La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Facial Cleanser, 13.52oz

Why it's worth it

A creamy, low-foam cleanser built for skin that reacts to everything. Prebiotic thermal water, niacinamide, and ceramide-3 do the barrier work, and it's fragrance-free, soap-free, and allergy tested.

Dermatologists hand this one out after procedures and to patients with rosacea, and the formula explains why. There's no soap, no oil, and no fragrance, and it barely foams at all. It's the cleanser you use when your skin is already unhappy and you can't afford to make it worse.

The creamy texture is the whole point. It sits on your skin more like a lotion than a wash, which means less surfactant contact and less disruption to your acid mantle. Owners with dry, easily irritated skin describe the same thing over and over: no tightness afterward, and visibly less redness after a few weeks of use.

From our review of 8 facial cleansers, by Sarah Wright, Editorial Associate

What we like

• +Dermatologists hand this one out after procedures and to patients with rosacea, and the formula explains why
• +The creamy texture is the whole point
• +Niacinamide and ceramide-3 are in there to soothe and rebuild, and while a rinse-off product can only do so much, the supporting…
• +Why is it the runner-up and not the top pick?

What to know

• –It doesn't lather, and for a lot of people that reads as "not clean." You have to retrain the expectation a bit
• –It's not universally tolerated
• –On very oily skin it can leave a slight film, especially in humid weather