Before I had my pick of the best gentle face cleansers, one of the first things I was taught as a kid about grooming and hygiene is that washing your face is good for you. Back then, it was mostly to convince you that soap and water are your friends, not enemies. During adolescence, it’s about surviving those (sometimes) inevitable breakouts. But as an adult? Washing your face becomes one of the most underrated ways to keep your skin healthy. I wash mine twice a day—once in the shower, and again before bed.
And by now, you should own an actual face wash. Not body wash, not soap, not that mysterious “all-in-one” bottle that claims to be shampoo, conditioner, and body wash—real, bonafide face cleanser. The benefits? Plenty. Face cleansers remove dirt and oil buildup, clear away sweat, bacteria, and city smog, and help prevent breakouts. Plus, if you’re into serums and moisturizers, using a gentle facial cleanser—something that cleans without stripping your skin—is like rolling out a red carpet for your other skin care products to absorb better and actually do their jobs. So whether you’re looking for something mild that plays nice with your serums, or you want a cleanser you can use twice a day without fear, I’ve rounded up over a dozen gentle options. Trust me—your face will thank you.
The Best Gentle Face Cleansers, According to GQ:
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In This Guide
Best Overall: Ursa Major Making Moves Milky Cleanser
Ursa Major
Making Moves Milky Cleanser
Ursa Major already nailed the whole face scrub thing (different from cleansers) with one of the best dual body-and-face scrubs in the game. But their Making Moves Milky Cleanser? That’s like the scrub’s softer, gentler version—just without the tough love. It’s lightweight with a micellar-like (water-based) texture, and it’s packed with goodies like miehei mushroom and golden aspen bark to exfoliate and smooth your skin—minus the barrier-stripping.
Best for Barrier-Boosting: Aesop Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk
Aesop
Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk
Sometimes I get a little uneasy about anything “gently scented.” But Aesop’s gentle facial cleansing milk puts my suspicions to rest. This non-foaming, water-based emulsion has a light botanical fragrance that’s not overpowering. Inside, it’s stacked with vitamin B5 to calm things down, grape seed oil to feed and fortify your skin’s barrier, and sunflower wax that leaves your face feeling soft and smugly touchable after a quick pat-dry.
Best for Double Cleansing: Versed Soft Cleanse
If you’re into double-cleansing, meet your new bathroom staple. Wait—what’s double cleansing? Glad you asked. Step one: Use an oil-based cleanser to melt away makeup or sunscreen. Step two: Use a creamy cleanser (like this gem) to whisk away sweat, dirt, and whatever’s still clinging to your face. This one from Versed is loaded with aloe leaf juice for hydration and hyaluronic acid that absorbs quickly—plus, it’s formulated without essential oils or alcohol, so it’s all clean, no sting.
Best Gel-to-Foam Cleanser: RMS Beauty Kakadu Clean Cleansing Gel
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RMS Beauty
Kakadu Clean Cleansing Gel
I’ve seen and tried plenty of products rocking the NEA (National Eczema Association) seal of approval, but “Certified Kind to Biome” is new territory for me. It means a skin care or personal care product has been scientifically tested and proven microbiome-friendly—it won’t mess with the good bacteria and microorganisms existing on your skin. RMS’s gel-to-foam cleanser proudly boasts its biome stamp of approval, starting as a milky texture, then lathers itself into a light foam. Inside the mix? Apple and babassu oils tag-teaming to cleanse while keeping skin moisturized, Kakadu plum extract stepping in to brighten your skin, and wild mint leaf cooling things down while tackling oily pores. My face feels clean, refreshed, and—most importantly—none of that tight, cardboard-dry aftermath.
Best Plant-Based Cleanser: Klur Gentle Matter Cleanser
Klur
Gentle Matter Cleanser
As with most sensitive-skin-friendly products, I always dodge anything with SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate). That stuff leaves my face wicked dry—thankfully, Klur’s gentle matter—and the rest of their lineup, skips it entirely. This cleanser has earned a spot on my all-time favorites. They suggest 3–4 pumps, but honestly, two is plenty. It spreads and massages in so smoothly, and the gel-like texture derives from a blend of good-for-you ingredients including vitamin E, jojoba oils, coconut milk, and chamomile. My face gets clean without feeling stripped, and I walk away looking hydrated.
Best Hydrating Cleanser: La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
La Roche-Posay
Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser
La Roche-Posay’s cleanser isn’t just hydrating—it’s like a tall glass of water for your face. The creamy, soap-free formula feels more like a lotion than a wash, and it’s packed with the good stuff: ceramide-3 to lock in moisture and niacinamide to brighten your complexion. The main ingredient, though, is LRP’s signature prebiotic thermal spring water—in other words, antioxidant-rich calm-in-a-bottle. This cleanser is one of my go-to recommendations, especially for people who are breaking up with an old face wash that left them red and itchy. If your skin is begging for something gentle but effective, this is the rebound cleanser you actually want to keep around.
Best Oil-Based Cleanser: Wonder Valley Oil Cleanser
Wonder Valley
Oil Cleanser
It might sound a little out there that an olive oil brand also makes a gentle cleanser—but that’s Wonder Valley for you. Unlike the usual foamy suspects, this one has a honey-like consistency that magically transforms into a luxurious milky emulsion when it meets water, all thanks to oat protein. One pump goes a long way—it spreads generously—and leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. Sea buckthorn brings a boost of vitamin E, grape seed helps keep oil in check, and the star of the show, olive oil, delivers antioxidant-rich goodness that improves texture and tone.
Best Drugstore Cleanser: Cetaphil Hydrating Gentle Skin Cleanser
Cetaphil
Hydrating Gentle Skin Cleanser
Dermatologists recommend it, grooming guys (like me) swear by it, and it’s always easy to find. Cetaphil was the first cleanser I ever used that actually worked—no breakouts, no regrets. It’s full of glycerin, panthenol, and niacinamide, which hydrate, soothe, and allow your skin to keep its own natural oils. Anytime I’m traveling, I grab at least three travel-size bottles from Target, because I know my face is about to meet new bacteria, mysterious plane air, and pollutants.
Best for Eczema-Prone Skin: Towel 28 SOS Cleanser
Tower 28
SOS Gel Cleanser + Makeup Remover for Sensitive Skin
Tower 28 has built its reputation on being the skin care brand that plays nice with everyone—eczema, rosacea, and, heck, even your beard (their hydrating spray doubles as facial-hair friendly). So when they dropped a cleanser, it felt like a no-brainer. This one comes in a gel-to-low-foam texture loaded with minerals and electrolytes like zinc and magnesium to boost hydration, pure aloe vera to calm irritation, oat extract to chill out inflammation, and a duo of niacinamide and panthenol for a gentle, skin-loving cleanse. I keep mine in the shower, and honestly, it leaves my face feeling fresh and rejuvenated.
Best Foaming Cleanser: Malin+Goetz Foaming Cream Cleanser
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Malin + Goetz
Foaming Cream Cleanser
One of the brands that’s weathered more skin care fads than I can count is Malin+Goetz. Over the years, I’ve dabbled in everything from their (tragically discontinued) shaving cream to their trusty moisturizer, and now I’ve landed on their cleanser. Just like with the moisturizer, a dime-sized amount does the trick—any more and you’re basically washing money down the drain.
Inside the bottle, you’ve got prebiotics to calm and soothe, jojoba oil that moisturizes without feeling greasy, and vitamin E for that extra skin nourishment. It’s especially clutch on those frigid winter days when your face feels ultra-dry. Instead of leaving you stripped and sad, it gently buffs away dead skin and keeps you feeling human again.
Best-Smelling Cleanser: Salt & Stone Facial Cleanser
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Salt & Stone
Facial Cleanser
It’s not often I reach for a fragranced facial product—my skin tends to throw a tantrum—but Salt & Stone’s cleanser is gentle enough to keep the peace. Packed with naturally derived goodies: spirulina acts as an antioxidant for your skin, seaweed extract soothes any redness, cucumber refreshes, and squalane locks in moisture. It’s lightly scented with Yuzu, giving your skin a citrusy wake-up call without being overwhelming. If you’re sensitive but curious about the lightly-scented yet gentle cleansing world, this is a great way to dip your toe in without shocking your face.
Best Splurge Cleanser: Omorovicza Queen Cleanser
Hungarian-based brand Omorovicza doesn’t just stop at a sensitive skin shave cream—they also have a cleanser that treats your face just as kindly. The queen cleanser is cream-based, with a texture that lathers like a shaving cream (minus the razor, thankfully). Packed with calendula flower extract to calm irritation, sweet almond oil to soften skin while locking in moisture, and borage seed oil for all-day hydration, it’s a spa day in a tube.
More Gentle Face Cleansers We Love
What to Look for in a Gentle Facial Cleanser
If you’re like me—someone with sensitive skin and eczema flare-ups—you can’t just grab any random bottle of face wash off the shelf. I need a gentle cleanser, a.k.a. something that cleans without stripping my skin. My go-to formulas? Creamy, gel-like, or water-based cleansers that respect the skin barrier. Hydrating heroes like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and ceramides are non-negotiable—they keep things smooth, calm, and moisturized. On the flip side, here’s what I avoid: harsh sulfates that dry you out, ethanol (which practically crashes your skin barrier), and synthetic fragrances that can make sensitive skin revolt.
