CeraVe’s Budget-Friendly Face Wash Is Hands-Down The Best For Dry, Winter Skin

A good moisturizer can only take you so far. Sure, there are serums, toners, and essences, an indulgent crew of eye creams and lip masks, but when it all comes down to setting your skin up for wintertime success, a good face wash can make or break your complexion. There might not be a name so beloved by dermatologists as CeraVe, and the brand’s Hydrating Facial Cleanser is an absolute dream come true for seasonally dry skin. 

Squeaky clean is great, if we’re talking dishes, floors, and mirrors, but when it comes to our skin, clear, hydrated, and downright bouncy is the end all. Washing our face is as much about what we’re putting back into our skin as it is about what we’re taking off. Preserving the good stuff is paramount.

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser is a non-foaming formula that’s designed for normal to dry skin. After it washes away dirt, makeup, and excess oil, it goes to work, serving up 24-hour hydration. When it comes to the latter, the secret is in the ceramides.

All CeraVe products call on ceramides (CeraVe—get it?) for their skin-barrier-boosting formulas. The magical ingredient is like a type of glue that locks in moisture and keeps the bad stuff out. If your ceramide level is low, you might be more susceptible to issues like eczema and acne, and, of course, dry skin. CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser, like other CeraVe products, uses three ceramides that are naturally found in the skin to help restore and maintain the skin’s barrier. What that means for your skin is a clean, hydrated foundation, ready to soak in all the goodness of the rest of your skin-care routine.

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BUY IT: Price at time of publish: $14.57

Encapsulated technology that controls the release of hydrating ingredients keeps the moisture coming around the clock, with hyaluronic acid locking it all in. The super-gentle formula is a winner for both morning and nighttime cleansing. Whereas some cleansers might be too heavy-duty for an a.m. cleanse when makeup and impurities aren’t an issue, CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser will actually boost hydration so you can count on more moisture all day long.

When I was a teen, I was like a little lamb led astray. If only I knew what I know now: Those cleansers with the bursting, exfoliating beads were essentially stripping my collagen-rich, youthful skin of all of the stuff I’m desperately trying to replenish these days. Washing my face with this hydrating cleanser is a stark opposite, leaving my skin feeling more nourished and healthier with each rinse. Squeaky clean doesn’t stand a chance.

Sure, it’s called a facial cleanser, but you can also use it as a body and hand wash for all over hydration. We don’t blame you if you do.