Sincerely Miss Ash has worked her way through more than 20 cleansers, and her record in this category is about as positive as it gets. She runs an approval rate of 92%, which means she found something to genuinely like in nearly every one she tried. She has not named a single category winner, but her consistent praise tells a clear story about what she looks for.
What does Sincerely Miss Ash recommend in cleansers?
Gentleness comes up again and again across her approving takes. She praised the La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser for being "extremely gentle" and "very moisturizing". She called the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser one of those everyday cleansers "that should be in everyone's arsenal" because it never broke her out and kept her skin comfortable. She also values a cleanser that pulls its weight at the double-cleanse step, meaning the first wash that removes sunscreen and tinted SPFs before you cleanse again. The Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3% earned her praise on exactly that front. She also noted that The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm is "really gentle, calming, and soothing" for that same first-cleanse role, especially for those with sensitive skin. Value matters to her too: she pointed out that the La Roche-Posay lasts a long time because one pump is all you need.
In her words
"I use this morning and evening to remove my makeup and sunscreen as that first cleanse at the end of the day, and then again as a double cleanse. It works really well to remove sunscreen, water resistant sunscreen, tinted SPFs, and lip stains, it removes everything really nicely and it's so gentle. It lathers up quite nicely and it's perfect for my combination acne prone skin. I do have another one going already."
"I have combination skin and I am acne prone and I absolutely love this. It never breaks me out, it keeps my skin nice and comfortable, nice and moisturized. It's super gentle, it doesn't burn my eyes, and it's just one of those everyday cleansers that I feel like should be in everyone's arsenal. I wouldn't say this is the best cleanser to use to remove your makeup and sunscreen as that first cleanse in your nighttime routine."
"The CeraVe foaming cleanser is also a great option as well. It's unscented, you can use it up to twice a day if you really wanted to, and it has a pH of 5.5 which mimics our natural skin's pH, so this is amazing."
"This is amazing for removing your makeup, removing your sunscreen, and just cleansing your skin on an everyday basis. If you're looking for something that is extremely gentle, very moisturizing on the skin, but also something that is fragrance free, then this would be a great option. You are getting 400 mL of product, and all you need is basically one pump to cleanse your skin in the morning, one pump to remove your makeup and sunscreen. This is going to last you a really long time."
"This is a yearly favorite and I have loved this for so many years. This was actually the first product that I started using when I was starting to get into skincare and makeup to remove my makeup at night time or my sunscreen. It is excellent because it is really quick to use. Honestly, you don't have to rinse this off after you've used it."
"The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm contains oats so this is very calming and soothing to the skin. It's great for all skin types including those that have sensitive skin and it also is quite moisturizing as well. I never use this as that traditional cleanser; I just use this to remove makeup and sunscreen and then of course as a face mask. This is really gentle, calming, and soothing, and you're getting 150 mls of product."
How many cleansers has Sincerely Miss Ash reviewed?
Sincerely Miss Ash has reviewed 25 cleansers, for an approval rate of 92%. 23 approved, 0 mixed, and 2 skipped.
What has Sincerely Miss Ash skipped in cleansers?
She skipped very few cleansers, but the ones she did had clear reasons. The DRMTLGY Essential Cleanser caused breakouts across her cheeks, forehead, and temples, areas where she does not normally break out, and her skin cleared up once she stopped using it. She found the Ordinary Squalane Cleanser left a residue and never made her skin feel truly clean, and she named it her least favourite of the whole lot.
"But as I got using this more and more often I started breaking out like crazy, little pimples all over my cheeks, my forehead, areas where I don't typically break out. I never get breakouts on my forehead or my temples, sometimes my cheeks I do, but this was completely different, so I knew this was coming from the cleanser, and once I stopped using this my skin cleared up completely. So I got looking at the ingredient list and I thought to myself, what could possibly be breaking me out?"
"I just feel like it leaves a residue on my skin and my skin never feels clean with the Squalane Cleanser. That's based on my own opinion of course, but it's my least favorite out of all of them."
What should you take from Sincerely Miss Ash's picks?
Sincerely Miss Ash is a reliable guide to cleansers because she genuinely approves of so many of them. Her advice points toward gentle, fragrance-free formulas that leave skin comfortable and clean. She is especially useful on double-cleansing, with clear picks for that first makeup-and-sunscreen removal step. When she does skip something, she explains exactly why, which makes those rare misses just as useful as her approvals.
Watch Sincerely Miss Ash say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- DRMTLGY Essential CleanserSkipped itWatch at 13:40
- The Ordinary Squalane CleanserSkipped itWatch at 3:06
- Ntorium Niacinamide Cleansing Gel 3%Rated itWatch at 16:27
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 15:08
- CeraVe Foaming Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 2:22
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle CleanserRated itWatch at 7:15
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterRated itWatch at 13:12
- The INKEY List Oat Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 18:47
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 1:01
- Haruharu Wonder Black Rice Moisture 5.5 Soft Cleansing GelRated itWatch at 8:10
- Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Removing Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 11:00
- BYOMA Melting Balm CleanserRated itWatch at 2:30
- Naturium Purple Ginseng Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 4:54
- Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%Rated itWatch at 1:43
- Cocokind Oil to Milk CleanserRated itWatch at 2:11
- Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 1:22
- Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Enzyme Foam CleanserRated itWatch at 6:46
- CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 2:15
- Bubble Fresh Start Gel CleanserRated itWatch at 19:21
- Hada Labo Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 0:46
- Elmus Pro Collagen Makeup Melting Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 1:47
- DRMTLGY Goat CleanserRated itWatch at 6:12
- Neutrogena Niacinamide Cleansing Jelly 3%Rated itWatch at 1:53
- Versed Day Dissolve Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 10:46
About this expert
See everything Sincerely Miss Ash has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Sincerely Miss Ash said across her videos about 25 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.