Dry skin can make you look older than you are. It doesn’t tan as nicely, and it isn’t as resistant to infections as healthy skin. While you might be tempted to skip washing your face, this only leads to breakouts. And cleaning it with plain water doesn’t cut it. You need one of the best face washes for dry skin to solve the problem.
Sometimes the label will clearly state that the product is good for dry skin. If it doesn’t say so on the bottle, take a look at the ingredients. Here’s what to look for.
To avoid drying your skin out further, avoid face washes with denatured and SD alcohol. Also, skip the ones that list sodium laureth sulfate and sodium lauryl sulfate. These two components make for a nice foamy lather, but they strip the natural oil from your skin, leaving it drier than before.
Editors Choice:
Instead, look for moisturizing face washes with helpful ingredients like glycerin, aloe, and natural oils. Fatty alcohols are okay because they condition the skin (They go by names like stearyl and cetyl alcohol). Furthermore, ceramides are useful because they enhance the protective barrier of the skin.
Best Face Washes & Cleansers for Dry Skin (2024 Update)
1. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Wash
The Toleriane face wash from French skincare manufacturer La Roche-Posay has thermal spring water as its base. It doesn’t upset the pH of your skin. Therefore it’s not drying. Moreover, it contains the humectant glycerin which draws in moisture from the mineral-packed water.
This gentle face wash is safe to use twice a day even on sensitive skin. The niacinamide in the formula reduces redness while ceramides protect against moisture loss. Finally, like other products from the same company, this one is free of sulfates, parabens, and artificial fragrances.
2. Vichy Pureté Thermale Fresh Cleansing Gel Cleanser Face Wash
Vichy’s gel cleanser is enhanced with Vitamin B5 that repairs the skin. It removes makeup without making skin fragile or sensitive. In addition, the rich thermal spring water contributes moisture and strengthens the skin’s natural barrier.
3. First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser
The First Beauty cleanser foams to a creamy lather that dissolves makeup and rinses away dirt. It contains aloe, glycerin, and allantoin. This last ingredient acts in two ways. Not only does it moisturize, but it also speeds up cell regeneration.
Next, the cleanser also contains antioxidants derived from feverfew, white tea, and licorice root. They fight against signs of aging caused by free radicals from the environment.
Related: Best anti-aging face washes and cleansers
In conclusion, First Aid Beauty’s face wash lacks irritants like drying alcohols, sulfates, propylene glycol, parabens, phthalates, and artificial dyes and fragrances.
4. Dove DermaSeries Fragrance-Free Face Wash for Dry Skin
Dove’s fragrance-free face wash is specially made for very dry skin. It’s been tested and proven to make a visible difference in the dryness of your skin after only four washes. Plus, this mild cleanser is free of fragrances and tested to be hypoallergenic.
5. Eau Thermale Avène Extremely Gentle Cleanser Lotion
Avène’s Extremely Gentle Cleanser may be a face wash, but you don’t need water to use it. In fact, it contains thermal spring water. Additionally, it’s a lotion that you can spread on your skin, then wipe off. As a result, it dissolves makeup easily. It also won’t make your eyes sting, plus it reduces skin irritation.
6. Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
Neutrogena’s Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser has an award-winning formula as well as the National Eczema Association Seal of approval. This means that it’s safe to use on your dry skin even if you have skin conditions like eczema or rosacea. It won’t strip your skin’s natural oil, but it will remove makeup. And it doesn’t have synthetic fragrances or dyes, parabens, soap, or sodium lauryl sulfate. Instead, your skin will feel softer after you use it.
7. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin Cleanser moisturizes as it cleans. Even though it has a very mild formulation, it’s able to remove makeup. Also importantly, you don’t need to rinse after you use it. It makes for a great camping soap for the whole family as it has no scent.
8. The Face Shop Foaming Facial Cleanser for Daily Face Washing
The Face Shop created this foaming facial cleanser with rice water. The rice water contains nutrients that give you a little makeover every time you wash. It brightens your skin tone, shrinks pores and reduces the appearance of fine lines.
Even though the formula clears out pores and eliminates blackheads, it leaves your skin moisturized. It detoxifies, removes dead skin, then protects against dryness with Moringa oil.
9. Garnier Clean+ Smoothing Cream Cleanser For Dry Skin
The Garnier’s Clean+ Smoothing Cream Cleanser contains macadamia and jojoba oil that soften the skin and seal in moisture. These natural oils don’t clog pores or cause breakouts. Alternatively, this is a face wash with salicylic acid which helps keep pores clear.
10. Era Organics Natural Face Wash
Era Organics Natural Face Wash has the same pH as your skin, so it’s slightly acidic. This allows it to be effective without causing irritation or dryness. Of course, there are no artificial fragrances, sulfates, or parabens.
Customers who love this face wash appreciate how it makes their skin feel soft and look healthier. The nourishing formula has aloe, honey, and vitamins that revive dull skin and heal problems like acne.
11. EltaMD SKINCARE Foaming Facial Cleanser
Users who have tried EltaMD’s Foaming Facial Cleanser say their skin doesn’t feel tight after they rinse it off. Instead, this wash seems to be very mild. It leaves their skin soft.
EltaMD says the formula is pH-balanced to avoid drying out skin. It has bromelain and amino acids from apples that clean off excess oil, makeup, and grime naturally. It’s gentle enough to be used morning and night.
12. Paula’s Choice SKIN RECOVERY Cream Cleanser, Normal to Very Dry Facial Skin
Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery cleanser restores dry skin to health. The creamy formula soothes your face and rinses easily. Moreover, like other products from the same manufacturer, this one is free from artificial fragrances and never tested on animals.
13. Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
Vanicream’s Gentle Facial Cleanser is very mild to protect dry skin. But users say it foams nicely, does a good job, and leaves their skin supple. It’s also a favorite among customers with sensitive skin because it lacks pretty much every irritant that could ever appear in a face wash.
14. Julep Love Your Bare Face Cleansing Oil
Julep’s cleansing oil sidesteps all the problems with sulfates and soaps. That’s because it contains only four natural oils. Inside the bottle, you’ll find grapeseed, rosehip seed pink grapefruit peel, and olive oils. Each oil has a specific purpose to purify and heal the skin.
After you work the cleansing oil into your face, rinse it with warm water, then pat dry. Even though it’s very moisturizing, it doesn’t clog pores.
15. Badger Damascus Rose Face Cleansing Oil
The Damascus Rose cleansing oil from Badger contains certified organic ingredients. It’s very moisturizing to dry skin and potent for removing waterproof makeup. Furthermore, it both deep-cleans and deeply moisturizes.
Some of the components include jojoba, sunflower, and olive oils that soothe the skin without clogging pores. Plus, you’ll find apricot and castor oils that float away impurities. Then, there are vitamins, fatty acids, and lipids to help your skin regenerate.
16. O Naturals Moisturizing Organic Coconut Oil, Shea Butter 3 Piece Bar Soaps. Softens & Nourishes Dry Skin
Not everyone likes to use a liquid face wash. That’s why we included this luxurious organic bar soap from O Naturals. It soothes and softens with shea butter, avocado, and coconut oil. This soap smells like fresh coconut and builds a creamy lather in an instant.
If you prefer natural solutions, you’ll appreciate how coconut oil moisturizes the skin without clogging pores. Then, shea butter fights signs of aging. And avocado oil helps to firm the skin by speeding up elastin and collagen production.
17. Simple Kind to Skin Facial Wash, Moisturizing
Simple’s Kind to Skin Moisturizing Facial Wash originates in the UK where it’s part of a popular brand of skincare products. Simple is known for using triple purified water. That’s advantageous when this formula contains humectants to draw moisture into your skin as you wash. The formula also has soothing chamomile as well as vitamins B5 and E to strengthen the skin. And there are no parabens, no sulfates, and no synthetic fragrances.
18. CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
The CeraVe foaming facial cleanser is approved by the National Eczema Association because it’s very gentle and moisturizing. Although you should apply a moisturizer after washing your face, you might get away with forgetting after using this product.
First, the label lists hyaluronic acid, an ingredient that hydrates the skin. Next, there’s also vitamin B3, also known as niacinamide, that reduces redness and irritation. Finally, there are ceramides which prevent moisture loss.
Resolve dry skin in three steps
If you’re tired of dry, dull skin, try these three tips to rejuvenate it within a few days.
The first step is to use a face wash made especially to cleanse dry skin. The second is always to apply moisturizer, morning and night. Try a thicker night cream before bed for better results.
Next, while those two steps are obvious, not everyone thinks to perform the third. Even though you have dry skin, and especially because you do, you need to exfoliate at least once a week. Do this in conjunction with your nightly cleaning, but before you moisturize.
Start by using gentle chemical exfoliants like glycolic or lactic acid. Even rubbing gently with a damp washcloth is better than doing nothing at all. In a short amount of time, you’ll notice healthier, softer skin.
Conclusion
To wrap up, we hope you found the best face wash for dry skin today. There are a lot of good choices available. And a moisturizing face cleanser is essential for keeping your skin young and healthy.
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