A good cleanser should be an integral part of any daily skincare routine (I can forgive very occasionally forgetting in the evening as it’s the last thing you want to do after a night at the pub).

Washing your face is, without a doubt, the most important part of a skincare regime. It helps to balance out oils, unclog pores to prevent acne from setting up camp on your face, and encourages proper skin hydration. It also helps to provide the products that follow, a fresh surface to help them work to their full potential.

With everyone’s skin requiring different treatment, it can be difficult to know where to start in a world drowning in words such as Retinol, Ceramides and Trichloroacetic acid. It’s easy to get confused about what you should actually be putting on your face, so we’ve put together a list of the best cleansers for every skin type.

Oily Skin

La Roche-Posay – Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel

If you’re prone to oily skin, then this should be high up on your list of cleansers to try. La Roche- Posay have carefully kept the fragrance and ingredients to a minimum, prevent any flare-ups in acne-prone and oily skin. Thanks to its high tolerance foaming power, it gently cleanses the skin helping to eliminate impurities, leaving your face feeling clean and fresh.

Dry Skin

CeraVe – Hydrating Cleanser

CeraVe have expertly stayed away from soap and fragrances in their products, leaving this cleanser free to sweep away dirt, excess oils and impurities without stripping out the skin’s moisture. It comes packing a punch of Hyaluronic Acid to help strengthen your skin’s natural barrier and creates long-lasting hydration.

Combination Skin

The Ordinary – Squalane Cleanser

Combination Skin is both dry and oily, so it can be difficult to pinpoint exactly which type of products you need in your routine. Typically you will see a mix of shiny, oily areas (forehead, nose and chin) and dry patches around the cheeks, jaw and hairline. A standout recommendation for these issues has to be The Ordinary’s cult product – the Squalane Cleanser. Created with a gentle balm-to-oil texture, this cleanser is super hydrating and offers a boost to your skin’s moisture. But be quick, this fan-favourite sells out fast.

Normal Skin

Kiehl’s – Ultra Facial Cleanser

This mild gel wash has been a favourite of dermatologists for over a decade. Packed full of squalane and avocado oils, it ensures your skin is left feeling moisturised and cleansed of the dirt and grime of the day. Their gentle formula works to keep your skin clean whilst never drying it out or harshly stripping away the natural oils.

Sensitive Skin

Aesop – Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk

If you skin is prone to soreness and redness, a milk-based cleanser is the best option to reduce sensitivity. This cleansing milk from Aesop is designed to soothe and refresh sensitive skin, and is enriched with gentle, natural ingredients such as grape seed and sandalwood. It is surely a staple piece for your bathroom shelf.

Written by Tom Loughran