foam cleansers are also excellent for oily skins as, surprisingly, are oil cleansers – Costa Brazil’s is in the higher echelons of this category. Sensitive, drier skin tones will find cream and milky textures dreamy: Malin+Goetz is foamy yet creamy and non-stripping, while Stella McCartney’s new cream cleanser is sublime and refillable. These days most cleansers go beyond cleaning – . S’Able Labs – best for drier skins – works well as a mask; IS Clinical, Rose Inc and Carbon Theory gently exfoliate; and for a cleanser that also brightens as you sleep, This Works really works.
1. S’Able Labs Qasil Cleanser £28, sablelabs.co
2. Carol Joy London IV Cleansing Cream £45, caroljoy london.com
3. Costa Brazil Face Hydrating Face Cleanser £58, net-a-porter.com
4. This Works Deep Sleep Overnight Cleanser £14, thisworks.com
5. Malin & Goetz Foaming Cream Cleanser £28, malinandgoetz.co.uk
6. CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser £10, boots.com
7. IS Clinical Cleansing Complex Polish £42, isclinical.co.uk
8. Carbon Theory Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Gel Cleanser £9, carbontheory.com
9. Stella McCartney STELLA Reset Cleanser £50, stellamccartneybeauty.com
10. Rose Inc Skin Clarity Exfoliating Cleanser Gel £28, spacenk.com
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