Best Drugstore Face Wash: 6 Picks by Skin Type Under $20

The best drugstore face washes are CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser. CeraVe Hydrating is best overall because it cleans without foaming away the skin's own oils, adds ceramides and hyaluronic acid, and is fragrance-free for $16.19 a 16 oz bottle. Cetaphil is the best value, and Vanicream is the safest bet for very sensitive skin.

Before you buy, you can scan a cleanser's barcode or label with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check its ingredients against your skin type. Pori reads the ingredient list; it does not diagnose skin conditions.

Quick picks

• Best overall: CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser ($16.19 for 16 oz, Target) - non-foaming, ceramides and hyaluronic acid, fragrance-free.
• Best value: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($12.49 for 16 oz, Target) - under 80 cents an ounce, fragrance-free and sulfate-free.
• Best for sensitive skin: Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser ($9.99 for 8 oz, Target) - a short list free of fragrance, botanicals and essential oils.
• Best for oily skin: CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser ($16.19 for 16 oz, Target) - gel-to-foam with niacinamide and ceramides.
• Best budget foaming wash: Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser ($9.99 for 8.5 oz, Target) - mild foam with no fragrance added.
• Best for acne: Differin 5% Daily Deep Cleanser ($13.99 for 4 oz, Ulta) - 5% benzoyl peroxide in a short formula.

We compared published ingredient lists, brand claims and listed prices; we did not test these products on skin. Prices are US list prices as of November 2026, with the retailer named, and they change often.

How do the best drugstore face washes compare?

What makes a drugstore face wash good?

A good daily wash removes sunscreen, oil and sweat and leaves your skin feeling the same as before you started, not tight. The AAD's face-washing advice is to use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol, apply it with your fingertips, rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry. It suggests washing twice a day and after heavy sweating.

Price is not the test. The AAD says products don't need to be expensive to be effective, and a cleanser spends under a minute on your face, so expensive extracts have little time to do anything. What matters is the cleansing base, whether fragrance is added, and whether the wash suits your skin type. Our guide to types of face cleansers explains foams, gels, creams and milks, and sulfates in face wash covers the surfactant question.

A quick way to choose: if your face feels tight within ten minutes of washing, switch to a non-foaming cream or lotion wash such as CeraVe Hydrating or Cetaphil. If it feels greasy by midday, a gel or foam such as CeraVe Foaming fits better. Combination skin can use one gentle foam for the whole face, or a foam in the morning and a cream wash at night. Give any new wash two weeks, and change one product at a time so you know what caused a reaction.

Which drugstore face wash should you buy?

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser: best overall

CeraVe makes this lotion-like wash for normal to dry skin with three ceramides, hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and lists it as fragrance-free and non-comedogenic. It barely foams, which is why it rarely leaves skin tight. Target lists the 16 oz pump at $16.19.

Who it suits: normal, dry and combination skin, and anyone using a retinoid. Who should skip it: people who want a squeaky-clean feel or wear heavy waterproof makeup. The catch: it does not remove long-wear makeup well on its own; use a cleansing oil or micellar water first. Our CeraVe Foaming vs Hydrating comparison helps you pick between the two.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser: best value

The current formula is a short list led by water and glycerin, with panthenol, niacinamide and the mild cleanser sodium cocoyl isethionate. Target's listing says it is free of fragrances, parabens and sulfates, at $12.49 for 16 oz. You can rinse it off or, for very dry skin, wipe it away with a soft cloth. Our Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser review covers the formula change.

Who it suits: dry, sensitive and normal skin on a budget. Who should skip it: oily skin, which may feel it leaves a film. The catch: with almost no lather, it can feel like it is not cleaning, though it is.

Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser: best for sensitive skin

Vanicream's ingredient list runs to about a dozen items: water, glycerin, coco-glucoside, sodium cocoyl glycinate and a few stabilizers. The brand describes it as free of botanical extracts and essential oils, and its wider range avoids dyes, fragrance, masking fragrance, lanolin and parabens. Target sells 8 oz for $9.99.

Who it suits: reactive skin, eczema-prone skin and anyone with known fragrance or botanical allergies. Who should skip it: very oily skin that wants more cleansing power. The catch: the 8 oz bottle costs more per ounce than CeraVe or Cetaphil. See our best cleanser for sensitive skin roundup for more options.

CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser: best for oily skin

CeraVe's foaming gel is made for normal to oily skin and adds niacinamide, ceramides and hyaluronic acid to a gentle foam. It is fragrance-free, and Target lists 16 oz at $16.19.

Who it suits: oily and combination skin, and people who like a lather. Who should skip it: dry skin in winter. The catch: it cleans more thoroughly than the Hydrating version, so dry patches may feel tight. Our best cleanser for oily skin roundup has more picks.

Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser: best budget foaming wash

Neutrogena's foaming formula starts with water, glycerin, cocamidopropyl betaine and lauryl glucoside, and includes centella asiatica extract. Target lists the 8.5 oz bottle at $9.99 with no fragrance added.

Who it suits: combination and sensitive skin that still wants foam. Who should skip it: very dry skin. The catch: some reviewers notice a chemical smell even though no fragrance is added.

Differin 5% Daily Deep Cleanser: best for acne

If you break out, a medicated wash can replace your regular cleanser. Differin's lists 5% benzoyl peroxide with just six inactive ingredients, at $13.99 for 4 oz on Ulta. It may bleach hair and dyed fabrics, so use a white towel.

Who it suits: oily, acne-prone skin with red pimples. Who should skip it: dry or very sensitive skin, and anyone without acne. The catch: benzoyl peroxide dries skin, so start once a day. For blackheads, a salicylic acid wash fits better; see our best face wash for blackheads and best benzoyl peroxide face wash roundups.

Is a drugstore face wash as good as an expensive one?

For cleansing, usually yes. The picks above share the features that matter in pricier washes: mild surfactants, glycerin, no added fragrance and, in the CeraVe formulas, ceramides. A luxury wash may offer a nicer texture or scent, and scent is the one thing sensitive skin is better without. Our drugstore vs luxury skincare guide explains where spending more can make sense, such as sunscreens you like enough to wear every day.

How do you build the rest of a drugstore routine?

Pair your wash with a moisturizer and a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen each morning, then add one active at night if you need it. Our drugstore skincare routine gives full morning and evening product lists by skin type. If you wear makeup or sunscreen all day, a first cleanse with oil or micellar water makes any of these washes work better; see how to double cleanse. You can also browse all cleansers in the Pori catalogue.

How we chose

We looked for full-size washes sold at US drugstores and big-box stores for under $20, with no added fragrance and a published ingredient list. We picked one wash for each common need, checked each list on the brand or retailer page, and recorded prices at Target and Ulta in November 2026. Where our drugstore routine guide already covers a product, we kept the same pick if it was still the best fit. We did not wear-test any product, and no brand paid to be included.