13 Best Face Washes for Dry Skin

When we have dry skin, we often feel like we have to clean our face more frequently, using water right from the tap to try to get the skin the hydration it needs. But unfortunately, frequent face washing with just water won’t make the skin drink it and take it up, no matter how much you try. 

But not just that, using the wrong cleanser can worsen the dryness and remove even more moisture from your already thirsty skin. Instead of bathing in lotion and facial creams, the solution is actually rather easy: use a face wash that is harsh on dead skin cells and impurities, exfoliates your face gently to create a smooth base for the skin cells to take up moisture and lock it in. We know; it’s not like you haven’t tried, right? 

Luckily, we have the solutions right here! The best face washes for dry skin are curated into a list of the 13 best so that you can find a cleanser that suits your skincare routine and is sure to give your skin the hydration it so deeply needs.

1. Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser

A face wash that is specifically designed for dry skin should have ample ingredients with the sole purpose of delivering maximum hydration to your skin, while providing the support your skin needs to lock in the moisture effectively and leaving you with soothed and smooth skin. Well, the beauty gurus at Blu Atlas have created a face wash that does exactly that! Their Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser does wonders for dry skin, and believe us; we’re not exaggerating here.

Pomegranate seed oil provides ultra-regenerative benefits to your skin, giving the cells ample antioxidants to fight off damage caused by harsh soaps, environmental pollutants and UV rays. The anti-inflammatory properties of pomegranate seed oil help soothe irritated skin and reduce visible blemishes and redness. With an extra boost of vitamins A, C, and K, and essential omega fatty acids, dry skin will disappear instantly as your skin is getting the ultimate boost of nutrients to thrive.

Volcanic ash consists of microparticles that are so fine that they are highly absorbent. They work wonders on dry skin, removing excess oils, and dry, flaky skin particles, so that your skin feels and looks cleaner and has a beautiful foundation for that natural glow. Bentonite also aids in removing impurities, working deeply on your pores, and supporting your skin’s natural microbiome. With a healthy and happy microbiome, the oil production of your skin is better regulated and your skin cells will feel and look their very best.

With more than 98% of the ingredients being plant-based, this cruelty-free face wash is perfect for balancing the natural pH of your skin. Designed and formulated under the careful supervision and expertise of renowned dermatologists, you can trust that you're providing your skin with the ultimate premium experience that is highly effective, extremely nourishing, and suited for the most sensitive skin. Oh, and did we mention that all Blu Atlas products are free from parabens, sulfates, phthalates and any other chemicals you wouldn’t want to find in a skincare product

If you’re looking for a face wash that truly does what it promises, while also supporting a brand that is committed to sustainability and looking after our environment, then what are you waiting for? Experience the best face wash for dry skin for yourself.

2. Ethique Gingersnap™ Gentle Solid Face Scrub

You know how people often say sugar is bad for you? Well, yeah, too much of anything can be bad for you. But your brain and muscles need sugar to do their best work. So, would you be surprised if we told you that sugar could be a highly effective ingredient for a face wash? No, we’re not joking! The Gingersnap face scrub is amazingly exfoliating, gently cleansing, and ultra-nourishing, especially for dry skin!

White sugar derived from sugar cane is an excellent exfoliant. And the same goes for brown sugar, which has large crystals to remove even the driest skin flakes from your face. As the sugar removes dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin, they also provide a slight chemical exfoliation for the deeper layers of your skin as they dissolve in water thanks to the formation of a gentle alpha hydroxy acid. With the addition of finely ground pumice derived from volcanic rock, impurities, flakes and excess oils are gone within one wash so that the invigorating ground ginger, cinnamon and kokum butter can provide the nourishing and deeply hydrating molecules to the base foundation. This face scrub has you saying, “oh, snap!” when you see the amazing results that one simple face wash will deliver.

Kokum butter gives the solid face scrub bar a creamy texture once it comes in contact with water. It also provides your skin cells with a blend of fatty acids that work together to give your skin a firmer, healthier look. The scent of ginger and cinnamon is uplifting, creating a spa session right in your home so that you will feel the most refreshed, cleansed, hydrated and beautiful you have ever felt.

Ethique doesn’t just care for delivering a premium product in an accessible manner but also ensures that our mother earth is looked after. With no plastic waste, free from toxic chemicals, cruelty-free, and completely plant-based, the Gingersnap Gentle Face Scrub is good for the environment and good for your skin.

But hey, we know it can be tricky to give something new a try, especially when we’re talking about a solid face wash. But the beautiful humans at Ethique are aware of that as well and offer you a 100% money-back guarantee should you ever be unhappy with any of their products. No fuss, just complete customer satisfaction, Ethique truly goes beyond the expected. We’re in love, and we can’t wait for you to fall in love with Ethique as well.

3. La Mer The Cleansing Foam

Do you know the feeling when the world sometimes just seems a bit much? Have you experienced how maybe a walk by the ocean, listening to the gentle and powerful sounds of waves crashing ashore, can really make a difference in how you feel? Yeah, us too! And the innovative and brilliant minds behind La Mer have experienced the powers of the ocean, as well as sounds, themselves. Using a highly specific, patented technology, La Mer harvests giant kelp from the pristine waters off Vancouver islands and extracts the healing and rejuvenating properties from the giant kelp using wave and sound technologies. This process takes up to four months to obtain a concentrated broth that contains the highest amounts of cell-renewing micronutrients that will transform your skin from dull, dry and irritated, to the healthiest, most glowing complexion you’ll ever dream of.

Giant kelp is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth. Its fast-growing properties are accounted for by its complex molecular structure that allows it to regenerate and produce healthy cells within no time. With the patented technology used by La Mer, these properties are extracted and can be taken up by your skin with each use of their brilliant face wash. Additionally, giant kelp is also known for its anti-inflammatory benefits, effectively reducing inflammation and irritation brought on by dry, brittle skin.

Another powerful ingredient is tourmaline. Tourmaline is a gemstone that is known for its absorbent and healing wonders. It can soak up negative energies and release positive flows that are going to energize the cells of your skin, making it easier for them to restore a normal, healthy complexion. We know, it sounds too good to be true! But trust us, Dr. Max Huber, the founder behind La Mer, experimented for 12 years to create a truly working product. Having suffered from burns that he experienced from a lab accident, he used his experience and need to formulate skin care products that are restorative, rejuvenating and actually work. But don’t take our word for it; try it out, and see for yourself!

4. Lumin Charcoal Cleanser

When you think of charcoal, you may think of burnt wood, a dusty fireplace, and probably not a smooth and clean complexion. Yet, charcoal is an excellent ingredient when it comes to providing excellent cleansing benefits. Charcoal is extremely effective when it comes to attracting impurities, as its fine particles can deeply penetrate your skin’s pores and practically lift out any impurities. And not only does charcoal clean the pores all the way, but it also acts as a firming agent, allowing the pores to become tighter and keep impurities out more effectively.

The addition of rose flower oil yields a vibrant and radiant glow thanks to its anti-inflammatory action. Wave goodbye to redness caused by dry skin and never worry about puffy, irritated skin again. Centella asiatica works with rose flower oil to protect your skin from sun damage and help lock in moisture for an extra hydrating effect.

So, if you’re ready to experience the results of one of the best face washes for dry skin, we recommend you get the Lumin Charcoal Cleanser and turn your skin into its most radiating, glowing self and experience the uplifting feeling that comes with it.

5. Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm

A fruity and uplifting face wash is coming your way with the Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm. As you may have guessed, papaya is the shining star that gives this cleansing balm its amazing scent as well as its hydrating and cleansing properties.

Papain is an enzyme that’s found in papaya. Enzymes are like molecular scissors, breaking apart small particles. This gives papain its amazingly gentle yet highly effective properties in removing and dissolving dead skin cells and giving you a softened and smoothed complexion. Papaya extract and seed oil are rich in fatty acids, especially linoleic and oleic acid. These help support the natural structure of your skin cells, helping them to maintain a firm and plump composition that gives your skin a healthy tone and texture. Blueberry extract delivers an extra boost of vitamins and antioxidants, nourishing the skin and protecting its natural barrier to shield you from environmental stressors. Cleaner, healthier, more hydrated skin is going to be your new normal.

Glow Recipe’s Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm is super soft and creamy, making it easy as ever to dissolve make-up, product build-up and impurities from your skin. Designed especially for dry skin, this cleansing balm will reveal smooth and glowing skin no matter your skin type and is even safe for use for those with sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers.

6. Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser

Did you know that “beste” is German for “the absolute best”? Well, if that is a coincidence or not, Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser is truly one of the best face washes for dry skin, and we would bathe in it if we could.

While a jelly cleanser may not be your usual cup of tea, let us assure you that this unique blend of mild surfactants and emollients provides a cleansing experience that is gentle on the skin and harsh on impurities. Excess oils, residues of pollutants, make-up and other leftover grime from the day will be washed away, never to be seen again, while leaving your skin smooth and soft.

Formulated to be at a pH of 5.5, it matches the pH of your skin perfectly, yielding a supportive cleaning experience that is non-stripping and will never leave you dry. Vegan and cruelty-free, and always free from silicones, fragrances and other nasty chemicals. Drunk Elephant is committed to creating skin care products that only contain essential ingredients and leaving out anything that would harm your skin in any way.

Among those ingredients is glycerine. While this sounds super chemical like, it’s actually a skin-identical humectant that works on replenishing your skin's hydration level, no matter how dehydrated and dry your skin may seem. Cucumis melo Cantalupensis fruit extract is rich in antioxidants and vitamins that not only soothe your skin but also provide a maximum nourishing effect. Your skin cells are going to be fed with all the good stuff they need to give you the healthiest, most radiant complexion. And lastly, virgin marula oil provides that extra boost of essential omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids that give your skin that ultimate boost to provide long-lasting protection against drying out.

For the best results and to make your skincare routine as easy as possible, Drunk Elephant’s cleaning ritual recommends skipping the a.m. wash step. Your skin doesn’t get dirty overnight if you’re washing it with this gentle cleanser before going to bed. Provided with all the things your dry skin needs to be hydrated, nourished and smoothed, there is no need to wash your skin again in the morning. Just get ready to use your normal morning skincare smoothie, such as creams and make-up, and you’re good to go.

And if you’re running out, don’t even worry about taking the bottle apart - Drunk Elephant’s commitment to planet Earth means that the whole bottle, cap and all, are recyclable. How amazing is that?

7. Morphe Bubbly Fresh Gel-to-Foam Cleanser

When our skin feels a little dry, itchy, irritated and blemished, then we’re surely not feeling our most bubbly, energetic self. Luckily, Morphe’s Bubbly Fresh Gel-to-Foam Cleanser is not only providing a bubbly foaming skin care routine to you but has you return to your highest energy and most bubbliest self with this cleanser.

The Morphe cleanser has a gel texture that lathers into a creamy and soothing foam as you massage it onto your damp skin. Blue-green algae, also known as spirulina, provide the skin with proteins required to function at the healthiest level while also detoxifying your skin cells. Long-lasting refreshment that delivers an extra boost of moisture has your skin shining and radiating that bubbly complexion!

What we also love about Morphe’s Bubbly Fresh Gel-to-Foam Cleanser is that it is suited for all skin types and tones. With its cruelty-free, vegan and non-comedogenic formulation that is free from parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, phthalates, formaldehydes and mineral oils, this cleanser is super-effective, simple and delivers maximum results.

8. Each & Every Pristine Clean Gentle Facial Cleanser

Each & Every celebrates Earth Day every single day with their unique formulations that are safe for you and especially sustainable for the planet. Each & Every has an extremely transparent ingredient list, making it easy to see where all of their ingredients come from, and don’t hide behind weird marketing. Instead, their full transparency allows you to see exactly what goes into their products so that you don’t have to worry about what you’re applying to your skin.

This pH-balanced formulation effectively removes make-up, dirt, environmental pollutants and dead skin cells without stripping your skin of its natural oils or moisture, no matter whether you’re using this cleanser multiple times a day. Using natural salt and coconut extracts, this cleanser provides the hydration your skin is longing for and leaves the skin feeling baby soft. Clinically tested, this cleanser is suited for all skin types and will deliver visibly healthier and hydrated skin.

High-quality ingredients, ultra-transparency, and with the highest safety standards, Each & Every carefully selects and blends only the most essential ingredients and will have you forget that your skin used to be dry.

9. Aesop Purifying Facial Cleanser

We’ve already introduced some foaming cleansers to you. In contrast to those, this cleanser from Aesop is completely cream-like and never foaming. You may ask yourself why that’s something you should consider. Let us explain!

Aesop is known for their luxury yet extremely accessible skin care products that only use the most premium ingredients. With the expertise of endless dermatologists and beauty experts, Aesop is truly dedicated to making skin care products that work day after day, time after time. They have chosen a non-foaming formulation to ensure that the entire surface of your skin is getting the highest levels of moisture, something that is sometimes missed with the bubbly, air-trapping foam cleansers. The creamy texture creates a smooth and lathering cover that allows the powerful ingredients to penetrate your skin deeply, effectively locking in moisture and feeding the cells of the skin with the best nutrients.

White Clay is known for its purifying benefits, acting harshly on any dirt and impurities while gently providing a hydrating effect, effortlessly removing all you don’t want on your skin, and delivering all you need on your skin. Using the greatest care, the specific blend of plant-based ingredients is sure to transform the mundane face wash experience into an all-around sensory ritual. Not only is your skin going to look and feel better, but your mind will also be at ease knowing you’re giving your skin the absolute best there is in the world of face washes.

Based in New Zealand, Aesop is a brand that wastes no money on extensive marketing or big billboards. Instead, they let their products speak for themselves. We are definitely visiting their sensory stores every chance we get, and we guarantee you’ll be just as much in love with their products as we are!

10. Elemis London Superfood Facial Wash

From time to time, a juicing detox can do wonders for your health. Drawing out the toxins that we accumulate throughout our everyday lives, the toxins that make us feel sluggish and make our skin look dry, dull and lackluster. What if we told you that you could give your skin a juicing detox on the daily? The Superfood Facial Wash from Elemis is a revitalizing green juice for your face, removing grime and dirt from daily exposure to the elements, deeply cleansing, and providing a nutrient-rich superfood blend for your skin.

Broccoli, wheatgrass and kale extract are not just good in a smoothie, when their superpowers are extracted and carefully blended in a face wash, your face is going to light up with a healthy glow that will make you look younger, more energetic and radiating a vibe that will have you jumping with euphoria. Avocado oil and pumpkin seed oil add essential fatty acids into the mix without ever leaving a greasy feel behind. They even encourage your skin to regulate its own oil production, removing excess oils and providing moisture for a well-hydrated complexion. Your skin is going to be as healthy as ever. And with the anti-inflammatory benefits of nettle extract, blemishes and irritations will be an old memory of the past.

If you have experienced how good you feel post-juice cleanse, then imagine how good your skin is going to feel after a face wash with the Superfood Facial Wash from Elemis London. No wonder this superfood blend had to be on our list of the best face washes for dry skin.

11. Origins Checks and Balances™ Frothy Face Wash

Did you know the European Union has extremely stringent regulations when it comes to what ingredients are allowed in skin care products? Well, what’s inside a product is just as important as what’s left out, and Origins formulate its amazing face wash without more than 1500 of the ingredients that are known to be harmful to humans and the environment. In addition to that, the formulation is also free from parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, mineral oils, petrolatum, paraffin or any other nasty chemicals. What’s more, it is also made without any animal products. Completely vegan, this Checks and Balances Frothy face Wash is just using the natural powers of plants and plant-derived ingredients. Because what’s naturally occurring in nature is going to be naturally good for you.

As we mentioned above with La Mer, kelp is one of the fastest-growing plants on this planet. Found in huge underwater forests, kelp has healing, anti-inflammatory and rejuvenating properties. These renewing benefits act right on your skin’s cells and support a natural renewal, remove dead skin cells, and keep the newly generated cells well-hydrated. Tourmaline extract not only purifies and deeply cleans the skin's pores, but it also draws out subtle toxins that may only cause irritation in sensitive skin. And the addition of uplifting mint oil not only refreshes the senses but provides a cooling feeling that soothes irritated skin.

The Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash from Origins is their absolute best-selling face wash. Not only does it easily wash away make-up, surface oils, or impurities and grime, but it also delivers an ultra-smooth feel to your skin. A smooth feel that feels comfortably clean.

Thanks to its frothy nature, it is gentle enough to be used daily, and even multiple times a day, without stripping the skin of natural oils and proteins.

12. Clinique Liquid Facial Soap

Dry skin is often irritated and extremely sensitive to treatments. That’s why it’s important that you make sure to choose a facial cleanser that is extra mild and specifically designed for dry skin. The Liquid Facial Soap from Clinique is not only specifically formulated for dry skin but even for those with very dry skin. While being extremely gentle, it is also extremely thorough with its cleansing benefits.

A small dollop of this liquid soap transforms into a non-drying lathering and soft texture that acts on loose surface flakes, removes cell debris, and removes grime and dirt. It allows the skin to breathe and take up the extra hydration delivered by the moisturizing benefits from aloe vera leaf extracts. Aloe vera is rich in water and vitamins and also rich with molecules that support your skin’s natural moisture-retaining barrier.

Clinique is formulated by dermatologists, all of which have extensive experience and are dedicated to bringing you the best quality products that are sure to give your skin the best possible treatment.

13. Garnier Hyaluronic Aloe Hydrating Micellar Cleansing Water

The Garnier Hyaluronic Aloe Hydrating Micellar Cleansing Water is the secret weapon among cleansers for ultimate hydration. Hyaluronic acid helps to plump your skin for a softer, firmer and more energized complexion. The Micellar technology of the Garnier face wash practically attracts impurities like a magnet and lifts them right off your skin. And aloe vera is the third magic power in this ultra-hydrating face wash that delivers the ultimate level of moisture. With these ingredients working together, this face wash is an effective, gentle way to cleanse your skin, all without rough rubbing or scrubbing.

Without any harsh chemicals, and being completely cruelty-free, even the British Skin Foundation supports the Garnier Hyaluronic Aloe Hydrating Micellar Cleansing Water. With a huge foundation like this backing a face wash, you can be assured that this is going to be your new favorite when it comes to rehydrating dry skin, cleansing gently and giving you the healthiest, most refreshed skin.