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by Paula Begoun
In this excellent database, skin-care expert Paula Begoun reviews a multitude of products from more than 200 makeup and skin-care lines. Begoun, who includes medical journals, cosmetic industry reports, and… the Food and Drug Administration among her research sources, provides comprehensive information on the common ingredients found in cleansers and other skin products. In her reviews, she discusses effectiveness, possible risks (e.g., skin irritation), and value. She lists dozens of top picks for every skin type. In fact, Begoun has reviewed nearly all of the products covered by other reviewers, making her website a great cross-reference. Given its scope, the site may be overkill for someone who simply wants to learn about skin cleansers; in general, though, it's an excellent resource for regular users of cosmetic products. Several of Begoun's reviews can also be found on her alternate website (CosmeticsCop.com) and in her book, "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me."
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
Consumer Reports tests nine facial cleansers on a group of 25 men and women. Foaming cleansers, disposable pads and one cold cream are tested for cleaning ability, ease of application and convenience. The… majority of the cleansers are perceived as being either excellent or very good at cleaning. Only two of them rate poorly. Editors suggest that consumers purchase cleansers designed for their particular skin type and that they consider fragrances and textures that are appealing to them.
by Paula Begoun and Bryan Barron
After reviewing hundreds of beauty products for her newsletters and beauty bulletins, Paula Begoun, author of the excellent book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me," lists the best products of… 2008. Each listing includes a brief description of why a product works and how it is formulated, but she points out that this list consists only of products introduced in 2008 -- there may be better, less-expensive alternatives from previous years. Although Begoun does denounce a lot of the hype that cosmetic companies give to their products, she also acknowledges that they are paying more attention to current research. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser for All Skin Types is the only facial cleanser to make the list. Along with product reviews, CosmeticsCop.com also provides useful skin-care information that can be found in the Learn section of the website.
by Olessa Pindak
For its fourth annual beauty awards, Natural Health partners with dermatologists and readers to test and rate hundreds of new natural beauty products. Products are considered for effectiveness as well as… safety (based on the ingredient list) and each has a natural component to it. Readers help to evaluate the products based on price, availability and familiarity. One winner is listed for each category for a total of 22 top picks. St. Ives Elements Protective Cleanser, which includes a sunblock, takes the top honor for natural cleansers.
by Editors of Allure
Allure editors, along with cosmetics chemists and dermatologists, test thousands of beauty products and choose 182 as the best in their categories. The products tested include new and old cleansers to find… the best on the market. This year's winners include products from MD Skincare, Biore, Lancome, Purpose, and Pond's, one for each skin type. Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash was also a winner of Allure's 2007 beauty awards for sensitive skin.
by Editors of Health
The top 25 beauty products for 2008, as determined by Health magazine editors and dermatologists, are listed in conjunction with Health's annual beauty awards. Several categories are included, with a winner… in each, but the judging criteria are not given. St, Ives Elements Protective Cleanser makes the list as the best facial cleanser because it includes sunscreen. Garnier Nutritioniste Nutri-Pure Detoxifying Wet Cleansing Towelettes was chosen as the best facial cleanser in 2007.
by Sally Wadyka
This is the fifth consecutive year in which Shape magazine rates beauty products. The magazine says that more than 5,000 readers, along with Shape staff and beauty experts, weighed in on several products in… 23 categories. Each category includes picks in both the drugstore and higher-end price ranges. St. Ives Elements Protective Cleanser and Origins Organics Foaming Face Wash earn the top ratings in the facial cleansers category.
by Editors of CEW.org
Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) lists the 2008 Beauty Award winners. Products are chosen by a group of voters that consists of CEW members, industry professionals and beauty experts. CEW.org says that the… Beauty award is "the beauty industry's highest honor" and is given to "the most innovative beauty products of the year." Categories for the award include bath & body, facial skincare and makeup. Each category has several subcategories, with both high- and low-priced winners. Philosophy the Microdelivery Micro-Massage Exfoliating Wash wins the award for high-end cleansers and scrubs, and the Dove SkinVitalizer, a facial massaging tool, wins in the budget-friendly category.
by Magan O'Connell
by Editors of InStyle
InStyle editors list top beauty picks based on the favorites of industry experts. The winning cleansers are categorized by skin type and a brief description is given for each. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser… is chosen for dry and sensitive skin types, and Purpose and Netrogena cleansers win in the normal and oily skin categories. Nude Skin Cleansing Milk is the Editors' Pick for Green Skin-care Line. Cleansers from Vivite, Neutrogena and Clarins also make the list for their exfoliating properties.
by Editors of Cosmopolitan
by Editors of Brides
by "Marta"
by Editors of CosmoGirl
Editors of CosmoGirl magazine, along with readers and celebrities, choose their favorite beauty products. Favorites are chosen in several categories, including eyes, face and body. There are no comparisons… or descriptions of the beauty products listed. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash and Philosophy Purity Made Simple High-Foaming Daily Cleanser are chosen as favorites in the facial cleansing category because thousands of readers voted for them.
by Editors of Flare
Editors of the Canadian magazine, Flare, list winners of the 2008 I Recommend Beauty Awards, the results of an annual survey performed by Cosmetics magazine. The trade publication surveys approximately 200… beauty pros each year to find the best beauty products in 12 categories, including skin care. Cetaphil tops the list for "mass" facial cleansers, and Vichy 3-in-1 One Step Cleanser earns the spot for "prestige" cleansers.
by Lori Bergamotto
by Rory Evans
Allure recommends new cleansers with protective ingredients normally found in moisturizers. According to experts, ingredients such as glycolic acid, peptides and sunscreen can be effective in a cleanser,… even though it is rinsed off. Cleansers with sunscreen contain microencapsulated sunscreen and film-forming agents to bind it to the skin. Several cleansers are recommended, but it isn't clear whether they were tested for this article.
by Colleen Moriarty
Colleen Moriarty discusses the reasons behind wintertime dry skin and chapped lips and provides solutions as well as product recommendations. She points out that skin types change with the seasons and… suggests that readers adjust their skin-care routines to fit the weather. Those with extra dry skin should not bother cleansing their faces in the morning but should just rinse and moisturize instead. She recommends using a creamy cleanser at night and lists Biore Shine Control Cream Cleanser (discontinued) and Good Skin Soft Skin Creamy Cleanser as best bets.
by The Makeup Diva
We're not sure who the Makeup Diva is, but she certainly gives comprehensive answers to consumers' questions on this website. The Diva says it's impossible to determine the best cleanser because it depends… on personal preference, but the most important factor is choosing one that's right for your skin type. Cetaphil is the only less-expensive recommendation for normal-to-oily skin; the rest are high-end or department store brands, including Estee Lauder and Joey New York. For normal-to-dry skin, Olay Daily Facials makes the list, along with Garden Botanika, Dr. Dennis Gross MD Skincare and Rachel Perry.
by Editors of Shape
by Julyne Derrick
About.com's beauty guide, Julyne Derrick, offers facial cleanser recommendations from "cheap to steep" for several skin types. About 20 cleansers are included, with just a short line describing the benefits… of each, but with no ratings or comparisons to other cleansers and no mention of any testing. Cetaphil, Purpose, Avon, Dove, Oil of Olay, Neutrogena, Aveda, Clinique, Clarins and Shiseido make the list, with Cetaphil touted as the best drugstore cleanser available. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Contributors to iVillage Beauty
IVillage Beauty lists the top 10 facial cleansers, as rated by consumer contributors. Last updated in June 2004, the list is quite dated, but most of the products are still available. Mary Kay's Timewise… 3-in-1 receives the most reviews with 218; Proactiv comes in second, followed by Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It seems the top 10 are chosen by number of comments rather than by high ratings -- Proactiv is listed second but receives a number of negative comments, in particular that it's too harsh. We also noticed that some comments about Mary Kay's Timewise are contributed by Mary Kay consultants who sell these products. Neutrogena's Deep Clean Facial Cleanser and Olay Daily Facials also make the list.
by Contributors to MakeupAlley.com
More than 1,000 facial cleansers are reviewed by members of this website. Product reviews can be sorted in a multitude of ways, making it easy for users to find the highest consumer-rated products as well… as those that are reviewed most often. Some products receive hundreds of reviews, while others receive only a few. Among those with many reviews, Alpha Hydrox Foaming Face Wash, DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Cleanser and Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm receive the highest ratings. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Philosophy Purity Made Simple each receive thousands of reviews with above average ratings as well.
by Contributors to TotalBeauty.com
by Contributors to Drugstore.com
Consumers can read and post reviews for products sold at Drugstore.com, which include several personal care items. Most of the facial cleansers listed are reviewed at least once, but a few of them are… reviewed upward of 100 times. Of those that are reviewed the most, Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleanser, Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask, Basis Cleaner Clean Face Wash and Alpha Hydrox Foaming Face Wash rate the highest.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Rebekah George
A Prevention editor discusses cleansers that contain sunscreen. These cleansers contain broad-spectrum UV blockers that are bound to the skin during the washing process. She recommends Freeze 24-7 Ice… Shield Facial Cleanser with SPF15. Our top reviewer, Paula Begoun, agrees that this product should work as intended, but warns that it may not be effective if products such as toners or exfoliants are applied later.
by Editors of CosmeticsDatabase.com
This website, sponsored by the Environmental Working Group, hosts a cosmetic safety database known as Skin Deep. The database lists thousands of beauty products and gives them a hazard score. Products with… a score of 0-2 are considered a low hazard, a score of 3-6 is moderate and a score of 7-10 is a high hazard. Each product has its own page with a listing of the hazards that its ingredients are linked to, such as cancer, reproductive problems and allergies. In addition to listing hazardous ingredients, the website also states whether or not a company engages in animal testing. There are nearly 2,000 cleansers listed, most of which have moderate hazard scores. Although this site is very informative, it does not consider the effectiveness of any products that it rates, and it does not consider the likelihood of skin irritations. But this is an interesting reference source.
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Olay Definity Pore Redefining Scrub, 5 fl oz (150 ml) Bottles (Pack of 2)
 from Amazon.com New: $17.18 In Stock.
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Biore Acne Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser, Complexion Clearing - 6.7 Oz
from Amazon.com New: $7.11 In Stock.
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