Facial Cleansers : Question and Answer

A:

One of the most expensive facial cleansers that we've come across is the Phyto-Blanc Buff and Wash Facial Gel (est. $125/3.4 fl. oz.). Unfortunately, some of its active ingredients (lemon extract and lavender oil) can irritate your skin and impede its natural renewal process. Even if you are a luxury good addict, we wouldn't suggest ever spending more than about $35 on a facial cleanser because the truth is that you can get an exceptionally well-formulated cleanser for under $10. Expensive cleansers aren't necessarily good for your skin, and some of the good ones actually have shockingly similar formulations to cheaper drugstore brands. When shopping for a facial cleanser, the most important thing to do is find a gentle water-soluble cleanser designed for your skin type. Then, carefully review the cleanser's ingredient list to make sure it doesn't contain fragrance or other irritants such as dyes, alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, etc. Some of the best expensive facial cleansers we've come across include SkinCeuticals' Purifying Cleanser ($34/8 fl. oz.; all skin types), Laura Mercier's Flawless Skin Oil-Free Foaming One-Step Cleanser ($35/6.8 fl. oz.; normal to dry skin), Fresh's Soy Cleanser ($38/5.1 fl. oz.; normal to dry skin), Peter Thomas Roth's Gentle Foaming Cleanser ($32/6.7 fl. oz.; normal to oily skin), etc.