Mad About Skin has worked through 37 cleansers, and his record is one of the more generous you'll find: he approved 32 of them, gave a mixed take on 2, and skipped 3. That adds up to an approval rate of 86%. Still, the takes he turned down are worth knowing, because they are not about bad products so much as better ones existing at lower prices.
What does Mad About Skin recommend in cleansers?
The pattern that runs through his approving takes is a cleanser that gets the job done without punishing the skin afterward. He keeps coming back to two things: how well a product lifts makeup, SPF and debris, and whether it leaves skin feeling tight or stripped once it rinses away. On the Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm, he called it 'really well formulated' because it 'disappears without a trace' and 'doesn't leave a film, it doesn't strip, it doesn't dry'. He weighs value heavily too. The Geek & Gorgeous 101 Mighty Melt Cleansing Balm won his strongest praise partly because it costs around twelve dollars and 'you only need a little', and he said outright he sees no reason to spend far more on a luxury alternative. For oily and acne-prone skin, he picked out The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser as 'by far and away the most gentle of the foaming cleansers on the market' because it removes excess oil while still being 'calming, soothing, hydrating'. Five cleansers earned his top stamp across the category, including the Numbuzin Glutathione Cica Facial Spa Cleanser, which he called his holy grail for three years, and the PSA Skin Reset Cleanser with AAI and Manuka Honey.
In his words
"I love the Radiance Cleansing Balm because it disappears without a trace, gets all of that makeup, dirt, debris, and SPF off the skin, but it doesn't leave a film, it doesn't strip, it doesn't dry. It's just really well formulated. You look at the ingredients on here, it's not packed full of filler ingredients, it's just a beautiful blend of oils needed to kind of do everything for your cleanse."
"This is by far and away the most gentle of the foaming cleansers on the market and this is really important for someone like me that has super oily and acne prone skin. We want a cleanser that's going to remove some of that excess oil but we don't want something that's going to leave us tight, stripped and dried. This ticks that box. In fact it ticks every box. It's calming, it's soothing, it's hydrating but also removes the excess oil. It's like a miracle workout."
"This has been my absolute holy grail cleanser for the past three years. [...] It's a beautiful oil, great for facial massage, and it emulsifies into a beautiful milk when you add water and rinses away without a trace, so it's the nicest cleansing experience you'll ever have. The glutathione helps at the margins with hyperpigmentation, and the scent brings the spa into your home without a luxury price point."
"This is the Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser. It used to be an oldie and a favorite of mine years ago, and I [...] recently [...] rediscovered my love of it. It's beautiful, super lightweight, really refreshing. It doesn't have any artificial fragrance in it but it does have a light pick-me-up scent which I absolutely love. It doesn't strip or dry but gets the job done. I'd say this is a perfect morning cleanser for people that are wearing multiple layers of SPF."
"This is the silkiest, richest, most luxurious cleanser you have ever tried, and it's the cheapest product from Allies of Skin. So if you're looking to try the brand but you don't want to splurge too hard, this is the product I would recommend."
"This is the best cleansing balm you will ever, ever use. Just take it from me. It costs, it's under $20. I think it's somewhere in the region of about $12 and [...] you get a lot of product. Like this is the latest one that I bought and you can see how much you're getting in there. It's like a full pan of cleansing balm and you only need a little. [...] So good for summer because we wear multiple layers of SPF. Often we'll have gone for a water resistant SPF, really difficult to shift."
How many cleansers has Mad About Skin reviewed?
Mad About Skin has reviewed 37 cleansers, for an approval rate of 86%. 32 approved, 2 mixed, and 3 skipped.
What has Mad About Skin skipped in cleansers?
His three skips are not about poor quality; they are about being outpaced. He skipped The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser because he thinks The Ordinary's own newer releases, including the foaming cleanser and The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser, do the job better, making the squalane version 'a little bit redundant'. He skipped the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser for the same reason at a different brand, pointing to the Face Facts Ceramide Infused Cleanser as basically better and 'a fraction of the cost'. The Kylie Skin Foaming Face Wash got the third skip because the formulas felt average while the price point sat above average, giving no reason to go back. If he skipped something, it is almost always because something cheaper does more.
"I tried the cleanser and I tried one of the masks and they were fine but there was nothing there that made me want to buy it again. The formulations were average, the price point was above average. There's nothing there to make you want to repurchase it."
"The Squalane Cleanser, again a really nice affordable gentle cleanser, but the newer versions, which is their foaming cleanser and their glycolipid cleanser, just work a little bit better. The glycolipid one great for super dry skin, the foaming cleanser great if you want that gentle but foaming cleansing action, great again for us oily folk. Those two are amazing, rendering the Squalane Cleanser again a little bit redundant."
"Revolution skincare do a far better version, and I also love the Face Fact ceramide version which is basically better than this and a fraction of the cost. There are better options out there."
What should you take from Mad About Skin's picks?
Mad About Skin's cleansing record comes down to a simple test: does it clean thoroughly, leave skin comfortable, and justify its price? When a product passes all three, he approves it warmly. When a cheaper or newer option makes it redundant, he says so plainly. His five named winners across the category are a solid shortlist to start from, and his skips are a useful reminder that a higher price tag alone is never enough.
Watch Mad About Skin say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- The INKEY List Oat Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 20:44
- Geek & Gorgeous 101 Mighty Melt Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 7:07
- The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 10:10
- PSA Skin Reset Cleanser with AAI and Manuka HoneyNamed a winnerWatch at 14:04
- Numbuzin Glutathione Cica Facial Spa CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 11:30
- Kylie Skin Foaming Face WashSkipped itWatch at 8:57
- The Ordinary Squalane CleanserSkipped itWatch at 3:17
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserSkipped itWatch at 12:08
- Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 8:31
- Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing CleanserRated itWatch at 2:26
- Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating CleanserRated itWatch at 5:39
- Remedy Rich Cream to Foam CleanserRated itWatch at 4:38
- The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream CleanserRated itWatch at 2:07
- Arencia Rice Mucin CleanserRated itWatch at 8:47
- The INKEY List 2% Salicylic Acid CleanserRated itWatch at 51:11
- Krave Beauty Makeup Rewind Transforming Jelly Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 12:41
- Skin1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 7:54
- Dr Sam's Flawless CleanserRated itWatch at 3:47
- Geek & Gorgeous Jelly Joker Low pH CleanserRated itWatch at 3:26
- Prequel Gentle CleanserRated itWatch at 4:33
- Numbuzin Easy Peasy Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 2:50
- Dermalogica Special Cleansing GelRated itWatch at 3:51
- Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating CleanserRated itWatch at 13:24
- Remedy Gel-to-Foam Cleanser with Salicylic AcidRated itWatch at 3:18
About this expert
See everything Mad About Skin has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Mad About Skin said across his videos about 37 products in cleansers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.