9 Best Cleansers and Face Washes for Dry Skin in 2020

If you have oily, combination, sensitive/normal or dry skin the change in season can leave your skin feeling thirsty and unprotected. This is due to natural environmental changes which often leaves us feeling and looking dull, tired and flaky. When looking for cleansers, it is most important to look out for ones that incorporate soothing and purifying ingredients such as aloe and chamomile which works gently on all types of skin. It is also very important that you are using the products correctly to achieve the most desirable results. These 9 best cleansers accumulated of different moisture levels and ingredients are our favorite picks to tailor toward your skin type. 

 

1. Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk

The Product:

Stratia's Velvet Cleansing Milk has a cult following online, and we can see why! This moisturizing, non-foaming cleanser is effective but gentle in removing makeup, dirt, and grime from you skin while keeping your skin barrier free from damage.

Key Benefits:

Fortified with ingredients like chamomile, aloe, and rice bran oil, this rich emollient cream cleanser leaves your skin's natural oils in place and your face feeling supple and fresh. It's cleansing powers come from Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, a water-soluble form of olive oil that gently bonds to the grime and dirt on your face and rinses cleanly away without leaving skin feeling dry or tight.

How it works:

Cleansing is one of the most important steps in any skincare routine. A good cleanser removes dirt, makeup, and residue from the surface of your skin without disrupting your skin’s natural lipid barrier. Foaming cleansers can remove too much from your skin, leaving your face feeling dry, tight, stripped, or squeaky. They can even damage your skin barrier, leading to symptoms like dehydration, acne, and increased sensitivity.
 Velvet Cleansing Milk is a rich, emollient cream cleanser that effectively removes dirt, grime, and other buildup while leaving your skin’s natural oils in place. Its cleansing power comes from Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, a water-soluble form of olive oil that gently bonds to grime on your face and rinses cleanly away. Fortified with chamomile, aloe, and rice bran oil, it’s a soothing, purifying cleanser that won’t dry out your skin or leave a film. 

How To Use:

Pump out desired amount, rub it onto damp skin in circular motions, massaging it gently into your skin, then gently splash water to remove the product or any excess.

Our Reviews:

Stratia's Velvet Cleansing Milk ranks high among the best face washes for dry skin. This cleanser is on the lower end of the price spectrum and has been described as a "holy grail" face wash for dry skin. We love this product for its affordable weight on our purses, its gentle cleansing& hydrating properties and generous amount in each bottle which travels a long way!

Reviews:

 

2. Bioderma Mild Cleansing Foaming Gel

The Product:

Next on our list is the Bioderma Sensibio Foaming Gel, a gentle foaming face wash for dry skin and sensitive skin. Designed to help easily remove excess oils while restoring radiance to your skin, the Sensible Foaming Gel is mild and soothing. Great for sensitive skin, this cleanser is soap-free, fragrance-free, paraben-free, and hypoallergenic. It contains key ingredients like Coco Glucoside and Glyceryl Oleate to mimic the skin's structure, and Vitamin E to soothe, repair, and make the skin of the lips more resistant to dryness.

How To Use:

Purify your skin once or twice a day, seven days a week, thanks to the unique properties of Sensibio Foaming Gel. Apply a drop of the gel on the wet skin of your face and around your eyes, then work the cleanser into a foam. Rinse it off to eliminate any trace of impurity. Your freshly purified skin is ready for the next step of your skincare routine.

How It Works:

Sensibio Foaming Gel gently purifies the skin, and even that around the eyes. Thanks to a seaweed extract and a combination of ingredients, its exclusively patented D.A.F. complex contributes to improve the tolerance threshold of the skin. Enriched with Coco Glucoside, Sensibio Foaming Gel is highly moisturizing. Laboratory-tested, it enhances moisture by up to 77% in 14 days, while it offers a good tolerance.

Our review:

Coming to us from France, this cleanser leaves skin bright and radiant, perfect for light makeup 'French Girl' looks. As it soothes and calms irritations, this cleanser is even suitable for contact lens wearers! We can only praise its gentle quality perfect for daily use, in addition to being thorough as a face wash for dry skin. At the lower end of the price spectrum compared to luxury brands, this foaming gel is a win!

Reviews:

Gentle and effective 5.0
This is the gentlest foaming cleanser I have tried and it is really effective at removing makeup and cleansing without drying out or irritating my sensitive skin.

Best cleanser ever used 5.0
I feel as though this is the best kept secret as far as cleansers go.
It is gentle, does not irritate the eyes, fragrance-free, and cheap compared to other luxury brands that include irritating ingredients. Sensibio Foaming Gel has none of the irritating ingredients or preservatives. Just be sure to use it all within 6 months of your initial pump.
 Having said all this, it is nonetheless too gentle to remove make-up or mineral sunscreen. But this is wonderful as the second step of a double cleanse to remove any residue from oil cleansing.
 If you cleanse with this regularly, you can probably avoid using a moisturizer for most of the year!
Dermstore 

3. Marula Foaming Cleansing Oil 

The Product:

Featured on QVC and IPSY, Marula has been described as the New 'It' Oil. The Marula Foaming Cleansing Oil makes a great addition to any skin routine for dry skin as a deep but gentle cleanser. 

Key Benefits:

Free of sulfates, this gentle cleanser is effective in cleansing skin while nourishing and moisturizing it. The star ingredient is the Pure Marula Oil, antioxidant-rich oil  sustainably harvested from wild Marula Trees. The combination of the oil along with Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) helps to exfoliate skin and remove makeup, dirt, and dead skin cells revealing bright, younger-looking skin. 

More About Our Star Ingredient Marula

Every single marula nut used for our Pure Marula Oil is sustainably harvested from wild marula trees. Wild trees produce more antioxidant-rich oil than the farmed and fertilized trees of mass sources. Each marula nut is carefully hand-cut, and only the purest blonde kernels are cold pressed with no heat or chemicals. Our superior process ensures our Pure Marula Oil is the highest-quality, highest benefit beauty oil.

How To Use:

Mix a quarter size amount with water and cleanse face in a circular motion, avoiding the eye area. Rinse with water. Follow with Pure Marula Facial Oil.

What it does:

• Cleanses skin while nourishing and moisturizing it
• Alpha hydroxy acids increase cell turn-over rate
• Helps exfoliate skin and remove dirt & dead skin cells to reveal bright looking skin

Our Reviews:

The Marula Foaming Cleansing Oil transforms your daily cleansing regime delivering all the benefits of a traditional cleanser without leaving an oily residue, making it a perfect face wash for dry skin. We take pride that its praised for it's gentle scent, soft texture, quality ingredients, the Marula Foaming Cleansing Oil is in the middle of the price spectrum, but worth it for the quality of ingredients and effectiveness of cleansing. 

REVIEWS:

4. Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk

The Product:

Like cashmere for your skin, the Caudalie Gentle Cleansing Milk is a face wash that offers gentle cleansing and a boost of radiance for dull and uneven skin. Though its moisturizing and hydrating this cleanser is for all skin types, and works particularly well with dry skin.

Key Benefits:

Caudalie donates 1% of sales to plant trees, so your purchase helps the planet! The Gentle Cleansing Milk is also vegan, non-toxic, cruelty-free, and free of all synthetic chemicals, and GMOs making it great for sensitive skin. This clean brand uses natural ingredients like grape seed oil and sweet almond oil to soften the skin and reduce the appearance of redness, leaving skin supple and bouncy.

• Simultaneously cleanses skin and removes makeup
• Nourishes and soothes
• Leaves the skin soft and comfortable

How To Use:

Place three pumps of Cleansing Milk into the palm of your hand.Apply to your face and neck with your eyes closed and massage in, using a circular motion.Remove any excess product using a dry cotton pad and rinse off using a hot cloth or cotton pad soaked in Moisturizing Toner.
Vinotherapist’s advice: Mix the Cleansing Milk with our Instant Foaming Cleanser for a "milky foam" effect. This lighter take on a creamy cleanse effectively removes make-up and softens the skin for restored comfort.

 

Our Reviews:

Caudalie's Gentle Cleansing Milk is a very popular product, especially as a face wash for dry skin. Its moisturizing and cleansing properties are especially adored as it has become a staple for those with sensitive or dull skin. It's on the lower end of the price spectrum too, so you can get a clean and natural product at a price you can love.

Review: 

Gentle Yet Effective   5.0
Love this milk cleanser. It’s perfect as a morning cleanse or to remove makeup. Gentle on the skin and doesn’t disrupt the pH of my skin. Skin is left supple and moisturized
Dermstore

 
 

5. Julisis Gold Wash Day

 

The Product:

JULISIS Gold Wash Day liquid cleanser is a luxurious face wash that refreshes the skin and the senses with its non-drying qualities and aromatic extracts. An ideal face wash for dry skin, this cleanser foams and rinses easily to ensure maximum absorption of any following skin care preparations.

Key Benefits:

JULSIS uses alchemistic essences made of precious metals, gemstones, and biobotanically cultivated healing plants to bring the best elements of the earth to your skin. The JULISIS Gold Wash Day liquid cleanser features neroli flower extract, carrot oil, jojoba and liquid gold - an ideal combination for a morning face wash for dry skin.

How To use:

A small amount goes a long way. Gently massage over entire face and neck, rinse well with warm water. Use daily, night and day. Suitable for all skin types.

Our Reviews:

The JULISIS Gold Wash Day liquid gold infusion creates a lavish experience for your skin, with reviews describing it as having "great performance" and "interesting formulation". This face wash for dry skin sits at the higher end of the price spectrum, making it a treat for you and your skin.

 

6. NUXE Lait Démaquillant Confort Comforting Cleansing Milk

The Product:

NUXE Lait Démaquillant Confort Comforting Cleansing Milk brings Parisian luxury and beauty straight to our bathroom shelves. This cleansing milk functions as a great face wash for dry skin as its rich texture removes makeup and protects skin with a non-oily finish. Your face, lips, and eyes are cleansed while your skin is left supple and comfortable

Key Benefits:

The NUXE Lait Démaquillant Confort Comforting Cleansing Milk features star ingredients such as Cotton Oil derivatives, Coconut and Macadamia Oils, and Damascena Rose Petal Floral Water for gentle scent and texture. The cleansing milk gently eliminates impurities and make-up from the face, eyes, and lips, making it an ideal face wash for dry skin.  

How To Use:

Apply NUXE Lait Démaquillant Confort Comforting Cleansing Milk in the morning and/or evening to your face, eyes and lips using a cotton pad. Rinse with Gentle Toning Lotion with Rose Petals. Apply using the fingertips and gently massage in light circular movements on your face, eyes and lips.

Our Reviews:

This cleansing milk is adored by the French, and now by us! Boasting an average of 4.6 star ratings, the NUXE Lait Démaquillant Confort Comforting Cleansing Milk is adored for its rich and creamy texture, in addition to its delicate rose scent. It's known to remove dirt and makeup residue effectively leaving skin with a moisturized glow afterwards and at a fair price too!

Reviews:

Look Fantastic

7. Tata Harper Refreshing Cleanser

The Product:

Tata Harper's Refreshing Cleanser is a softening cleansing treatment designed to dissolve buildup, add plump hydration, and refine pores. Made as a gentle face wash for dry skin, this cleanser softens parched skin while removing impurities to give you a glowing, healthy-looking complexion. 

Key Benefits:

Tata Harper's Next Generation Beauty features 100% natural and non toxic ingredients, including an Olive Oil Liquid Crystal Complex from Italy, and Pink Clay from the UK to absorb dirt buildup. Fatty acids work to provide intense hydration for supple skin, while Pomegranate Enzymes loosen dead, dry skin and encourage cell renewal.

How To Use:

For best results, apply to dry skin and massage gently to activate the enzymes. Rinse well. Use daily AM & PM. This cleanser is gentle enough to use even on sensitive, chapped, or irritated skin.

Our Reviews:

With 500+ five star ratings, the reviews on this cleanser speak for themselves. Described as "magic in a bottle", this luxurious cleanser is pricier, but worth every penny. It offers relief to dry and sensitive skin, and is gentle enough for both AM & PM use. It is effective at cleansing and purifying while giving skin a gentle glow and refreshing scent, and keeps its users buying it again once they run out!

Reviews:

The Product:

Made with 90% organic ingredients, The Organic Pharmacy Rose & Chamomile Cleansing Milk is a brilliant remedy for sensitive skin and an effective face wash for dry skin. For complexions prone to redness, the Rose & Chamomile Cleansing Milk purifies and effectively removes dead skin cells without causing damage.

Key Benefits:

Azulene-Rich Chamomile in this formula works to soothe skin while Aloe and Shea butter boost moisture. Pure Rose Water adds a delicate scent while calming and refreshing the skin. All the ingredients come from organic farming, making it great for sensitive skin and its hydrating properties make it an ideal face wash for dry skin.

How To Use:

Massage the milk onto dry skin with the fingertips allowing it to interact with dirt and make up well. Soak a muslin cloth in hand hot water and remove the cleanser gently. Use morning and evening.

Our Reviews:

Victoria's Secret Model Sara Sampaio has confessed that she has sensitive skin, and uses the Organic Pharmacy Rose & Chamomile Cleansing Milk to remover her makeup and clean her skin. Other reviews for this face wash average at 5 stars, with love specifically given to the gentle effectiveness of this milk. In the middle of the price spectrum, this face wash for dry skin makes a great natural addition to your skincare routine! 

Reviews: 

Great for sensitive skin 4.6
Great product for sensitive skin. The rose is calming. Easy to use and your skin feels great afterwards. Highly recommend

Gentle yet effective
This is awesome for irritated skin or if you have eczema. It is gentle but still effective, which is one of the main reasons why I don’t use cleansing milks as I feel they don’t leave my skin cleansed compared to foam cleansers. However, this definitely does the job while not irritating skin
Amazing ingredients make this product plant based, natural, and pleasant. Pleasant chamomile, jojoba aroma plus aloe. Best of skincare!
Dermstore

9. LIXIRSKIN Electrogel Cleanser

The Product:

Described as the new insta-worthy skincare brand by Elle Magazine, LIXIRSKIN's Electrogel Cleanser combines the aesthetics of Glossier and Byredo with dermatologist-founded formulas. 

Key Benefits:

LIXIRSKIN is rising quickly as one of the beauty community's cult favorites, streamlining the beauty routine to fewer, simpler products. The Electrogel Cleanser in particular is an unbeatable face wash for dry skin with negatively charged Electrogel to attract, capture, and eliminate positively charged toxins, and pollutants, leaving skin truly clean and glowing from within.

What it does:

Dissolves make up, dirt and reaches inside the pores to deep cleanse. The negatively charged Electrogel™ attracts, captures and eliminates positively charged toxins - pollution nanoparticles, heavy metals and free radicals - to give urban skin the ultimate detox. What you can see and what you can’t see has gone, your skin is truly clean, glows from within and can switch to repair mode.

How you feel:

Breathe in Geranium, Sage, Rosemary and Chamomile whilst cleansing your skin.

How To Use:

Apply generously with clean, damp hands to the face (including the eye area), neck and décolleté, massage for a minute, leave on for another minute and rinse with a clean towel mitt. You can also use as a mask, apply on dry skin and leave for three minutes.

Our Reviews:

 Dan Loves Skincare's review describes the LIXIRSKIN Electrogel as "clarifying and moisturizing at once - a feat indeed". With fresh botanic scents of Geranium, Sage, Rosemary, and Chamomile, this crowd pleaser gets praise for taking off makeup, brightening skin, and leaving it soft and hydrated 

Reviews:

Rafina   5.0
2 in 1 must-have product Dan  5.0
No other cleanser ever needed I love this cleaser when i can use it for everything on my face, eyes and my mouth. The water proof mascara should be removed with oil based eye makeup remover if you dont want to rub your eyelash too much. Don’t get me wrong that you cannot use this cleanser for waterproof make up, you can, but i dont like the idea about rubing your eyes areas too much that can cause wrinkles. I deducted 1 star as i have to buy face cleansing cloth. By the way, my pores are so fraky clean without dring or greasy at all. Perfect for my dry skin.