I think we all owe face wash an apology—at least I do, anyway! For years, I always considered my cleanser the least important part of my skincare routine. I’d splash some water on my face, slather on the cheapest face wash I could find at the drugstore, mush it around for, oh, a good ten seconds, and then I’d rinse. Ugh. Let’s just say I know so much better now! For one, most experts say we should spend at least one full minute massaging our face wash into our face, a time frame that ensures we get every last crumb of naughties expunged from our pores.
So set a timer, listen to half of your favorite tune, or just guesstimate. Secondly, the formulation of your face wash can and will make a significant difference in the health and look of your complexion. (Take it from someone who learned the hard way—that her cleanser was solely responsible for a never-ending cycle of breakouts.)
Additionally, some face washes are equipped with higher-quality, strategic ingredients if you’re looking to boost your skin with an extra dose of anti-aging perks. No, your cleanser still won’t be as important as your serums and moisturizers since those are the products that will spend the most quality time on your skin, but every little bit helps, and using the right face wash with the right ingredients can definitely encourage a plump, balanced, hydrated, all-around youthful-looking complexion. If you’re into that kind of thing!
To give us the lay of the land where the best anti-aging face washes are concerned, I reached out to celebrity facialist Renée Rouleau and Joshua Zeichner, MD, FAAD. Ahead, they’ll be breaking down what to avoid and what to look for whilst face wash shopping, in addition to the specific products they recommend. Keep scrolling for the lowdown.
Sorry to be confusing, but kind of yes and kind of no. “I wouldn’t say that a face wash can be anti-aging, per se, but what I know to be true is that skin cells are like fish and they need water to live,” clarifies Rouleau. In order to keep your skin looking healthy and in tip-top shape, she explains that it’s important to use a non-drying cleanser that won’t strip essential, glow-giving moisture from your complexion. (If you’re stripping the skin, you’re causing damage to the protective barrier which, in turn, can expedite visible signs of aging.)
Since cleansers are only mingling with our skin for a minute, maximum, Rouleau says there’s no need to waste your money and efforts on face wash formulas packed with anti-aging actives—they simply won’t have the time that serums and moisturizers do to effectively penetrate the skin. That said, she notes a face wash that utilizes gentle exfoliating beads can softly whisk away any dulling dry skin cells hanging out on the surface of our skin. Once they’re gone, you’ll likely notice a brighter, smoother, younger-looking finish.
“I look at face washes as short contact therapies for the skin,” agrees Zeichner. “They can exert meaningful effects, so long as they are used the right way. I typically have people lather therapeutic cleansers on the skin and let them sit while you sing the alphabet to yourself which ensures enough contact time for the ingredients to do their jobs.”
Zeichner notes that before we all get ahead of ourselves with fancy-schmancy extras, it’s important to remember the actual purpose of your face wash: to remove the soiling of the skin without compromising the integrity of the skin barrier.
“First, do no harm,” he warns, “Over-scrubbing does more harm than good and can disrupt the outer skin layer, leading to irritation and inflammation. Think of your cleanser as the foundation of a skincare routine. It provides a fresh canvas for the rest of your skincare products. You want to make sure that canvas is clean, intact, and well hydrated.”
That said, if you’re looking for a specific ingredient strategy for your next face wash purchase, Zeichner likes certain additions like hydroxy acids (which can provide anti-aging benefits through their exfoliating effects) and any high-quality hydrating ingredients which you can also find in traditional moisturizers. Specifically, Rouleau mentions glycerin, aloe vera, and panthenol which are all moisture-binding humectants and therefore great for encouraging a plump, dewy complexion.
According to both Rouleau and Zeichner, sulfates such as sodium laurel sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, and ammonium laurel sulfate are on a strict do not call list if you’re looking for a gentle, hydrating face wash enriched with anti-aging benefits. “These ingredients generally have a high pH so they can put your skin at risk for dehydration when used in a cleanser,” Rouleau points out.
Zeichner also recommends avoiding cleansers that contain synthetic fragrances which are linked to skin allergies if you’re super sensitive. Oh, and while we’re on the topic of sensitivity, you can nix other buzzy ingredients like retinol and potent antioxidants from your face wash shopping list since Zeichner notes that it is still unclear whether or not they’re effective in the form of a cleanser versus other approved carriers like serums and creams.
