The Costs of Cleansing (And What Makes It Worth It For Me) + a New Favorite Cleanser

Washing my face in the morning and evening is, as it is for many, a highlight of my day. I love the refresh and reset of a good cleanse, whether it is the only thing I do for my skin that day or as the overture to a total full-on skincare ritual. In all my experience of buying and testing cleansers from many brands of many philosophies, I have noticed some common threads among many of them based on one factor--relative price. Now, as a cleanser is something we use daily and often twice a day, it seems the most viable to try to find the lowest cost option possible. Or some might say since we use these products on our skin so frequently, there might be something to getting the most luxury option out there, not only to really indulge but to ensure quality, so long as it is financially feasible . But the lines, for me, are not so easily drawn even with all of this, and there are always exceptions to the findings I'll share here. But these are just a few observations I've made over all kinds of cleansers in similar price ranges.

Cleansers $20 USD and under: This category naturally will encompass most if not every cleanser available at the drugstore or from drugstore-priced brands, and perhaps some from the less expensive brands featured in boutiques and online stores at Sephora and Ulta. I find that at this price point, you can find cleansers that are effective and, for me, are good for temporary use. Often, these products are very bare bones and work to just clean the skin and remove makeup, though some remove makeup better than others. Most of the time, though I find cleanser at this price point to overdry my skin and /or knock it out of balance, perhaps causing breakouts or creating extra sensitivity (and this is true whether the product may be more conventionally- made or more natural-based_ , but that being said, I have very reactive and sensitive skin, so those with heartier skin may be able to get away with using a simpler and less expensive cleanser on a more permanent basis. As always, but especially at this point, there is a massive product-to-product difference and individual ingredients in each formula are key. This, I feel, may be even more the case at this lower price range because the formulas themselves have fewer ingredients overall than their more expensive counterparts, meaning formulas are more readily defined but might have less balancing agents in them. For example, a "clarifying cleanser" so to speak in this price range may be very good at drying up excess oil but may lack any replenishing ingredients to balance out the product's main effects that you might be more apt to find in a cleanser that costs a bit more. Similarly, a so-called "hydrating" or "moisturizing" cleanser in this bracket may feel very cushy and soothing to the skin may not provide much cleansing action or makeup removing power at all.

Cleansers from $25-$60: This is my broadest range of cleanser cost categories and includes the largest amount of and the widest variety of cleanser types (oil, balm, gel, foam, cream) and types of ingredient list (natural or more pharmaceutical-based and many in between). I find cleansers in this middle zone to be my wheelhouse and regardless of their type or format or what their names suggest on the container to be the most beneficial between doing the job of cleaning the skin while not being too harsh about it (even in spite of having more sensitive skin) and maybe even having extra ingredients (antioxidants, exfoliants, extra oils or emollients) to help further improve the health or condition of the skin. Now, the classic debate here is whether any of these additional, skin-loving ingredients will actually do much for the skin, considering a cleanser will always be removed, and it is very hard to tell. But I would say that taking time to really work the product in and enjoying the experience of the massage gives you the best chance of getting those extras into your skin and getting the most of the greater investment in this type of product. Generally speaking in this tier (though anything can make anyone react), I find my skin to react less to formulas that are in this price point and stay in better balance.

One thing to be mindful of in this price bracket, especially as you get into the upper end, is that the consistency and texture of the formula greatly contributes to how long the product will last and how long-term of the investment will be. In general, I find gels and more thin soapy oil textures to last longer than creams or foams or thicker oils. The density of the latter kinds means that more molecular weight is in each dose and even if the size of the bottle might be larger than a particular gel cleanser, let's say, you might run out of thicker oil or cream faster.

Cleanser s $60+: This category represents the place, for me, where "getting what you pay for" ceases to be true. Everybody will have different thresholds with this based on budget and just how much they want to spend on skincare, but even if one can and has the wish to explore this price point for cleansers, I am less inclined to think it's worth it. The cleansers in this category (based on the few I've tried and the many I've read about) have formula concepts and ingredients often not unlike those in the middle tier or even sometimes the upper end of the least expensive range we talked about, and in many cases, for whatever reason, I find their sizes to be smaller. This is especially true in the Green Beauty world where a luxury cleansing balm of only 1 oz can sometimes be $75 USD or more, or a concentrated blend of oils that make up a cleansing oil will cost that same amount. For people interested in these luxury price points I would advocate for a mid-range or low-cost cleanser and then taking the remainder and finding a good serum with concentrated ingredients that definitely will stay on and within the skin, or looking into great masks or other weekly-ish treatments to boost and luxuriate in their skincare and experience of it.

Cleansing one's face is both a pleasurable experience but one that is most often a regular part of our routines. As to how much is worth it to spend on it, it is a question unique to everyone's budget, needs, and preferences, but having expectations drawn as to what we can or should expect for the money may make the decisions a bit easier.

*** As a bonus to this article, I wanted to include a mini-review of a cleanser that I have been loving recently for both morning and evening routine, the Aloe Cleanser from New Jersey-based Green Beauty Brand, Erin's Faces. The cleanser is, as the name implies, a juicy aloe-vera based ever-so-slightly foaming gel with coconut-derived emulsifying ingredients and some salts. The overall effect is both plumping and softening while still feeling like you got a good, but mildly, lathered clean. Comparing this to other favorites in effect, formula, and experience, it is very similar to the Summer Fridays Super Amino Gel Cleanser, that I have reviewed on here and still would recommend. But overall, I feel I like the one from Erin's Faces more due to the formula being less sticky (I think that's in part due to its not including hyaluronic acid that the Summer Fridays does have) and therefore easier to rinse. I also prefer the pump bottle to the squeeze tube the Summer Fridays comes in and enjoy supporting a smaller business where possible (although I still LOVE Summer Fridays products and highly recommend and respect the brand) . But in the spirit of being mindful of when and how to spend money, the Erin's Faces currently retails for $39 USD for a giant 8 oz bottle, which is an almost unheard of size for a facial cleanser whereas the Summer Fridays is $35 for 4 oz. Both are still amazing products and ones I trust from brands I enjoy, but just wanted to drop this info here as a note. You can find the Aloe Cleanser from Erin's Faces on their website, ErinsFaces.com where a 2 oz mini is also available for $13.50 USD if you are interested.