Dr. Shereene Idriss has worked through more than 40 cleansers and come out with a clear point of view. She approved most of them, had mixed feelings on a handful, and skipped only a few outright. Alongside that approval rate of 74%, she called Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water and Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm category winners.
What does Dr. Shereene Idriss recommend in cleansers?
When Dr. Idriss approves a cleanser, a few things tend to show up. She checks the pH, because a cleanser that sits too far from the skin's natural range will strip it. She tested the Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser and found it lands at around six, which she called ideal for not over-stripping the skin. She also keeps an eye on value. She highlighted PanOxyl 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Cleansing Wash as a cheaper alternative to a pricier option, noting it does essentially the same job for about twelve dollars. For oilier or acne-prone skin, she recommends using benzoyl peroxide cleansers at night a few times a week, letting the formula sit on the skin before rinsing. She also praised the Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing Oil for being fragrance-free and approved by the National Eczema Association, which matters a lot for anyone with sensitive or eczema-prone skin.
Dr. Shereene Idriss's cleanser picks, in her words
"Clinique's Take The Day Off is a classic I love."
"If you have active acne and you're extremely oily, maybe a couple times a week when you wash your face at night you want to use benzoyl peroxide. This is PanOxyl at 10%. The percentage of the benzoyl peroxide doesn't really actually matter anywhere from 5 to 10%, you're going to get more or less the same effects. But when you put this on your face, let it sit on your face before washing it off. Note to the wise, it will bleach your towels, hence why I only have white towels."
"This is their gentle clear clarifying acne cream cleanser for 10 bucks. I like this product because it's a salicylic acid creamy cleanser and that is not something you find every single day. A creamy salicylic acid cleanser is a little bit unique because when you think salicylic acid you think oily, when you think oily you think you want to get rid of that oil and you think more stripping or foaming, but you don't think dry skin."
"Kate Somerville's Eradicate cleanser is a 3% sulfur cleanser. [...] It is a great cleanser to use especially if you have sebaceous filaments, meaning your pores on your nose are getting constantly clogged, they look like blackheads but they're not quite blackheads. If you are somebody who gets very red, using something that is sulfur based over time can minimize redness."
"The Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil Cleanser is amazing. I take off all my makeup with it, and I actually put it on my face dry without putting water on my face first. [...] I tested the pH and [...] it falls at around six, which is actually ideal for a cleanser because it's not going to over strip your skin."
"The Avène XeraCalm A.D. is a lipid-replenishing cleansing oil so you're going to feel like a slick seal in the shower and just be careful not to slip, but this one is a great one. This one is fragrance free and approved by the national eczema association."
How many cleansers has Dr. Shereene Idriss reviewed?
Dr. Shereene Idriss has reviewed 43 cleansers, for an approval rate of 74%. 32 approved, 8 mixed, and 3 skipped.
What has Dr. Shereene Idriss skipped in cleansers?
Oil cleansers are a category Dr. Idriss is cautious about for oily or acne-prone skin. She skipped the Bioderma Sensibio Oil Cleanser and explained that she has tried many oil cleansers and found they eventually caused breakouts, even when they seemed fine at first. Her view is that trying to clear clogged pores with an oil-based formula is unlikely to work long-term for that skin type. She also skipped the Augustinus Bader Cleansing Cream, saying she could not justify sixty-five dollars for what she described as a heavy gel cream. The Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water was another skip: she felt it did not remove makeup well and irritated her eyes more than any other product she had tried. Finally, she gave only a mixed take on the Neutrogena Stubborn Texture Daily Cleanser and called out what she saw as misleading marketing. The label highlights 4% glycolic acid, but she said the formula is not strong enough to actually improve skin texture, and she found the positioning confusing.
"There are literally a million oil cleansers on the market [...] and quite frankly I have tried many of them and hated every single one. [...] The reason they have not worked for me for the most part is because they constantly break me out, maybe not in the short term but as I've stuck to them [...] I have noticed that I break out eventually with them."
"Augustinus Bader, I have The Cleansing Cream listed as something I hate. The price is 65 bucks. Are you kidding me for a glass, very heavy gel cream? [...] You do you if you have it, good for you, but you don't have to spend that much money for a cleanser."
"I don't think the Garnier micellar water takes off the makeup well. [...] It kind of irritated my eyes way more than anything else I've ever used."
What should you take from Dr. Shereene Idriss's picks?
Dr. Shereene Idriss reads a cleanser's pH, checks its actives against its claims, and weighs the price against what the formula can actually do. Those standards decide which cleansers make her winners list and which ones she skips outright. Anyone with oily or acne-prone skin will find her takes on benzoyl peroxide timing and oil cleanser risks especially practical.
Watch Dr. Shereene Idriss say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterNamed a winnerWatch at 2:46
- Then I Met You Living Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 19:25
- Bioderma Sensibio Oil CleanserSkipped itWatch at 1:05
- Augustinus Bader Cleansing CreamSkipped itWatch at 14:43
- Garnier Micellar Cleansing WaterSkipped itWatch at 12:08
- Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 4:25
- PanOxyl 10% Benzoyl Peroxide WashRated itWatch at 5:09
- CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser with Salicylic Acid and Glycolic AcidRated itWatch at 1:58
- Kate Somerville Eradicate 3% Daily Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 8:19
- Laneige Cream Skin Milk Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 2:36
- Avène XeraCalm A.D. Lipid-Replenishing Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 7:29
- La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+ Gentle Foaming Moisturizing WashRated itWatch at 1:21
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 7:04
- Krave Beauty Makeup Rewind Transforming Jelly Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 2:18
- PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash for Face and Body 4% Benzoyl PeroxideRated itWatch at 4:43
- Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Removing Foam WashRated itWatch at 3:55
- Neutrogena Classic Salicylic Acid Face WashRated itWatch at 8:17
- Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat CleanserRated itWatch at 2:07
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 12:09
- COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle CleanserRated itWatch at 2:06
- Walgreens Hypochlorous Acid Cleansing SprayRated itWatch at 13:01
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 11:21
- Neutrogena Pore Cleanser 2% Salicylic AcidRated itWatch at 10:41
- Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 1:05
About this expert
See everything Dr. Shereene Idriss has reviewed
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This guide reflects what Dr. Shereene Idriss said across her videos about 43 products in cleansers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products she approved. It is general information, not medical advice.