Hyram has looked at more cleansers than most people own: more than 50 of them. He approved about three in four, gave a handful a mixed take, and skipped a few more. That is a generous record, but the skips are worth knowing about just as much as the wins.
What does Hyram recommend in cleansers?
What he keeps coming back to is gentleness. He praises cleansers that clean well without leaving skin feeling stripped or tight. Simple, honest ingredient lists earn his trust, and a low price point is a genuine plus in his book, not an afterthought. He has a soft spot for cleansing balms that feel rich and nourishing, naming the Then I Met You Living Cleansing Balm one of his category winners and calling it 'home,' the kind of product he keeps rebuying. Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser is his other top pick. For anyone with dry or sensitive skin, he consistently points to options like Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser and Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat Cleanser as safe, reliable choices that dermatologists also tend to recommend.
Hyram's cleanser picks, in his words
"It also has pineapple fruit extract, which has very mild gentle exfoliating abilities, though I'm not sure of the concentration since it's at the very end of the ingredient list. [...] Great cleanser, I love the ingredients, you can't beat the price point, we're good."
"However, it is a bit of a luxury cleansing balm. I will forever recommend this and I will forever use it. However, I feel like cleansing balm technology and just product availability has really accelerated a lot in the past few years. We're finding a lot more great options out there than we used to when I first started using this, so for that reason I've been trying out a lot more new cleansing balms and falling in love with so many of them. But this will always be home."
"If you want the most simple cleanser, the one dermatologists typically recommend for people who have really dry, sensitive skin, the Vanicream cleanser is a go-to classic and definitely what I recommend to anyone whose skin reacts to absolutely everything."
"I've recommended it for years on my channel. It was actually featured in the best cleansers of multiple years videos that I've done. I absolutely love it. It's a great gentle but effective cleanser at dissolving any impurities that are in your pores, dirt, sweat, particularly if you are someone who has more combination to oily skin. Although it's not super stripping or really intense. [...] Great formula, dermatologist focused, science-backed formula, fragrance-free, great for sensitive skin."
"I would say it's one of my favorite products from Glow Recipe. Compared to other cleansing balms, it's a very moisturizing experience. It's like a thicker consistency, which I tend to like with my cleansing balms. I like that rich formula on my face. It definitely is rich because the product is not cheap, it's one of the more expensive cleansing balms out there, but I love it. [...] I thoroughly enjoyed it and anyone who wants to get it I would say go for it because it is a great formula."
"This one took a little while for me to get hooked onto, but once I started consistently using it, I really fell in love with it. This one does an awesome job at really deeply cleansing your skin. It has incredible ingredients like rice ferment filtrate, which helps to hydrate the skin, as well as licorice root extract, which helps brighten any dark spots. [...] This does a really good job of cleansing the skin, particularly if you lean more on the oilier side."
How many cleansers has Hyram reviewed?
Hyram has reviewed 56 cleansers, for an approval rate of 75%. 42 approved, 6 mixed, and 8 skipped.
What has Hyram skipped in cleansers?
Hyram skipped the COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, saying it leaves his skin feeling too stripped and dry, even on oily days. He skipped the CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser too, not because of a bad formula, but because he has simply never understood the hype or seen results from it, even with dry patches on his cheeks. The Arencia Rice Mucin Cleanser and Make Succulent Skin Wash Serum Weight Cleanser also got a pass, with the latter leaving his skin feeling stingy and sensitive after use.
"I'll have to say pass for this one. You know, this was one of like the first cleansers I used, and I think actually like the first Korean skincare product. It's just a little bit too stripping, and that's me with my skin where you need like a pickaxe to get through all the built-up oil throughout the day, but every time I've used this one it just leaves my skin feeling a little bit too stripped and dry. So I'd say pass."
"I never really liked this product but to each their own. It [...] is a cleanser with like a very deep cleansing experience to the point that even for my oily skin I found that this one kind of like overly stripped my skin. But I can see why it's very popular especially amongst younger people who are like just starting a skincare routine because it's one of the basics right, a cleanser. But it does not have a basic price point at all. This cleanser is $34 which is very high up there honestly."
"I abhor this product. I really don't like these but I'll explain why. [...] Yes, pore strips can be very satisfying on the face and I am victim to the TikToks where you see the satisfying peel-offs, but I've always found these just so unnecessary because first off they can irritate your nose and I bet you to God that when I peel this off it's gonna look like I forgot to apply sunscreen on a beach day, my nose is going to be so red. But they're just such a temporary solution."
"I've wanted to try some of their products before, but I believe their cleanser is just a little bit too harsh from an ingredient perspective for me to feel comfortable using."
What should you take from Hyram's picks?
Hyram's approval rate for cleansers sits at 75%, which reflects a reviewer who genuinely likes this category. His record shows he is most comfortable recommending gentle, straightforward formulas at accessible prices, and he has a clear favourite in cleansing balms. If a cleanser dries or strips the skin, he will say so plainly, and his short skip list is worth checking before you add something to your cart.
Watch Hyram say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Then I Met You Living Cleansing BalmNamed a winnerWatch at 3:03
- Youth to the People Kale and Green Tea Spinach Vitamin Superfood CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 2:30
- COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel CleanserSkipped itWatch at 12:11
- Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly CleanserSkipped itWatch at 5:43
- Biore Ultra Deep Cleansing Pore StripsSkipped itWatch at 1:52
- Arencia Rice Mucin CleanserSkipped itWatch at 10:58
- Make Succulent Skin Wash Serum Weight CleanserSkipped itWatch at 3:36
- Noxzema Original Deep Cleansing CreamSkipped itWatch at 3:53
- CeraVe Hydrating Facial CleanserSkipped itWatch at 10:49
- Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing BalmSkipped itWatch at 6:08
- Good Molecules Rose Water Daily Cleansing GelRated itWatch at 8:04
- Vanicream Gentle Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 6:10
- La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming CleanserRated itWatch at 3:29
- Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 2:01
- Then I Met You Soothing Tea Cleansing GelRated itWatch at 6:19
- Mario Badescu Cleansing OilRated itWatch at 3:12
- Clinique Cleansing MilkRated itWatch at 8:03
- CeraVe Renewing SA CleanserRated itWatch at 3:27
- CeraVe Foaming Facial CleanserRated itWatch at 10:19
- Aveeno Calm + Restore Nourishing Oat CleanserRated itWatch at 4:07
- Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing BalmRated itWatch at 2:15
- Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar WaterRated itWatch at 10:02
- Peach & Lily Ginger Melt Oil CleanserRated itWatch at 5:17
- Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating CleanserRated itWatch at 5:49
About this expert
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This guide reflects what Hyram said across his videos about 56 products in cleansers, aggregated by The Guru Index. Sponsored takes are excluded. The approval rate is the share of these products he approved. It is general information, not medical advice.