James Welsh has put more than 50 cleansers through their paces, and the numbers say a lot. He approved about two in three, gave a few a mixed take, and skipped nearly a quarter, landing on an approval rate of 64%. He still turns down plenty. The question he keeps coming back to: does a cleanser actually respect the skin barrier while it cleans?
What does James Welsh recommend in cleansers?
What James keeps praising is the non-stripping cleanser, one that rinses away fully without leaving skin tight, dry, or thirsty. He reaches for glycerin-heavy formulas a lot. Glycerin is a humectant, which means it pulls water toward the skin and helps it hold onto that moisture. When he spotted 50% glycerin in Dr Sam's Flawless Cleanser, he called it one of the nicest hydrating cleansers he had ever used. Texture matters to him too. The Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil earned a permanent spot in his routine because it breaks down sunscreen and makeup in about a minute, with no oil dripping or lingering. The BYOMA Melting Balm Cleanser won him over because it emulsified and rinsed away without any effort, and the Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin Cleanser because it foams into something that feels more like moisturising than washing. Soothing ingredients like oat extract and aloe show up in nearly every product he rates highly, and he treats them as a sign that a brand is thinking about barrier health, not just cleaning power.
James Welsh's cleanser picks, in his words
"This is probably one of my most staple products ever. As in like, it's always coming back and forth in my routine. It's always a cleanser I fall back on. In fact, when I'm testing new products, it's one of the cleansers I use because I know how well my skin reacts to it. Great for when your skin is stressed out, you want to focus on maintaining the skin barrier. Matcha for antioxidants. We've got hemp seed oil in here as well."
"This is just one of the nicest most hydrating cleansers I've ever used and I don't usually team the term hydrating with a cleanser but when there's 50% glycerin in a cleanser it's obviously going to be hydrating. It's such nice texture. There's aloe, there's oat extract, arginine as well so all soothing and helping to support the skin barrier. You get your money's worth with this cleanser."
"The Centella and Green Tea Hydrating Gel Cleanser has been one of my favorite cleansers since it launched. It's just that really soothing everyday cleanser that I happily used twice a day. Centella and Green Tea just doing what they do best, antioxidants, soothing, calming visible redness, supporting the skin. And then you got that really high level of glycerin, which [...] keeps you so hydrated whilst you cleanse. It's such a good cleanser."
"This has stayed consistently in my skincare routine. [...] This one has just been my go-to over and over and over. It kind of feels like this isn't viral, and this should be because this feels luxury, but it's very much drugstore price at the same time. This does beat out to me all those viral really popular well-marketed oils which I've tried. [...] The reason I love this one so much is there's three different versions and I love the Speedy version."
"It's just such a nice cleanser. It's quite a unique cleanser in the sense that the texture is a little bit different. There are a few other similar cleansers, but as far as how it then interacts on the skin, how it then foams up, how it then leaves your skin, is fairly unique. The thing about this that just feels a lot more nourishing and moisturizing than any other cleanser I've used."
"It smells really good. It's like buttery soft, like it's gliding over the skin. [...] It emulsified and kind of turned into that whitey milky fluid that rinsed away so effortlessly and so easily. It's a really, really nice cleansing balm. [...] I do much prefer the texture, to be honest with you, rather than that plasticky feeling balmy texture. I do think it's going to be one of my preferred cleansing balms."
How many cleansers has James Welsh reviewed?
James Welsh has reviewed 56 cleansers, for an approval rate of 64%. 36 approved, 7 mixed, and 13 skipped.
What has James Welsh skipped in cleansers?
James skipped nearly a quarter of the cleansers he reviewed, and his reasons tend to fall into two camps: safety concerns and dryness. He skipped the CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser with 4% Benzoyl Peroxide because testing found benzene, a known carcinogen, at levels above federal safety limits. He skipped the Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser because certain batches contained a preservative not listed on the packaging, one he noted can irritate sensitive skin. The Rhode Pineapple Refresh Daily Cleanser is a different kind of skip. Despite a promising ingredient list, he said it left his skin tight, dry, and desperate for hydration, comparing the feeling to a Clearasil-style wash. And the Kylie Skin Foaming Face Wash he skipped for containing fragrance and drying ingredients that, in his view, made the claim of being suitable for all skin types hard to stand behind.
"The jelly cleanser, certain batches contain a preservative not listed on the product ingredient list. And whilst this preservative is found commonly in skincare products, especially those clean beauty ones, this preservative, like many paraben alternatives, can cause skin irritation in sensitive individuals, especially at higher levels."
"The Foaming Face Wash was criticized for containing fragrance and drying ingredients that many complained weren't suitable for all skin types. The way this was being sold as suitable for all skin types is what really made people look at these products and be like that's not suitable for all skin types."
"Contained benzene, a known cause of cancer at levels which exceeded federal safety standards"
"I really liked this for a couple of months and then I got a new one and it just started drying out my skin really really really bad, like really bad. It reminded me of my early day teenage skincare routine cleansers where my skin would feel so tight. I actually just popped it in the shower and started using it as a body wash and bought another one thinking that maybe it was just the product I got online was maybe a dud or a bad batch, but no, it continued to really really dry me down."
What should you take from James Welsh's picks?
James Welsh's cleanser record is a strong guide for anyone whose skin tends to feel stripped or tight after washing. He named his winners as the Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin Cleanser, the BYOMA Melting Balm Cleanser, the Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil, and the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. He skips anything that dries skin out or raises a safety flag, and his highest praise goes to cleansers that leave the barrier intact. For those with sensitive or dry skin, his approved list is a solid place to start.
Watch James Welsh say it
Every verdict here comes from a video. These are the moments themselves, each one jumping straight to the bit about that product.
- Prequel Non-Drying Glycerin CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 11:57
- Kose Softymo Speedy Cleansing OilNamed a winnerWatch at 5:30
- BYOMA Melting Balm CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 2:59
- Glossier Milky Jelly CleanserNamed a winnerWatch at 3:27
- Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly CleanserSkipped itWatch at 8:40
- Kylie Skin Foaming Face WashSkipped itWatch at 7:21
- CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser with 4% Benzoyl PeroxideSkipped itWatch at 26:35
- CeraVe Renewing SA CleanserSkipped itWatch at 7:59
- Clarisonic Facial Cleansing BrushSkipped itWatch at 9:36
- Garnier Micellar Cleansing WaterSkipped itWatch at 18:59
- Rhode Pineapple Refresh Daily CleanserSkipped itWatch at 19:41
- Youth to the People Kale and Green Tea Spinach Vitamin Superfood CleanserSkipped itWatch at 18:30
- Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes Fragrance-FreeSkipped itWatch at 16:47
- Banila Co Clean It Zero Original Cleansing BalmSkipped itWatch at 10:10
- Fresh Soy Face CleanserSkipped itWatch at 7:23
- SKKN Gentle Foaming CleanserSkipped itWatch at 8:16
- The INKEY List Oat Cleansing BalmSkipped itWatch at 5:19
- Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating CleanserRated itWatch at 20:14
- Dr Sam's Flawless CleanserRated itWatch at 6:41
- Selfless by Hyram Centella and Green Tea Daily Gel CleanserRated itWatch at 19:43
- Skin Rocks Cream CleanserRated itWatch at 11:50
- Dr. Idriss Soft Wash Complete Daily CleanserRated itWatch at 1:01
- Remedy Gel-to-Foam Cleanser with Salicylic AcidRated itWatch at 21:31
- Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%Rated itWatch at 20:53
About this expert
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This guide reflects what James Welsh 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.