Dr. Shereene Idriss has worked through 37 cleansers and come out with a clear point of view. She approved 26 of them, had mixed feelings on 7, and skipped 4 outright. That approval rate of 70% sits alongside two products she called category winners: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water and Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm.
What does Dr. Shereene Idriss recommend in cleansers?
When Dr. Idriss approves a cleanser, a few things tend to show up. She checks the pH, because a cleanser that sits too far from the skin's natural range will strip it. She tested the Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser and found it lands at around six, which she called ideal for not over-stripping the skin. She also keeps an eye on value. She highlighted PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleansing Wash as a cheaper alternative to a pricier option, noting it does essentially the same job for about twelve dollars. For oilier or acne-prone skin, she recommends using benzoyl peroxide cleansers at night a few times a week, letting the formula sit on the skin before rinsing. She also praised the Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil for being fragrance-free and approved by the National Eczema Association, which matters a lot for anyone with sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
In her words
"Clinique's Take The Day Off is a classic I love."
"PanOxyl can use on your face at night several times a week. It's very similar to [Paula's Choice] but it's much cheaper and it comes for 12 bucks."
"If you have active acne and you're extremely oily, maybe a couple times a week when you wash your face at night you want to use benzoyl peroxide. This is PanOxyl at 10%. The percentage of the benzoyl peroxide doesn't really actually matter anywhere from 5 to 10%, you're going to get more or less the same effects. But when you put this on your face, let it sit on your face before washing it off. Note to the wise, it will bleach your towels, hence why I only have white towels. And number two, if you don't want to do it at night because you shower in the morning, maybe then keep it in your shower, apply it to your face while you're washing your body, and then wash your face last. This way you run less risk of bleaching your towels."
"Kate Somerville's Eradicate cleanser is a 3% sulfur cleanser. It is a great cleanser to use especially if you have sebaceous filaments, meaning your pores on your nose are getting constantly clogged, they look like blackheads but they're not quite blackheads. If you are somebody who gets very red, using something that is sulfur based over time can minimize redness. So it's not going to be an instant redness relief, but it can help minimize your redness over time and it can help minimize that oiliness as well on your skin if you are oily."
"The Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser is amazing. I take off all my makeup with it, and I actually put it on my face dry without putting water on my face first. I tested the pH and it falls at around six, which is actually ideal for a cleanser because it's not going to over strip your skin."
"The Avène XeraCalm A.D. is a lipid-replenishing cleansing oil so you're going to feel like a slick seal in the shower and just be careful not to slip, but this one is a great one. This one is fragrance free and approved by the national eczema association."
How many cleansers has Dr. Shereene Idriss reviewed?
Dr. Shereene Idriss has reviewed 37 cleansers, for an approval rate of 70%. 26 approved, 7 mixed, and 4 skipped.
What has Dr. Shereene Idriss skipped in cleansers?
Oil cleansers are a category Dr. Idriss is cautious about for oily or acne-prone skin. She skipped the Bioderma Sensibio Oil Cleanser and explained that she has tried many oil cleansers and found they eventually caused breakouts, even when they seemed fine at first. Her view is that trying to clear clogged pores with an oil-based formula is unlikely to work long-term for that skin type. She also skipped the Augustinus Bader Cleansing Cream, saying she could not justify sixty-five dollars for what she described as a heavy gel cream. The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water was another skip: she felt it did not remove makeup well and irritated her eyes more than any other product she had tried. Finally, she skipped the Neutrogena Stubborn Texture Daily Cleanser, calling out what she saw as misleading marketing, the label highlights 4% glycolic acid, but she said the formula is not strong enough to actually improve skin texture, and she found the positioning confusing.
"There are literally a million oil cleansers on the market and quite frankly I have tried many of them and hated every single one. The reason they have not worked for me for the most part is because they constantly break me out, maybe not in the short term but as I've stuck to them I have noticed that I break out eventually with them. When I have patients who come into my office who wear a lot of makeup, who are very oily or acne prone, and tell me that they're using an oil cleanser and they're still breaking out, I want to shrivel up and melt because for the most part oil cleansers are not going to be for you. Trying to wash your face with oils to get clogged pores, sebaceous filaments or whatever it is off of your face doesn't make any sense and is not going to work in the long run."
"Augustinus Bader, I have The Cleansing Cream listed as something I hate. The price is 65 bucks. Are you kidding me for a glass, very heavy gel cream? You do you if you have it, good for you, but you don't have to spend that much money for a cleanser."
"This is not going to help even out your texture because it's not strong enough to help you even out your texture. But it says salicylic acid acne treatment, yet they choose to highlight 4% glycolic acid and polyhydroxy acid. I'm a little confused by this one because of the misleading marketing."
"I don't think the Garnier micellar water takes off the makeup well. [...] It kind of irritated my eyes way more than anything else I've ever used."
What should you take from Dr. Shereene Idriss's picks?
Dr. Shereene Idriss reads a cleanser's pH, checks its actives against its claims, and weighs the price against what the formula can actually do. Those standards are what put two products on her winners list and pushed four off it entirely. Anyone with oily or acne-prone skin will find her takes on benzoyl peroxide timing and oil cleanser risks especially practical.
Watch Dr. Shereene Idriss 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 2:46
- Then I Met You Living Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 19:25
- Bioderma Sensibio Oil CleanserSkipped itWatch at 1:05
- Augustinus Bader Cleansing CreamSkipped itWatch at 14:43
- Neutrogena Stubborn Texture Daily CleanserSkipped itWatch at 6:29
- Garnier Micellar Cleansing WaterSkipped itWatch at 12:08
- Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 4:25
- PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleansing WashRated itWatch at 9:53
- PanOxyl 10% Benzoyl Peroxide WashRated itWatch at 5:09
- Kate Somerville Eradicate 3% Daily Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 8:19
- Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 2:36
- Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 7:29
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 7:04
- Krave Beauty Makeup Rewind Transforming Jelly Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 2:18
- PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash for Face and Body 4% Benzoyl PeroxideRated itWatch at 4:43
- Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat CleanserRated itWatch at 2:07
- Neutrogena Classic Salicylic Acid Face WashRated itWatch at 8:17
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 12:09
- Walgreens Hypochlorous Acid Cleansing SprayRated itWatch at 13:01
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 11:21
- Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 1:05
- Selfless by Hyram Refreshed CleanserRated itWatch at 7:22
- CeraVe Foaming Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 14:11
- Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 8:56
About this expert
See everything Dr. Shereene Idriss has reviewed
Related guides
This guide reflects what Dr. Shereene Idriss said across her videos about 37 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.