As you may have noticed, I’m a HUGE fan of “best of” lists! Especially when it comes to finding affordable products that suit every one of my readers. So I had a great time putting together this list of the best drugstore face wash options. It covers several different skin types – oily, dry, acne prone, sensitive, and aging skin. From rich moisturizing products to ones with blemish fighting ingredients, you have 20 excellent options to choose from.
The best part is that these items cost about $10 or less! Skin care products from boutiques and department stores can easily cost $30 to $40 per bottle. When you’re using a face wash, toner, and moisturizer, that’s over $100 for your skin care regimen. No, thank you! To save some money while taking excellent care of your skin type, check out all of the great options on my Top 20 Best Drugstore Face Wash list.
Best Drugstore Face Wash: Top 20 Cleanser List
The Best Drugstore Face Wash For Oily Skin
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Oil-Eliminating Foaming Cleanser – Oily skin can be super frustrating, especially when your skin looks shiny within 30 minutes of washing your face. This Neutrogena face wash helps minimize that oily shine for several hours! It’s a gentle foaming cleanser that gives your skin that light and fresh feeling after using it. If you really want to banish oil all day long, try pairing this wash with Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent. Use this toner after washing your face and before applying moisturizer and makeup. With this duo, you can battle that shine with confidence.
Pond’s Clear Balance Oil Control Skin Mattifying Facial Foam – Pond’s skin care products have been a household name for as long as I can remember! Their refreshing cold cream is one my favorite drugstore makeup removers. This foaming facial wash is designed to absorb traces of oil and dirt from your skin’s surfaces, and it leaves a light matte finish afterward. Though it’s designed for oily skin, it’s still gentle and designed not to cause dryness or flakiness. If you want something totally simple and affordable, this is the way to go.
Biore Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar – After using a sample of a Lush brand charcoal bar, I fell in love with how well the product worked. Unfortunately, I couldn’t justify paying almost $15 for a tiny bar of face wash. Don’t get me wrong! I love the brand, but you all know that I’m all about saving money. Biore’s Pore Penetrating Charcoal Bar is an incredibly affordable and effective alternative. It removes every trace of oil from your skin and leaves your pores looking noticeably smaller. It’s also got a slight mint scent to it, which I absolutely love. If you want the best drugstore face wash for oily skin, I can vouch for this option 100%.
Clean & Clear Advantage Oil Absorbing Cream Cleanser – When I was a teenager, Clean & Clear came out with the Advantage line. My skin has gotten much better since then, but I loved this cream cleanser and the entire line of Advantage products. This cleanser is powerful as can be, but it never dried out or irritated my skin. It’s also a face wash for acne, so it’s a double whammy all in one product. Though it contains salicylic acid, I found it to be totally suitable for daily use. If you have a combo of oily skin and acne, this affordable cleanser is the one for you.
The Best Drugstore Face Cleanser For Dry Skin
Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser – Like many other Neutrogena products, this one was developed by dermatologists to make sure it is ideal for dry skin. It’s a creamy face wash that feels similar to a rich moisturizer, so it hydrates your skin while keeping it clean. If you have dry skin that is also sensitive, I fully recommend this product. It’s totally free of dyes and fragrances, so it’s as gentle as can be. Use this cleanser to leave your skin looking and feeling nourished. From makeup removal to a simple daily face wash, this product has you covered!
Clean & Clear Morning Burst Hydrating Facial Cleanser – Though I normally don’t have dry skin, it does get a bit dry in the winter. During that time, I tend to switch to this super gentle cleanser. It’s especially nice when my skin gets chapped from cold winter winds! It has an extremely subtle fruity scent that definitely adds to that ‘morning burst’ sensation. It’s effective at keeping my dry spots moisturized, but it’s surprisingly good at keeping oil at bay, too! If you have dry or combination skin, this is an excellent and affordable option for you to consider.
CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser – I read about this cleanser on skin care forums, makeup forums, and I checked out each Amazon review. It’s definitely a popular choice for men and women who need a gentle daily cleanser! The formula used in this product is patented, and it provides ultra-deep nourishment for normal to dry skin. It’s also very effective at removing makeup and oil, so it covers all of the bases. If you want a simple, no-fuss cleanser that keeps your skin moisturized, you should certainly check out CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser!
Garnier Clean+ Smoothing Cream Cleanser For Dry Skin – I will be 100% honest and state that I find many Garnier hair care products to be hit or miss. However, their skin care line is consistently impressive, and this face wash really takes the cake. It contains jojoba oil and macadamia oil; both of these oils are designed to deeply nourish skin. It removes traces of dirt, oil, and other residues without drying out your skin. If you want to create a full-blown, effective regimen for pampering your dry skin, pair this wash with the Garnier Skincare Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream.
The Best Drugstore Facial Cleanser For Acne Prone Skin
L’Oreal Paris Go 360 Clean, Anti-Breakout Facial Cleanser – Up until a few years ago, I was cursed with persistent acne. My friend had this face wash and I used it when I was visiting her – let’s just say I had to make a quick drugstore stop on the way home! I love the soft rubber “Scrublet” that is used to wash your face. It’s textured and makes it super easy to deep clean your skin. The face wash contains salicylic acid, which is a super popular and effective acne fighting ingredient. If you want to banish blemishes on your face, this stuff truly gets the job done.
Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser – Aveeno moisturizers and lotions are personal favorites of mine. They have a very “pure” feeling to them, as they are often free of fragrances and unnecessary additives. This hypoallergenic face wash is definitely no exception! It contains salicylic acid to banish and prevent acne, and it also has soy extracts to gently moisturize skin. If you want something a bit more natural, then I suggest giving this Aveeno cleanser a try.
Biore Pore Unclogging Scrub – This is another face wash that I kept in my “acne arsenal”, and I still keep a bottle of it for the occasional breakout. Biore consistently has incredibly high-quality products for low prices, and the Pore Unclogging Scrub takes the cake. The rounded beads exfoliate your skin and clean out your pores without causing irritation. The creamy part of the cleanser contains salicylic acid to battle your acne. Blackhead and blemish treatment all in one product? Yes, please!
Clean & Clear Morning Burst Shine Control Facial Cleanser – The “Morning Burst” line has a nice array of options, and this is definitely one of my favorites. Again, this was one of my go-to cleansers “back in the day” when I had awful skin. First thing’s first – this face wash smells amazingly fresh and fruity. I enjoy all of the Morning Burst scents, but this takes the cake. Additionally, it really does start your day off right by providing shine control for oily skin. If you have combination skin, follow up with a moisturizer. This stuff gets every bit of oil in my experience, so you’ll want to nourish your skin if you’ve got dry spots!
The Best Drugstore Face Wash For Sensitive Skin
Clean & Clear Oil-Free Deep Action Cream Cleanser for Sensitive Skin – Clean & Clean strikes again with another affordable and effective product! This face wash for sensitive skin is comprised of moisturizers that pamper your skin as you use it. Additionally, this formula is designed to deep clean your pores. That means you can get the fresh, blemish-free skin you want without using harsher facial products. The Clean & Clear Deep Cleaning Sensitive Skin Astringent is an excellent choice if you need an extra bit of help with battling acne, blackheads, and other skin problems.
L’Oreal Paris Go 360 Clean, Deep Facial Cleanser for Sensitive Skin – During my acne days, I used a product that ended up being WAY too strong for my skin. I had a lovely chemical burn (AKA I had a tomato face) for about a week. I still needed to wash my face, of course, so I opted for the Sensitive Skin face wash from L’Oreal. It was incredibly gentle, didn’t cause any burning, and left my skin feeling super clean. I still have a bottle of this on hand to use when I need something gentle yet effective to remove my makeup with. Again, I can 100% vouch for this one. If it didn’t irritate my chemical burned skin, it’s definitely ideal for sensitive skin!
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser – This is one of few drugstore skin cleansers that is gentle on sensitive skin while also combatting acne. In my experience, Cetaphil is one of the best “all in one” cleansers on the market. It’s so gentle that it can be used to clean babies – so you know it’s going to be ideal for your sensitive skin. It’s fragrance-free and leaves your skin feeling fresh. When I used this during winter time, I simply followed it up with a generic store-brand toner. My skin looked and felt healthy, and the not-so-flattering dry red skin around my nose wasn’t irritated one bit.
Burt’s Bees Radiance Facial Cleanser – There are two things that I adore about this face wash – it’s derived from over 99% natural ingredients, but it’s still super affordable. I’ve seen tons of natural washes and moisturizers retailing for $30 or more…no thank you! This cleanser contains royal jelly, which is a rich moisturizing agent that’s perfect for sensitive skin. It’s also loaded with vitamins and minerals that are essential for healthy skin. For this price point, it certainly seems like the best natural face wash you can find! If you want something gentle that will leave you looking radiant, this cleanser is the real deal.
The Best Drugstore Face Wash For Anti-Aging
Olay Total Effects Revitalizing Foam Cleanser – The Olay Total Effects line was designed to fight the seven most common signs of aging – fine lines/wrinkles, large pores, acne, dry/flaky skin, blackheads, excessive oil, and dull skin. As you can see, it’s got you completely covered no matter what type of anti-aging problems your skin is experiencing. This gentle wash is perfect for daily use. If you want to really battle these problems, pair it with Olay Total Effects Night Firming Facial Moisturizer Treatment.
Olay Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser – The Olay Regenerist line is another line of anti-aging products offered by this popular skin care company. This silky smooth cream cleanser focuses on four things – anti-aging, healing and protection, exfoliation, and deep cleaning. By exfoliating and deep cleaning, this cleanser can give the surface of your skin a soft and smooth texture. The detoxifying ingredients in this face wash are what really make it stand out. Again, you can pair this product with others in the Olay Regenerist line to get the best results. I suggest trying out the highly-rated Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream Moisturizer. In as little as four weeks, you can see an improvement in the texture and overall appearance of your skin.
L’Oreal Paris RevitaLift Radiant Smoothing Facial Cream Cleanser – Though I’ve never used this cleanser, it caught my eye for two reasons. One, it’s part of the extremely popular L’Oreal Paris RevitaLift line. Second, I read literally HUNDREDS of rave reviews about it! This creamy face wash is packed with Vitamin C, which is an essential anti-aging vitamin. It’s often dubbed a “super vitamin” when it comes to anti-aging topical products. You’ll find very similar Vitamin C infused cleansers that cost two or three times as much as this one! It also uses a very light exfoliant to gently smooth out the surface of your skin. If you want a highly rated, gentle cleanser to fight fine lines and wrinkles, give this one a try!
Aveeno Absolutely Ageless Nourishing Cleanser – This anti-aging cleanser features natural ingredients like blackberry extract, which is full of antioxidants that combat signs of aging. You can use the gentle cleanser on a daily basis to help your skin look more youthful. The formula is designed not to clog pores, so you don’t have to worry about a greasy look or large blackheads. Many reviewers noted how amazing this cleanser smells, yet the fragrance did not irritate their skin. Aveeno is a reputable and dermatologist recommended brand, so this drugstore anti-aging cleanser is certainly worth considering.
As you can see, there are options on this list for essentially every type of skin! Want to get rid of acne? No problem. Tired of dealing with dry skin? We’ve got you covered. And best of all, you’re not going to be paying a fortune for any of these cleansers. I’d love to hear your feedback about this best drugstore face wash list. Have you tried these products? Do you pair these products with any drugstore makeup products we’ve suggested? Make sure to comment below to let me know what you think!
Amy Baum
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I love the charcoal bar. I got it based on your review. 🙂
Glad to hear you like it and we were able to help out 🙂