Dr Dray has worked her way through more than 100 cleansers. She approved most of them, and the rest split fairly evenly between skips and mixed takes. She also named a handful of her approvals as outright winners.
What does Dr Dray recommend in cleansers?
Most of what she approves is fragrance-free and gentle enough not to leave skin dry or tight after washing. She comes back often to how a cleanser handles sensitive or Accutane-treated skin, where the bar for gentleness is high. The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser impressed her partly because it removed mascara, eye shadow, and non-waterproof sunscreen from a dry face without a second step. She also called the Isntree Facial Cleanser probably the gentlest, most soothing cleanser to comfort a face with an impaired barrier.
In her words
"I love their Clear Pore Cleanser mask. This is basically guiding you through the short contact therapy if you choose the intensive mask option, [...] it's 3.5% benzoyl peroxide."
"I actually saved this bottle and purchased refills, but I finished a whole bottle's worth over this past month. [...] This is one of the best cleansing oils in my experience, it does a good job, it's a nice experience, there's no fragrance and it emulsifies nicely, and I love that you can purchase refills of this."
"One that I really enjoy is the Crave Beauty [...] jelly oil cleanser, it's really nice, definitely really nice. [...] For this jelly oil consistency I think the Crave Beauty one is better than the Fenty Skin cleanser."
"This is a cream cleanser that you can apply to dry or damp skin and I have to tell you guys I have been rather impressed with the performance of this. If you have very sensitive irritated skin, or maybe you're using Accutane and you want the mildest gentlest products, this is a very very very mild gentle creamy soothing frankly cleanser that actually does a good job removing cosmetics."
"I love this and I think they've discontinued it, but it's a really good face cleanser. I love it."
"They also have a little tiny e.l.f. Holy Hydration! Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm like this product. It does have fragrance but it's pretty mild, like it's not headache inducing or anything. Obviously if you're allergic to fragrance you have to avoid it, but I don't mind it in this. And then you know you're rinsing it off so it's less likely to be irritating to the skin."
How many cleansers has Dr Dray reviewed?
Dr Dray has reviewed 108 cleansers, for an approval rate of 69%. 75 approved, 15 mixed, and 18 skipped.
What has Dr Dray skipped in cleansers?
She skipped the Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm and Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water for the same basic reason. Both caused irritation and burning around her eyes, and she described the Versed specifically as feeling like Vicks VapoRub in the eye. She also skipped The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Cleanser over its fragrance and a post-opening shelf life of only six months, which she found oddly short for a cleanser.
"A long time ago I reviewed the CeraVe micellar water, I hated it, it burned my eyes like none other."
"I didn't particularly care for the texture. I found it a little slippery, a little slimy, and for the price I just did not feel as though it was anything mind-blowing. It's just a very basic, mild, fragrance-free cleanser, but the texture of it was a little unwieldy and I didn't quite enjoy that. But I did finish it."
"Micellar water is helpful for some people for removing makeup, water resistant sunscreen, cosmetic residue. It's like an option, right? You have oil cleanser, cleansing balm, micellar water. It works for some people. For me, I never find that these work particularly well. [...] When I've tried this, it just burns around my eyes and causes eyelid irritation."
"I was like, cleansing oils all pretty much work the same. Like, is it really that advantageous to have a more expensive scented one? No."
What should you take from Dr Dray's picks?
Dr Dray's cleanser record is a useful starting point for anyone wanting a dermatologist's real opinion on what to reach for. She approves cleansers that are fragrance-free, genuinely gentle, and capable of removing makeup without leaving skin dry or tight afterward. Her outright winners include Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin Cleanser, CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser, Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water, and The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm.
Watch Dr Dray say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterNamed a winnerWatch at 3:10
- The INKEY List Oat Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 5:10
- Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 4:15
- CeraVe Acne Control Cleanser with 2% Salicylic AcidNamed a winnerWatch at 7:34
- CeraVe Micellar Cleansing WaterSkipped itWatch at 18:30
- Paula's Choice Ultra Gentle CleanserSkipped itWatch at 5:06
- Garnier Micellar Cleansing WaterSkipped itWatch at 16:09
- Shiseido Perfect Cleansing OilSkipped itWatch at 16:22
- Tatcha Matcha Cleanse Daily Clarifying Gel CleanserSkipped itWatch at 9:44
- Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water with Vitamin CSkipped itWatch at 2:35
- Kose Sekkisei Treatment Cleansing OilSkipped itWatch at 11:37
- Garnier Micellar Water with Salicylic AcidSkipped itWatch at 2:06
- Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing BalmSkipped itWatch at 4:53
- Juno & Co Jade Clean 10 Cleansing BalmSkipped itWatch at 17:09
- Youth to the People Kale and Green Tea Spinach Vitamin Superfood CleanserSkipped itWatch at 16:54
- Noxzema Original Deep Cleansing CreamSkipped itWatch at 17:25
- The INKEY List Fulvic Acid Brightening CleanserSkipped itWatch at 11:46
- Peach & Lily Ginger Melt Oil CleanserSkipped itWatch at 6:53
- Anua Heartleaf Plus Vitamin E Pore Control Cleansing OilSkipped itWatch at 4:12
- BYOMA Milky Jelly CleanserSkipped itWatch at 3:19
- e.l.f. Pure Skin CleanserSkipped itWatch at 0:37
- Neutrogena Clear Pore CleanserRated itWatch at 8:09
- d'Alba White Truffle Return Oil Cream CleanserRated itWatch at 3:41
- Krave Beauty Makeup Rewind Transforming Jelly Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 6:33
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Dr Dray said across her videos about 108 products in cleansers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.