Doctorly is two dermatologists, and cleansers are one area where they have done a lot of the legwork for you. They have reviewed 39 of them, approved 32, given 3 a mixed take, and skipped 4. That works out to a Guru Score of 82%, which puts cleansers among the categories they feel pretty good about overall.
What does Doctorly recommend in cleansers?
What keeps coming up in their approving takes is gentleness that still gets the job done. They praise cleansers that remove makeup and buildup without leaving skin feeling stripped. Cleansing balms are a clear favourite format. They named the Geek & Gorgeous Mighty Melt Cleansing Balm one of the best they had ever tried, called the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm phenomenal, and highlighted the Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm as a genuinely good option. For active cleansers, they got notably excited about the Cetaphil Gentle Clear Complexion Clearing BPO Acne Cleanser. They pointed to its micronized benzoyl peroxide as the reason it rivals prescription formulas and spreads more evenly across skin to cut down on irritation. They also keep reminding people not to overthink the basic cleansing step. A simple, gentle wash like the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser does the job. The real results, they say, come from treatment actives, not the cleanser itself.
In their words
"I bought Geek and Gorgeous's cleansing balm when I was in Germany, it was really affordable, close to maybe ten or under fifteen dollars. It's a really nice cleansing balm, a bit on the softer side, but incredible at removing things without stripping the skin. It's one of my favorite cleansing balms I've ever tried."
"The Cetaphil Calming line came out with this Gentle Clear line and they have a complexion clearing BPO acne cleanser. That's a 2.6% BPO. What I like about it too, it's micronized. It has zinc topically and liquorice in it. This line is lit. It is amazing. The micronized portion not only helps with stability and increased penetration into the follicles to really increase the efficacy, but some of the studies with micronized ingredients also show that it kind of disperses more evenly across the skin to prevent hot spots and minimize irritation. There are a lot of prescription benzoyl peroxide products. This mimics those and it does it better. I think it's great."
"I like Then I Met You's cleansing balm, it's more of an oily cleansing balm rather than a stiffer one. It's a really nice experience, really great at removing anything on the skin without overly stripping. It's a phenomenal product."
"For cleansing, definitely don't overthink it. You just want a gentle cleanser in this step. Your results with hyperpigmentation and dark spots is going to occur with the heavy-hitting actives, the treatment steps of your skincare routine. So for this gentle cleanser, Cetaphil, Neutrogena, we'll put some here. Otherwise, don't overthink this step."
"Bioderma, I've tried theirs. There's so many good options. They're not that expensive. They have micellar water that's perfectly fine. I like that as well, budget friendly."
"Clinique makes a really good one, but still it's hard to hold a flame to the pharmacy one which just works so well."
How many cleansers has Doctorly reviewed?
Doctorly has reviewed 39 cleansers, for a Guru Score of 82%. 32 approved, 3 mixed, and 4 skipped.
What has Doctorly skipped in cleansers?
The four cleansers they skipped each had a specific sticking point. For balms, it came down to texture and performance. The CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser Balm fell short at removing makeup compared to other options they rated higher. The Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm felt too soft and oily, melting into skin more like a pure oil than a proper balm. For the Bubble Fresh Start Gel Cleanser, the issue was ingredients. Despite being labelled fragrance-free, it contains lavender and spearmint. Those are technically essential oils, and they can irritate sensitive skin even when no added fragrance is listed. That means anyone with reactive skin may want to look elsewhere, even though the cleanser does cleanse serviceably. The CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser came down to personal experience: they found the texture felt like rubbing lotion on skin rather than a proper cleanser, and that was a dealbreaker for them.
"I tried the CeraVe Cleansing Balm and for me cleansing balms come down to efficacy, do they do the job of removing things well, and I thought it fell short compared to the Pharmacy Green Clean cleansing balm."
"This is a bit of a greasier cleansing balm. Anecdotally, I don't love it. I have no doubt that it works, but only acceptably, based on how it's kind of melting into my skin, more like a pure oil. To me these balms are just too soft, and in some ways I don't like that experience."
"It has a hydration component but also has lavender flour water and lavender and spearmint, which can be irritating for a lot of people. It gives you that kind of cooling sensation, but it can also [...] be irritating to the skin. Although this is fragrance-free, those are technically essential oils and for some people could end up irritating them. Overall, it's a good affordable basic cleanser, but it's definitely not on my best of Bubble list. It's a cleanser and it will serviceably cleanse."
"I hate the way that product feels on my skin. It feels like I'm rubbing lotion on my skin with no foam. It's not something that I enjoy."
What should you take from Doctorly's picks?
Doctorly's record on cleansers is reassuring. They approve far more than they skip, and they tend to be generous with affordable options. Their three category winners, the CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser, the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser, and the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil, are a good place to start. Where they do push back, the reasoning is practical and easy to act on. Check balm textures before committing, and scan ingredient lists for essential oils even on products marketed as fragrance-free.
Watch Doctorly say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 9:21
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 7:02
- Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing OilNamed a winnerWatch at 12:20
- CeraVe Makeup Removing Cleanser BalmSkipped itWatch at 9:27
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing BalmSkipped itWatch at 4:10
- Bubble Fresh Start Gel CleanserSkipped itWatch at 3:02
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserSkipped itWatch at 7:23
- Geek & Gorgeous Mighty Melt Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 9:09
- Cetaphil Gentle Clear Complexion Clearing BPO Acne CleanserRated itWatch at 5:59
- Then I Met You Living Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 8:47
- Cetaphil Gentle Skin CleanserRated itWatch at 11:43
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterRated itWatch at 63:36
- Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 23:44
- CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser with 4% Benzoyl PeroxideRated itWatch at 3:08
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 5:42
- Kate Somerville Eradicate CleanserRated itWatch at 9:48
- Dermalogica Special Cleansing GelRated itWatch at 8:37
- Minimalist Oat extract cleanserRated itWatch at 8:43
- Real Actives Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 12:08
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 6:13
- PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide WashRated itWatch at 13:34
- Vanicream Gentle Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 5:46
- CeraVe Renewing SA CleanserRated itWatch at 8:55
- PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleansing WashRated itWatch at 5:53
About this expert
See everything Doctorly has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what Doctorly said across their videos about 39 products in cleansers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The Guru Score is our read on how warmly they talk about them. It is general information, not medical advice.