We live in a big, industrialized world. We’ve messed up the ozone layer (although scientists say there are signs it’s on the mend) and we must adjust our skin care routines accordingly. That’s where low-pH facial cleansers come in.
Year-round, one of the biggest issues facing skin is pollution (particularly if you’re a city-dweller). “[Pollution] can wreak havoc on skin, so it’s essential to create a healthy barrier,” Peach & Lily founder Alice Yoon recently told Fashionista. “If you irritate the barrier via physical means or disturbing the acid mantle, you’re prone to more breakouts and sensitivity.” (The skin’s natural environment leans acidic, hence “acid mantle.”)
Per Los Angeles dermatologist Karyn Grossman, the skin’s lipid-rich outer layer’s natural pH lies between 4 and 6. Naturally occurring, beneficial flora — those that help keep “the outside world out and the inside world in” — are happiest at these levels. Clearly, it’s in our best interest to keep our skin’s pH in check by using slightly acidic products that play well with its natural protective barrier. (As opposed to harsh, drying products that throw off our skin’s pH level and weaken the acid mantle, making it more sensitive to all sorts of irritants.)
In the winter, when aggressive weather and dry skin come for us all, we have a two-fold interest in seeking out gentle, hydrating products that help our skin stay dewy, plump and able to hold strong against outside stressors. This process can be especially tricky when it comes to cleansers, which tend to be drying (since they’re specifically intended for oil removal).
Happily, we’ve done the legwork for you. Click through above for 11 low-pH facial cleansers that’ll leave you soft and refreshed, not tight, patchy or breakout-prone. And yes, there are options for every skin type.
[ Next: Why Double Cleansing Is Totally Worth It ]
Low pH (Face) Cleansers
-
Atopalm
Moisturizing Facial Cleansing Foam, $23 at Peach & Lily
Attention K-beauty enthusiasts: the Korea Power Brand Index has named Atopalm the number-one skin care brand for those with sensitive skin for the past 10(!) years straight. Why? The brand's patented ingredient, MLE, does an incredible job of mimicking the skin's natural barrier. Thus, you can trust this gentle, low-pH, MLE-enhanced face wash will always leave your skin soft, plump and clean — never tight, dry or itchy.
-
Shangpree
S-Energy Facial Mousse Cleanser, $35 at Peach & Lily
Another K-beauty favorite, this amino acid-based foaming cleanser rings in between 5 and 6 on the pH scale. It'll give you a fresh-faced glow, plus the bubbling action transforms the mundane act of face washing into a (slightly) more exciting experience.
-
Drunk Elephant
Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser, $42 at Sephora
The Ordinary can say what it will about Drunk Elephant's pricing but until it comes up with an under-$10 version of this mild (it's got a pH level of 5.9), makeup-melting jelly cleanser, we invite Tiffany Masterson to please take all of our money. Made with skin-nourishing marula oil, antioxidant-rich cantaloupe fruit extract and cleansing, coconut-based surfactants, the unscented formula is intensely soothing — and good for all skin types.
-
First Aid Beauty
Face Cleanser, $25 at Sephora
Adding water to this whipped, buttery formula will transform it into a rich, luxurious cream that gently removes dirt and oil with the help of skin-loving aloe, allantoin and glycerin. While that's going on, licorice root, feverfew and white tea extracts help create a healthy barrier between your skin and nasty environmental pollutants.
-
Cosrx
Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, $12 at Ulta
Use this cult-favorite cleanser every day for ridiculously smooth, hydrated skin. Not only does it provide skin with the perfect amount of pH, it also has tea tree oil in it, which (in the right concentration) is great for fighting breakouts and helps even out your complexion.
-
La Roche-Posay
Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser, $14.99 at Ulta
This dermatologist beloved, three-time Allure Best of Beauty winner is gentle enough to use every day. Unlike more basic (in all senses of the word) acne-targeting cleansers, it won't strip your skin. Use the breakout-preventing, lightly foaming, vaguely mint-scented gel solo or in conjunction with the brand's toner and spot treatment of the same name — whatever works best for you. Either way, you'll see results in under 10 days.
-
Phace Bioactive
Detoxifying Gel Cleanser, $42 at Saks
Phace Bioactive founder Marisa Vara Arredondo suffered from bad cystic acne in her teens and again in her 20s. After discovering that her out-of-whack pH levels were in large part to blame for her skin issues, Arredondo created a line of widely celebrated skin care products formulated with the acid mantle in mind. The line's hero product, the Detoxifying Gel Cleanser, has a pH level of approximately 3 to 3.5 and uses mild, do-no-harm ingredients (like coconut-derived surfactant and fruit enzymes) to help boost cell turnover.
-
Glossier
Milky Jelly Cleanser, $18 at Glossier
Perhaps you've heard of Glossier? Served up in a millennial pink bubble-wrap pouch and housed in a convenient pump-outfitted container, the brand's silky, cloudy gel cleanser goes on smooth, doesn't foam at all and yet manages to slough off all your makeup and dead skin. Plus, it's not at all drying and has a pleasant, subtle rose scent.
-
Too Cool for School
Sitkoza Cleansing Gel, $20 at Nordstrom
Oily skin-havers looking for a gentle, nonfoaming cleanser that won't strip skin of its natural moisture, this is it. The rose water, blue agave extract and cherry blossom extract-enhanced formula (which greatly resembles Glossier's in consistency) removes makeup, dirt and (key word) excess oil. It strikes the perfect balance of hydration without greasiness — and leaves behind no annoying residue.
-
Sulwahsoo
Snowise Brightening Cleansing Foam, $30 at Amazon
Yet another K-beauty gem, this slightly acidic formula (its pH hits between 5 and 6) produces a rich, foamy lather that gently removes gunk and grime and leaves skin bouncy, bright and glowing. As a bonus, it's got a refreshing forest scent.
-
CeraVe
Hydrating Cleanser, $14.99 at Ulta
This drugstore staple is praised by dermatologists and beauty editors alike. Dry skin sufferers, in particular, will appreciate its ability to sweep away undesirables without making skin feel tight — ever. It's pretty bare bones (fragrance-free, no fancy packaging), but it definitely gets the job done.
