The 13 Best Face Washes for Dry Skin, Tested and Derm-Approved

Best Overall

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser

$15 at Sephora $25 at Ulta $15 at Nordstrom

Key Ingredients: Squalane, apricot kernels, avocado oil︱Skin Type(s): All (including sensitive skin)︱Size: 5 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

We love Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser because its gentle formula doesn’t strip skin of its natural oils, and its fresh scent is invigorating. When testing this one, we were thrilled to see it reduced redness, minimized pores, and left skin feeling moisturized and clean. It also efficiently removed makeup—no double cleanse required.

The face wash lathers really nicely is easy to spread onto the skin, and a little goes a long way. Plus, it’s lightweight—perfect for morning and evening cleansing. Overall, this face wash was a total hit, but the plastic cap is a little fragile, so we wish the packaging was a little higher quality.

Read the full review: Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser Gets the Job Done

Best Budget

Good Molecules Cleansing Gel

View on Goodmolecules.com

Key Ingredients: Rosewater, pineapple extract︱Skin Type(s): All︱Size: 6.7 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Fresh, clean, moisturized skin doesn’t have to come at a huge cost, as evidenced by budget-friendly Good Molecules’ Hydrating Facial Cleansing Gel. At under $15, this cleanser really impressed us with its gentle formula that left our dry skin feeling healthier and moisturized. Plus, since you only need to use a small amount of product each time you wash your face, the money you spend on it goes a long way.

We were happy to discover this face wash is fragrance-free (which was especially surprising given it’s made with pineapple extract), and we loved the radiant glow it leaves behind. It’s definitely an effective cleanser, but as with many other products on this list, you’ll want to use makeup remover for eyeliner and mascara.

Best for Sensitive Skin

Avene Milk Cleanser

View on Aveneusa.com

Key Ingredients: Avene thermal spring water, glycerin︱Skin Type(s): Dry, very dry, sensitive︱Size: 6.7 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

Avene Milk Cleanser is ideal for sensitive skin; it’s made with glycerin for hydration as well as Avene thermal spring water, which soothes and softens the skin. We love how clean our skin felt each time we used this face wash, and how gentle the formula is.

There’s something unique about this cleanser too: You can leave it on your face without rinsing it off (but you can rinse it off if you’d prefer). Its consistency is thick at first, but it thins down as it’s worked into the skin, so it doesn’t feel heavy (even when you leave it on). While it’s an effective cleanser, it takes a double cleanse to thoroughly remove makeup.

Best Drugstore

CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

$19 at Amazon $16 at Ulta $14 at Walmart

Key Ingredients: Amino acids, ceramides, hyaluronic acid︱Skin Type(s): Normal, dry, sensitive︱Size: 12 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

Drugstore favorite Cerave created this amazing Hydrating Cream-to-Foam cleanser that checks off so many boxes. After using this one, our skin felt moisturized, and we saw a big reduction in dry spots and flakiness.

This face wash was developed by dermatologists and is formulated with amino acids and ceramides to help cleanse and hydrate skin. We were impressed with its overall performance, from how well it lathers to how soft skin feels after every use. It’s a great option for someone with dry skin, but our tester with acne-prone skin did notice a slight uptick in breakouts while using the face wash.

Best Foaming

Clarins Foaming Cleanser with Aloe Vera

$30 at Sephora

Key Ingredients: Saponaria balm extracts, gentle complex, aloe vera︱Skin Type(s): Normal, dry︱Size: 4.5 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

Who doesn’t love a sudsy, foamy, moisture-rich cleanser? This one from Clarins feels like you’re giving yourself a facial. We were blown away by how well it lathers—especially since it comes out so thick at first. We also like that its slightly grainy texture dissolves, so it’s not harsh on dry skin.

This face wash provides a good cleanse that will leave your face feeling refreshed after use. We think it’s a great addition to anyone’s skincare routine, regardless of skin type, but it’s ideal for the morning since it’s not great at fully removing makeup.

Best on Amazon

COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser

$14 at Amazon $14 at Ulta $14 at Dermstore

Key Ingredients: Betaine Salicylate, tea tree oil, pH balanced pH 5.31±1.00︱Skin Type(s): All︱Size: 0.67, 1.69, 5.07 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Amazon beauty shoppers with dry skin should definitely check out cosrx’s Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser. It’s made with soothing tea tree oil and is pH-balanced to ensure your skin has just the right amount of oil and water for a hydrated, healthy glow. After trying the product, we loved how smooth our skin felt and that our pores looked slightly smaller.

It lathers up quickly so little goes a long way with this face wash. It’s easy to spread across skin and it effectively removes makeup (except eye makeup, like mascara and eyeliner). Our only complaint is that the formula has a strong tea tree scent that may be overwhelming for some.

Best for Glow

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

$22 at Sephora $12 at Glossier.com

Key Ingredients: Rose water, allantoin︱Skin Type(s): Normal, dry, combination, oily︱Size: 6 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser offers several benefits, but we especially love how it makes the skin glow after each use. It’s formulated with rose water, which soothes and refreshes skin, and allantoin, a calming hydrator ideal for dry skin. It eliminated dry, flakey spots on the face and left behind radiant, smooth skin.

This cleanser performed well for us, and we really enjoyed the gentle, hydrating formula. It does have a thick consistency, though, which can be a little difficult to rub off and is not ideal for makeup removal.

Read the Full Review: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser Soothed My Sensitive Skin

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

Hada Labo Tokyo Foaming Facial Cleanser

$16 at Amazon

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid︱Skin Type(s): All︱Size: 5 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: No

It’s tricky to find a cleanser for dry skin that also helps address acne since that typically involves using ingredients that dry out the skin, but this one from Hada Labo Tokyo delivers. In addition to providing a great cleanse, it’s made with hyaluronic acid, which helps keep skin looking and feeling hydrated. Our tester also noticed that it helped tighten the look of her pores and minimize the appearance of acne scars.

While fragrance can be hit-or-miss, the subtle, fresh scent of this face wash was definitely something that stood out to us (in the best possible way). We also love how refreshed our skin feels after cleansing and that the formula is gentle enough to use both morning and night. Honestly, there isn’t anything we don’t love about this cleanser.

Best Splurge

Osea Ocean Cleansing Milk

$54 at Ulta $54 at Nordstrom View on Oseamalibu.com

Key Ingredients: Undaria seaweed, skin-identical moisturizing complex, witch hazel, safflower seed oil, glycerin︱Skin Type(s): Dry, sensitive, mature︱Size: 0.6, 5 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you have dry skin and a little extra spending money, Osea’s Ocean Cleansing Milk is worth the splurge. The pH-balanced formula is made with high-quality ingredients like a super hydrating skin-identical moisturizing complex, soothing safflower seed oil, and glycerin. Our skin felt thoroughly clean but never stripped after using this wash.

Since this cleanser has a lightweight, lotion-like consistency, we appreciated the pump bottle because it made dispensing the product clean and easy. It also spreads well and is easy to rinse off when you’re done cleansing, but it’s worth noting that the formula doesn’t lather much. That wasn’t a dealbreaker for us, but if you like a foaming cleanser we suggest checking out the foamers on this list.

Most Moisturizing

Prequel Glycerin Cleanser

View on Prequelskin.com

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, arginine, aloe vera︱Skin Type(s): All︱Size: 13.5 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Made with 50% glycerin, Prequel Gleanser Non-Drying Glycerin Cleanser offers an amazing, moisturizing cleanse. The formula was dermatologist-developed and tested, hypoallergenic, and fragrance-free. But most importantly, it’s effective. After testing this product, we were amazed by how well it moisturized—it always left our skin with a glowy, healthy appearance.

Even our tester with dry, acne-prone skin found the cleanser had enough moisturizing elements to offset the dryness that results from her topical acne treatments. After testing, she noticed her skin was free of dry, flakey patches. This product seriously delivers on its promise to clean and moisturize the skin, we only wish it weren’t packaged in a silver bottle so we could see how much product is left.

Most Sustainable

REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk

$16 at Amazon $38 at Dermstore $38 at Macy's

Key Ingredients: Blackcurrant oils, sea buckthorn oils, fennel seed extract︱Skin Type(s): Sensitive, dry, irritated︱Size: 1.6, 5.1 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

REN’s Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk not only does a great job cleansing, but it’s also one of the most sustainable products we’ve tried. It’s packaged in a tube that’s 50% recycled plastic with a cap made from 100% recycled plastic—plus when you’re done with it, you can toss the container right back into the recycling bin.

The formula’s pretty great too—we felt like our skin was moisturized, and balanced after washing with it. The gentle formula is a great option for someone with sensitive skin, and the thick consistency made it easy for us to spread across the face. However, the consistency did make it somewhat difficult to fully rinse off.

Best for Everyday

Skinfix Barrier+ Foaming Oil Cleanser

$30 at Amazon $30 at Sephora $30 at Kohls.com

Key Ingredients: Seaweed hyaluronate blend, aloe barbensis leaf juice︱Skin Type(s): All︱Size: 6 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

Skinfix’s Barrier+ Foaming Oil Hydrating Cleanser is a gentle formula that’s ideal for everyday use. Not only is it made with moisturizing ingredients such as a seaweed hyaluronate blend for a super hydrated look, but it’s also one of the most effective face washes we’ve tried for removing makeup.

After using this product, our skin felt clean, hydrated (not stripped), and fresh. The big bonus with this one though is it also managed to reduce redness over the few weeks one tester used it. There honestly isn’t anything we’d change.

Best Scent

Stripes Cleanser with Squalane + Ceramides

$42 at Sephora

Key Ingredients: Emeblia extract, ceramides, ecotine and squalane︱Skin Type(s): Normal, dry, combination︱Size: 3.7 fl oz︱Cruelty-Free: Yes

While a scented face wash isn’t for everyone, if you’re someone who loves a good fragrance, then you should check out this one from Stripes. We were pleasantly surprised by the spa-like herbal scent when we washed with it. It’s not overpowering and doesn’t linger (though we wouldn’t mind if it did!), but it’s a delightful extra to an already great cleanser. It made us feel like we’d taken a trip to the spa.

The face wash has a super-hydrating formula with emeblia extract, ceramides, ecotine, and squalane. Even though it doesn’t lather much, we love how lightweight it is and how clean and moisturized our skin feels after using it.