No two men will experience a grooming product exactly the same way. Everybody’s Skin is unique, so the same cleanser might feel lighter or heavier to you—and work better or not as well—depending on your type. The best face washes for men use different active ingredients and formulas to meet various needs. To find the one that works best for yours, you need to factor in things like skin sensitivity, oiliness, dryness and proneness to acne.
A great cleanser is one of the foundational products in your regimen of skincare essentials, right up there with moisturizer and sunscreen. Together they clear excess oil and grime, nourish and hydrate and fend off environmental damage.
The best face washes for men do the dirty work in a way that leaves your skin feeling comfortable ... [+] and looking its best.
Illustration: Forbes / Photo: RetailersThe right option for you does the dirty work in a way that leaves your skin feeling comfortable and looking its best. For example, if you have dry skin, you need a gentle product that’s especially hydrating. Oily types need one that deep cleans pores and balances sebum production without being too harsh or irritating. Read on to learn more about what to look for in a facial cleanser, with expertise from NYC-based cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Michele Green, MD (who has a pretty stellar acne-fighting face wash of her own). But first, here are our picks for the best face washes for men of all skin types and preferences.
- Best Face Wash For Men Overall: Jordan Samuel The Matinee Gel Cleanser
- Best Face Wash For Men With Oily Skin: Brickell Men’s Clarifying Gel Face Wash
- Best Face Wash For Men With Sensitive Skin: Burt’s Bees Gentle Cream Cleanser
- Best Face Wash For Men With Combination Skin: Snow Fox Cooling Foam Cleanser
- Best Face Wash For Men With Dry Skin: Aesop Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk
- Best Acne Face Wash For Men: Black Wolf Charcoal Powder Face Wash
- Best Luxury Face Wash For Men: Patricks FW1 Anti-Aging Face Wash
- Best Drugstore Face Wash For Men: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
- Best Exfoliating Face Wash For Men: Atwater Skin Armor Face Scrub & Cleanser
Best Face Wash For Men Overall
A Soothing Sebum Balancer
Cult Beauty
Jordan Samuel Skin The Matinee Gel Cleanser
Key ingredients: Aloe vera, glycerin, coconut, salicylic acid | Skin type: Oily, acne-prone, combination, sensitive | Benefits: Clears pores, balances oil
Jordan Samuel Skin’s nonfoaming, fragrance-free gel cleanser manages the tricky task of gently yet thoroughly evicting sebum buildup from inside the pores, while simultaneously nourishing all types of skin with its aloe-glycerin base. That generous dose of aloe vera actively cools and calms, making it one of the few salicylic acid cleansers we recommend for sensitive types who get breakouts because it’s not abrasive on contact.
Best Face Wash For Men With Oily Skin
A Soothing, Tingling Gel
Amazon
Brickell Men's Clarifying Gel Face Wash
Key ingredients: Aloe vera, coconut-derived cleansers, geranium extract | Skin type: All | Benefits: Thorough cleansing
We would have given this top spot to Brickell’s pair of outstanding cleansers (including its terrific Purifying Charcoal Face Wash, which is best suited for dry and normal skin), but if we had to choose one victor it’d be this gel wash for its broader appeal for all skin types, since most even combination or sensitive types could use it without issue. This is largely thanks to its anti-inflammatory aloe vera and geranium extract. The formula leaves skin feeling uplifted and refreshed, especially in the case of oily skin, plus it tingles on contact thanks to the inclusion of peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils, which also give you a twice-daily microdose of aromatherapy.
Best Face Wash For Men With Sensitive Skin
A Rich Cream Cleanser With Rice Extract
Amazon
Burt's Bees Gentle Cream Cleanser
Key ingredients: Rice extract, aloe vera | Skin type: Sensitive, dry, normal | Benefits: Soothes and nourishes
So far, our best face washes for men are three for three on their inclusion of calming aloe vera. Burt’s Bees shines a spotlight on that ingredient in this milky, creamy cleanser, but it’s the soothing and fortifying rice extract that gets top bill. It’s perfect for people whose skin disagrees with anything else.
Best Face Wash For Men With Combination Skin
A Cooling And Calming Foam Wash
Amazon
Snow Fox Cooling Foam Cleanser
Key ingredients: Citric acid, aloe vera, peppermint | Skin type: Combination, normal, oily, sensitive, acne-prone | Benefits: Balances oil, preserves moisture, soothes
The citric acid in this gentle foaming wash balances oil production with moisture preservation as its primary pursuit, while smoothing skin’s surface as it breaks down dead cells. And like most of our other picks, Snow Fox’s formula contains calming aloe vera.
Best Face Wash For Men With Dry Skin
A Skin-Softening Treat
Nordstrom
Aesop Gentle Facial Cleansing Milk
Key ingredients: Panthenol, grape seed extract | Skin type: Dry, sensitive | Benefits: Calms and restores
Aesop’s cleanser feels quite literally like a soothing, anti-inflammatory milk bath for the face—and a luxurious one at that. Powered by moisture-boosting panthenol, it drenches skin in moisture, while grape seed extract softens and improves skin’s texture. Because the formula isn’t drying, it’s terrific for people who prefer to wash their face more than twice a day, too.
Best Acne Face Wash For Men
A Powerful Pore Plunger
Amazon
Black Wolf Charcoal Powder Face Wash
Key ingredients: Charcoal powder, salicylic acid, cucumber extract | Skin type: Acne-prone, oily | Benefits: Deep cleans, unclogs, balances oil
Two of the best ingredients to fight acne are salicylic acid and charcoal powder. We’ve talked about the former and its oil-balancing powers a lot, but the latter might be less familiar to you (at least outside the cookout context). As a skincare ingredient, charcoal acts like a sponge for the deepest depths of pores, soaking up excess oil without making skin feel tight. You won’t feel any powdery grit; it’s merely an ingredient in the recipe. Lastly, the cucumber extract helps stressed out skin chill out.
Best Luxury Face Wash For Men
A Mattifying, Barrier-Reinforcing Foam
Bloomingdales
Patricks FW1 Anti-Aging Face Wash
Key ingredients: Prickly pear, Dragocalm, lemon myrtle, green tea | Skin type: All | Benefits: Enriches skin with antioxidants, balances oil
A lot of brands will say that their cleanser is anti-aging, without any substantial evidence beyond the baseline nature of maintaining general daily skin health. The standard for this category, however, has been set with Patricks’ luxurious foaming lather. A little goes a long way in this cleanser, which also laps the competition in how long you can make a bottle last. That alone validates half the cost of its steep price tag, but its ingredient roster fills in the rest: It combines the antioxidant powers of green tea, prickly pear and best of all, Dragocalm (an oat-derived antioxidant compound) to fortify skin against environmental pollution as well as damage from UV rays. Plus, lemon myrtle extract reduces shine by flushing away excess sebum without drying.
Best Drugstore Face Wash For Men
A Moisturizing, Barrier-Preserving Steal
Amazon
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Key ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, ceramides, glycerin | Skin type: Normal, dry, sensitive | Benefits: Hydrates
“CeraVe’s hydrating cleanser is great for normal to dry skin because it is able to cleanse the skin of oil, makeup, dirt and debris while delivering hydration without stripping the natural moisture barrier,” says Green. “It is gentle and noncomedogenic, and contains hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin and ceramides.” On top of all that, it’s well priced at $1 per fluid ounce.
Best Exfoliating Face Wash For Men
A Satisfying Physical And Chemical Scrub
MOST POPULAR
Nordstrom
Atwater Skin Armor Face Scrub & Cleanser
Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, jojoba seed oil, chlorophyllin copper complex | Skin type: All | Benefits: Exfoliates, balances oil production, clears pores
While this Atwater all-star is primarily positioned as a gentle scrub, it also packs some serious cleansing action. First is salicylic acid, which flushes pores, exfoliates dead skin skin cells and balances oil levels. Then there’s jojoba seed oil with its nourishing and hydrating properties. Finally, chlorophyllin copper complex, an ingredient derived from plant powerhouse chlorophyll, quells inflammation, promotes wound repair and defends against toxins. Oh, and best of all, it’s a curious deep dark green, which makes it inexplicably fun to use.
What To Consider In A Face Wash For Men
As with most skincare categories, there are certain key ingredients to look for in a face wash—and some to avoid. Read on for details.
Ingredients To Look For
All cleansers will have entirely different formulas, and the ingredients you look for will depend foremost on the type of skin you have. There are some more universal ingredients that give cleansers their base, like soothing aloe vera, hydrating glycerin or even some oils and waters. So, while that could be its own article entirely, here are three key ingredients that Green believes all consumers should be aware of, especially when it comes to skin’s natural moisture levels.
- Salicylic acid: This is a type of beta hydroxy acid that’s especially useful for oily and acne-prone skin types, as well as for anyone prioritizing smoother complexion. “It exfoliates to reveal new, healthy skin while deeply cleansing pores that become clogged with excess oil, dirt and debris,” says Green. In general, anything with a 2% concentration of salicylic acid will effectively perform these tasks if left on the skin for a half minute or more. You can go down from that percentage if you want a gentler dose, though most skin types will tolerate 2%.
- Hyaluronic acid: “Hyaluronic acid is a humectant with the ability to bind a thousand times its own weight in water, pulling moisture from the environment and locking it into the skin,” Green says. It is particularly common in serums and moisturizers. In a cleanser, think of it as a supplemental ingredient that helps retain moisture levels in the skin rather than further depleting them.
- Ceramides: When people talk about skin’s barrier function, they’re referring to its very important role keeping toxins and bacteria out and moisture in. Ceramides help it do that job well. “Ceramides are lipids that naturally exist in our skin and are important in the function of the skin’s natural protective barrier,” Green says. As we age, skin grows less resilient, and we need more assistance from ingredients like these to keep our skin hydrated and healthy.
Ingredients To Avoid
There are some major offenders to watch out for in cleansers. PEG is commonly used as a thickening agent. “But it strips the skin’s natural oils,” Green says. “It not only compromises the skin’s natural protective barrier but also triggers sebaceous glands to produce more sebum to compensate.”
“Parabens are typically used as preservatives in skincare to keep them fresh and germ-free, but research has shown that they may cause increased estrogen production and impact reproductive function,” says Green. Fortunately, most brands have caught on, and you won’t often find ingredients ending in ‘-paraben’ on the product label.
Scent can be irritating, especially if you have sensitive skin: “Artificial fragrances in skincare products and cleansers often involve a cocktail of chemicals that can cause irritation and allergic reactions (contact dermatitis), so it is best to avoid them in general,” Green says. While we agree with that wholeheartedly, some of our picks do contain natural and synthetic fragrances. If you’re not sure how your skin will tolerate them, be cautious.
Skin Type
Your skin type is of utmost importance when considering the best cleanser for you. The types to consider include oily, dry, normal (meaning naturally balanced and never overly oily nor dry), combination (meaning oily in some parts, dry in others), sensitive (easily allergic, irritated or reactive) and acne prone. Skin can change its nature periodically; for instance, your face might feel dry in the winter even if it’s normal or oily year round. That means you might need to change your cleanser, too.
Formula
The consistency and texture of a cleanser are what set luxury picks apart from budget versions. Formulas range from solid bar soaps to powders to gels to oils. Green most commonly suggests these four types for men. Note that our picks on this list might not fully match the below suggestions, but that’s only because there are thousands of cleansers out there, and the general rules are typically broken in some way or another by each product. Instead, think of Green’s tips as the most universal, best-practice advice, and use it as framework.
- Gel cleansers: “These are typically designed for a deep cleanse and to unclog pores,” she says. “If the gel cleanser includes acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, then it is great for oily and acne-prone skin.”
- Cream cleansers: “These tend to be gentle and hydrating, so they are best for those with dry or sensitive skin,” Green says.
- Foam cleansers: “These usually start out as a cream or gel that evolves into a foamy lather,” she says. “This can be beneficial for those with combination (oily and dry) skin.”
- Oil cleansers: “These are not recommended for oily or acne-prone skin, but they can be useful in removing dirt without affecting the skin barrier for those with dry skin,” says Green.
Why Do Men Need To Use Face Wash?
“Cleansing is necessary to remove oil and dead skin cell buildup to maintain healthy, glowing skin and prevent acne,” says Green. However, using face wash is just step one. Step two, moisturizing, should also not be skipped. She adds, “It is just as important to restore moisture afterward to maintain the protective barrier.”
How Do You Choose The Right Face Wash?
To choose the best face wash for you, first consider your skin type from the roster of normal, oily, dry, combination, sensitive and acne-prone. Then, choose ingredients and a formula (be it foam, gel or cream) that help target these conditions and maintain balance.
When Should You Wash Your Face?
Most people should wash their face twice a day: first thing in the morning and again in the evening. You should then follow the cleanser with a moisturizer.
People who have dry or sensitive skin might find a twice-a-day regimen drying. “In this case, you can use the cleanser once at night and rinse your face with warm water in the morning,” Green says.
Oily types may feel the need to wash their face more than twice a day. Just don’t go overboard: “This can be counteractive because washing your skin too much will dry it out and stimulate the sebaceous glands to make more oil to compensate for the dryness,” says Green. “However, if you exercise or partake in activities that involve sweating or exposure to a lot of dirt, it is okay to do an extra cleansing session. In fact, it is encouraged because any buildup of sweat, oil and dirt will contribute to acne breakouts.”
