Say Goodbye to Tight, Dry Skin With These Hydrating Face Washes

Best Overall

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser

4.8

View On Amazon View On Glossier.com

Who else recommends it? Allure also picked the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser.

What do buyers say? 3,700+ Glossier reviewers rated it 4 stars or above.

This is a top-rated product in the Glossier product portfolio, and it lives up to its hype, says Byrdie's Senior Editor, Holly Rhue. She (along with many others) loves the conditioning, pH-balanced formula that's gentle for even the most sensitive skin. It's made with five skin conditioners, so you can rest assured that your skin won't feel tight post-rinse. As a bonus: It doubles as a makeup remover for the face and eyes since it's got the same cleansing agents in it that you'd find in a contact lens solution.

Price at time of publish: $29

Active Ingredients: Poloxamer, rose water, comfrey root extract, aquaxyl, pro-vitamin B5 | Skin Type: All | Size: 2 or 6 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best Budget

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Lightweight Hydrating Facial Cleansing Gel

View On Amazon View On Target View On Walmart

Hyaluronic acid is a top hydrating ingredient in moisturizers, so we're pleased to see it in this budget-friendly face wash as well. Its role here is the same—to add intense moisture to the skin while cleansing agents bid adieu to dirt, oil, and impurities. Reviewers say that it racks up on moisture without sacrificing the clean, fresh feeling that we love and expect from a quality cleanser. It's got Rhue's seal of approval as well.

Price at time of publish: $10

Active Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid | Skin Type: Dry, sensitive | Size: 6 ounces | Cruelty-Free: No | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Balm

Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm

4.8

View On Amazon View On Sokoglam.com View On Thenimetyou.com

Beauty editors are raving over this award-winning cleansing balm, including Byrdie's Former Editorial Director, Faith Xue. The Then I Met You Cleansing Balm has a sorbet-like texture that is rich in nutrients, including persimmon extract, olive oil, and vitamin E. The star ingredient is seaberry oil, which is rich in fatty acids and antioxidants. Users rave that it removes all makeup residue and works even better as step one of two with the brand's Soothing Tea Gel Cleanser.

Price at time of publish: $38

Active Ingredients: Sea buckthorn, persimmon extract, olive oil, vitamin E | Skin Type: All | Size: 3.17 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best for Breakouts

True Botanicals Clear Nourishing Cleanser

View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Goop.com

Yes, it's possible to have dry skin that is also prone to breakouts. It's harder to address both concerns at once since common acne-fighting ingredients (think salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide) are known to be drying. You could, however, use this hydrating cleanser that boasts ingredients like green tea, white tea, and black willow bark extract (a natural source of salicylic acid) and promises to tackle dry skin and acne concerns at the same time. A favorite of Byrdie's Email Editor Karli Bendlin, this face wash has all of the anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties you need for a healthier complexion. 

Price at time of publish: $48

Active Ingredients: Green tea, white tea, black willow bark extract, helichrysum | Skin Type: Dry, acne-prone | Size: 3.9 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Gel

Beauty Strike Gel Cream Cleanser

View On Beautystrike.us

This cruelty-free face wash is full of ingredients that you can say 10 times fast. The list is almost good enough to eat with avocado oil, jojoba oil, cucumber seed oil, lemon extract, and more. (But please, don’t eat it!)

Beauty Strike founder and esthetician Emani Jeter recommends using this gel-cream cleanser because it removes dirt while fortifying the skin barrier with vitamins and nutrients. Plus, this brand is committed to transparency and quality, so you can count on products without icky ingredients.

Price at time of publish: $20

Active Ingredients: Avocado oil, jojoba oil, vitamin A, vitamin E | Skin Type: Dry | Size: 4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: No

Best for Dull Skin

Rosen Skincare Super Smoothie Cleanser

View On Amazon View On Rosenskincare.com

Think of this as a smoothie for your face. This all-natural cleanser is packed with active fruit powders and will help boost radiance and smooth your skin without stripping it. The fruit powders at play include raspberry, lemon, and strawberry. Users love how this cleanser leaves skin feeling moisturized, and even those with sensitive skin keep coming back for more. We especially love that Rosen Skincare is an independent, growing business that stands firm in transparent ingredients and never condones skin shaming.

Price at time of publish: $20

Active Ingredients: Active fruit powders (strawberry, lemon, raspberry) | Skin Type: Dry, acne-prone | Size: 4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best Soothing Formula

Kate Somerville DeliKate Soothing Cleanser

View On Sephora

If your skin is all sorts of stressed out or run down from too many months (years, even) of harsh face washes, this face wash can help calm things down. It's made to help soothe and calm redness and irritation and is formulated with a ceramide complex, ginger root extract, and Tasmania lanceolata fruit extract. Another favorite of Xue's, it's just what the doctor ordered to restore the skin's protective barrier.

Price at time of publish: $44

Active Ingredients: Amino acids, ceramides, tasmannia lanceolatea fruit extract, ginger root extract, cucumber seed oil | Skin Type: Dry, sensitive, stressed | Size: 4 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes

Best for Hyperpigmentation

Urban Skin Rx Combination Skin Cleansing Bar

View on Ulta View On Amazon

This unique cleansing bar for dry and combination skin is a major routine upgrade for those who deal with hyperpigmentation. Created with people of color in mind, Urban Skin RX has melanin skin down to a science—literally. We can personally affirm its reputation for supporting an even tone and more radiant skin. With consistent use, skin has fewer breakouts, and we’ve gone from wearing concealer almost daily to being virtually free of hyperpigmentation. So much "yes!"

Price at time of publish: $25

Active Ingredients: ClearTone Advanced Technology, resorcinol, coconut oil, salicylic acid, hibiscus flower extract, licorice root extract | Skin Type: Dry, combination, mature | Size: 2 or 3.7 ounces | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Byrdie Clean: Yes