Arguably one of the key steps in anyone's daily skincare routine, cleansers harness the job of banishing the likes of makeup, dirt, oil, sweat and dead skin cells from your complexion.
That said, as easy as it would be, it's not the case of one buy working for everyone. In fact, some formulas can feel harsher on more sensitive complexions, leaving the skin feeling stripped of all its natural moisture. This makes the task of scouting out the best cleanser, as someone with an irritation-prone skin, a tricky one.
If that scenario feels all too relatable, join the club. With my skin becoming more prone to volatile reactions in recent years, I made it my mission to scout out a gentle, kind-to-skin formulation - which, let me tell you, required a lot of trial and error with a number of buys, from the best cleansing balms to lighter gel textures. Thankfully, my journey was cut short when I was introduced to Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser...
The kind-to-skin cleanser I reach for every day to avoid irritating my sensitive complexion
If you too have sensitive skin, you might understand my scepticism to try new products in fear of how my skin may react - think, flare-ups, itchiness, redness, breakouts. However, as Cetaphil's approach to cleanser involves creating a hypoallergenic formula specifically designed with dry to sensitive skin types in mind, I felt more confident in giving it a go - and (spoiler) I'm glad I did.
RRP: £17 for 473ml
Equipped with the likes of glycerin, niacinamide and panthenol, Cetaphil's Gentle Skin Cleanser works to effectively clean the skin of dirt, makeup and impurities, while preserving the natural moisture barrier. This helps it defend the skin against five signs of sensitivity, including dryness, irritation, roughness, tightness and a weakened skin barrier. The result? A cleansed complexion that feels soft, soothed and smooth.
Without giving too much away, there's a reason this formula earned a pride of place spot in my budget to blowout trio of cleansers for sensitive skin. Despite its price tag being on the more affordable side, the cleanser boasts a lightweight, runny gel-like texture that luxuriously glides onto the skin without requiring any harsh massaging in.
With fragrance being a huge red flag for those with skin prone to irritation, this formula gets points for being unscented as, like many, my skin can often react to fragrance. It can be used both with or without water, meaning it doesn't necessarily lather up into a foam when mixed with water. That said, a little goes a long way and does an excellent job at thoroughly cleaning my complexion.
With every use, my complexion is left feeling clean and fresh, yet supple and with my moisture still intact - which gets a tick from me. Speaking of which, my skin has always resented a lack moisture, to the point where I can't even leave my complexion bare for five minutes after cleansing, I have to apply moisturiser immediately. So, I think the fact that this buy has hydration at its core has prevented my skin from ever reacting to the formula.
With its gentle and soothing nature in mind, it's no surprise that this cleanser has become my most consistently and frequently reached for amongst the plethora of products within my bathroom cabinet - especially when my skin is experiencing irritation or breakouts.
