(Beauty Report Card)

These Soothing Cream Cleansers Keep My Skin Dewy All Winter

Buh-bye, foam washes.

Dec. 2, 2023

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Look, I fully understand the appeal of a face wash filled with mega acids, the kind that leaves your skin super tingly. It feels so efficient! Like you’re really taken the extra effort to get fresh and clean; it’s tangible proof if you can’t actually dig into your pores with a teeny little scrubber brush, you’ve done your due diligence with finding the next best option. But here’s the thing: Not only do these formulas often leave my complexion looking red and flakey over time, using them is completely untenable when the weather moves in a cold and dry direction. That’s when I need to fully give up the hardcore exfoliation and shift toward cream cleansers.

For the still unconvinced out there, let me set the scene: You come home after commuting in sub-zero weather. Your mascara is somehow both running and frozen to your lashes; your nose is running straight into smudged foundation you applied six hours ago. You go into the bathroom and pour a giant dollop of thick, velvety face wash into your hands before massaging it into your forehead and cheeks. Once you’ve applied it everywhere, you take a hot towel and effortlessly wipe away every last bit of congealed makeup from your visage and the result is… dewy. Refreshed! Not a weird dry or irritated patch in sight. You rub in some face oil for good measure, and go to sleep knowing that you’ll actually wake up hydrated no matter how Sahara Desert dry your heating system makes your home.

Winter is really just around the corner, so now’s the time to start switching up your routine. Ahead, shop the 10 options I’m stocking up on now.

Pai

Middlemist Seven Gentle Cream Cleanser and Cloth for Sensitive Skin

$59

I constantly come back to this soothing formula when my skin is stressed out and I need something that’ll fully rid me of the day’s dirt without any trace of irritation. I especially recommend it if you’re using a more aggressive serum and need to keep the rest of your routine gentle.

U Beauty

The Mantle Skin Conditioning Wash

$78

Keep this one on hand for evenings when you are coming home late, full of champagne, and need something that’ll melt your foundation and eyeshadow with next to no effort. In other words, it’s a holiday party season must.

Tata Harper

Superkind Refining Cleanser

$88

Can’t quit exfoliation? This emollient option will do the job in the most mild way.

Augustinus Bader

The Cream Cleansing Gel

$70

IMO if you’re going to go the luxury route, few brands give you your money’s worth better than Augustinus Bader. This one will brilliantly prep your visage every night for a rich lotion, and look so fancy sitting in your medicine cabinet.

Dr. Hauschka

Soothing Cleansing Milk

$39

The OG of milky cleansers, this all natural formula delivers the most satisfying herbal fragrance while washing away your face’s impurities.

CeraVe

Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

$18

Don’t discount the satisfaction of spending less than $20 for a giant bottle of this uber-effective cleanser, and watching it last you the entire winter.

Tammy Fender

Cleansing Milk

$60

If you follow my TZR beauty byline, you know I’m a true stan of this soft and creamy plant-based wash — and, of course, the plump, glowy way my skin looks after I use it.

Herbivore

PINK CLOUD Rosewater + Tremella Creamy Jelly Cleanser

$26

If the cheery pink color isn’t enough to sell you on this next selection, then perhaps its efficiency will. I don’t think I’ve ever needed more than two pumps to completely remove the works from my face.

Grown Alchemist

Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser

$50

The name here says it all: Beyond its cleaning properties, this formula works to restore much needed moisture back to your skin via ingredients like olive leaf extract and vitamin B.

Lisa Eldridge Beauty

Skin Enhancing Treatment Cleanser

$46

Although the magical stuff in this tube starts as a balm, water and the heat of your hands transform it to an oil, and then a milk. A treat for the senses... and pores.