Please disable Ad Blocker before you can visit the website !!!

The 10 Best Face Washes For Dry Skin

by Mikey Lee   ·  2 years ago  
thumbnail
This page may have affiliate links, meaning I'll earn a commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you.

Have you felt that your current face wash leaves your skin drier and strips it of natural oils? You could benefit from trying these best face washes for dry skin.

You may think cleansing might not be a fantastic idea if you have dry skin and would likely feel moisturiser is the more appropriate option. However, washing your face and leaving it clean can be one of the essential steps to keeping your skin looking radiant and optimal. Choosing a suitable face wash can be crucial in achieving glowing and healthy skin. The best face washes for dry skin often contain ingredients known to help your skin stay highly hydrated such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. 

Generally, the signs of dry skin can include roughness, flakiness and skin that feels prone to irritation or redness. These signs could be more visible, particularly when your skin is dehydrated and requires hydration. Using some of the best face washes for dry skin and learning about the best ways to cleanse your skin can help you support your skin needs better. 

For instance, using lukewarm water to gently cleanse no more than twice per day, usually once during the day and another at night before your skincare routine. Here are some of the best face cleaners for dry skin known to give gentle cleansing without stripping it of natural oil while helping your skin stay hydrated. 

1. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser


The Fresh soy face cleanser is one of the best face washes for dry skin. This face wash can be a great choice for those who have dry skin as it works to provide gentle cleansing without stripping your skin. Also, this cleanser is pH balanced, which can mean that using this face wash doesn’t disrupt the pH of your skin, preparing it for the following steps of your skincare routine. Furthermore, the soy face cleanser is filled with gentler ingredients that benefit dry skin to make it even better.

For instance, the Fresh soy face cleanser consists of glycerin, rose water, soy protein and cucumber extract. Glycerin, a humectant, can exceptionally be good for dry skin as it helps your skin retain moisture. In turn, this helps your skin increase hydration, nourish the skin’s surface, and relieve dryness. Cucumber extract helps provide a soothing effect, rose water a calming effect, and soy protein help restore skin elasticity. Also, this cleanser doesn’t contain fragrance which could cause skin reactions for some people.

2. First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Cleanser 


The First Aid Beauty pure skin cleanser has a whipped texture but turns into a creamy and moisturising form when you start massaging your skin with water. The texture allows your skin to retain moisture while gently cleansing away impurities and dirt. This face wash helps your skin stay hydrated and soothed by containing allantoin, glycerin, aloe extract and botanical antioxidants. 

Allantoin and aloe extract helps your skin by providing healing and soothing effects, while glycerin acts to moisturise and protect your skin. Furthermore, the antioxidants allow your skin to be better protected from free radical damage. Not only that, the First Aid Beauty pure skin cleanser is pH balanced, which supports your skin to maintain its natural acidity level. Also, this face wash is free of fragrance and parabens, which can cause skin reactions in certain people. However, as with many skincare products, including cleansers, it can be important to be more attentive for skin reactions or do patch tests, particularly if you have sensitive skin.

3. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser


Generally, cleansers that strip your skin of essential moisture and leave it over-dried tend to cause more significant problems for people with dry skin. The Ordinary squalene cleanser is one of the best face washes for dry skin that is designed to be soft on the skin. It is incorporated by squalene and other lipophilic esters to provide your skin with gently cleansing, efficiently washing away impurities and grime while leaving the skin moisturised. 

Squalene is known to act as an antioxidant while helping your skin reduce moisture loss and boost hydration. At the same time, lipophilic esters can work as you rub The Ordinary squalene cleanser from a balm-like texture to a clearer and oily consistency. Through this process, the sucrose esters become able to dissolve the impurities and make it easier to wash off with water.

4. Vanicream Gentle Face Cleanser


Sensitivity can occur for all skin types. However, there are some notions that dry skin tends to be more vulnerable to experiencing irritation and reactions to skincare products, including cleansers. This could be the case since when you have dry skin, your moisture barrier and fat that keeps your skin from drying are at a loss. The Vanicream face cleanser has gentle cleansing agents to efficiently cleanse your skin without stripping and doesn’t contain potential irritants like fragrance and essential oils. 

Also, the Vanicream gentle face cleanser is pH-balanced, meaning that your skin’s natural acidity level can be maintained and non-comedogenic, meaning it wouldn’t clog your pores. Additionally, this cleanser contains glycerin to help your skin retain moisture and keep it hydrated. This face wash aims to leave your skin feeling clean and soft. 

5. La Roche-Posay Lipikar Wash


You might be thinking La Roche-Posay Lipikar wash states it is for both body and face, plus it has a foaming function, and those combinations could be questionable. However, this foaming wash was designed with gentle ingredients that help protect your skin from the drying effects of water and leaves the skin clean, soft, and instantly soothed. Although this cleanser was designed for both body and the face, its formulation allows your skin to maintain balance.

Furthermore, the La Roche-Posay Lipikar wash formulations consist of La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal water and shea butter. The La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal water is rich in selenium, a natural antioxidant that protects your skin from free radical damage and improves skin elasticity. While shea butter contains various types of fatty acids that help improve the skin barrier and also act to protect your skin from environmental damage like irritants. The shea butter acts as an emollient to help with softening and hydrating your skin. 

Related Post: 10 Best Korean Cleansers For All Skin Types

6. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser


The CeraVe hydrating cleanser with a creamy and nourishing texture is another of the best face washes for dry skin. Similarly, with other skincare products formulated to better suit people with dry skin, this cleanser also contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Hyaluronic acid helps your skin stay hydrated by attracting hydration on the skin’s surface and glycerin to retain moisture. The hydrating cleanser aims to maintain your skin balance, not over-stripping it and leaving it feeling tight or dry. 

Also, this cleanser contains a triple-ceramides formula that allows for gentle cleansing and helps to strengthen your skin’s barrier. Additionally, the CeraVe hydrating cleanser is non-comedogenic, which means it doesn’t clog your pores and is free of fragrance. This cleanser could benefit your dry skin with different hydrating ingredients in the formula, like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. It works to cleanse away dirt and impurities gently and efficiently without disrupting your skin’s natural balance. 

7. Neutrogena Hydroboost Gel Cleanser


Neutrogena hydroboost gel cleanser is a gentle gel-like consistency and turns into a soft lather, efficiently removing dirt, oil, impurities and water-resistant sunscreen without stripping your skin. This cleanser contains hyaluronic acid to allow for hydration function and boost your skin hydration levels by attracting and locking in moisture. Additionally, the hydro boost gel cleanser consists of glycerin to further support your skin hydration level and keep it hydrated. 

The Neutrogena hydroboost gel cleanser is designed to be used as a daily cleanser and is lightweight for a gentle finish. It helps to keep the skin balanced and prepared for your following skincare routine. This cleanser is also known to be non-comedogenic, so it doesn’t clog your pores. However, as a note, this face wash contains fragrance, considered one of the ingredients that could cause a skin reaction or irritation for some people. On the other hand, this cleanser aims to provide gentle and efficient cleansing while helping your skin maintain and boost hydration. 

8. Avene Extremely Gentle Cleansing Lotion


Suppose you have been wondering whether there might be an effective no-rinse cleanser for when you have limited water access, like camping or something. The Avene extremely gentle cleansing lotion is a no-rinse cleanser designed especially for those with dry and sensitive skin. Also, the formulation consists of gentle ingredients such as Avene thermal spring water with soothing and softening properties. 

However, although the Avene extremely gentle cleansing lotion might be a no-rinse, it could be better to wash it off if you use it daily and often. Besides that, this cleanser can be one of the best face washes for dry skin. It is designed to leave your skin soft and moisturised with gentle but efficient cleansing of dirt and impurities without any tightness or stripping feeling. Furthermore, the extremely gentle cleansing lotion aims to reduce skin reactivity to external environmental factors and provide better protection by restoring the hydrolipidic barrier.

Read More: 10 Best Korean Cleansers For Dry Skin

9. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser


The La Roche-Posay toleriane hydrating gentle cleanser is a face wash free from oil, soap, sulphate, fragrance and paraben, making it quite skin-friendly. Also, this cleanser is non-comedogenic, so it doesn’t clog up your pores. The toleriane hydrating gentle cleanser is formulated with various gentle and hydrating ingredients, such as La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal spring water, glycerin, niacinamide, and ceramide-3.  

The La Roche-Posay prebiotic thermal water can provide a soothing effect for your skin, while niacinamide is a type of vitamin B3 which helps restore the skin’s moisture barrier. Ceramide-3 can be essential for helping your skin retain moisture and strengthen your skin barrier to be healthier. Whereas glycerin acts as a humectant to help hydrate your skin by absorbing water from the surrounding environment. The La Roche-Posay toleriane hydrating gentle cleanser gently and effectively cleanses your skin of impurities and dirt while keeping the skin’s natural moisture barrier and pH balanced.

10. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser


The Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser, creamy formula consisting of niacinamide, panthenol and glycerin, helps your skin to be hydrated and protects your skin from dryness. This cleanser provides gentle and hydrating cleansing for your skin, effectively removing dirt, makeup and impurities. Furthermore, niacinamide, or vitamin B3, supports cells in the skin while also defending them from environmental stresses, such as sunlight, pollution, and toxins. 

Whereas Panthenol or vitamin B5 help moisturise the skin, reducing water loss and providing a soothing effect for the skin. While glycerin acts as a humectant and also helps your skin stay hydrated and moisturised by allowing the skin to retain moisture. The Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser is also fragrance, paraben and oil-free. Furthermore, this cleanser is non-comedogenic and hypoallergenic. So it won’t clog your pores and reduce the likeliness of causing allergic reactions.


Cleansing can be a crucial step even for those with dry skin type, although it may sound unusual. You are likely thinking that a hydrating and moisturising cream could be better than washing a face that might be pretty dry. However, one way to lead to healthy and glowing skin is to cleanse and maintain clean skin. To reduce the chances of stripping your skin and being affected by the signs of dry skin like tight feeling, roughness or flakiness and being more prone to irritation. Finding cleaners that work for your skin can be vital, like some of these best face washes for dry skin. 

Often, cleansers considered suitable for dry skin are formulated to provide gentle and effective cleansing without stripping and leaving the skin with a tight feeling. Additionally, helping your skin to be boosted with hydration and supports retaining moisture. These can happen through various ingredients that help with hydration, such as glycerin and hyaluronic acid. Although it may take some time to explore different cleansers to find one that suits your skin the best, cleansing can be essential in keeping healthy skin.