Facial Cleaner Brands and Links

Skin care information: Further reading

The book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" by Paula Begoun and its companion website Beautypedia.com are the two most comprehensive resources on beauty products that we have found.

Environmental Working Group's CosmeticsDatabase.com offers safety assessments of ingredients in personal care products, including more than 1,500 facial cleansers. Factors include carcinogenic ingredients, pregnancy concerns, safety violations, penetration enhancers, unstudied ingredients, harmful impurities and allergens. The details presented about products and their ingredients are impressive (and sometimes slightly overwhelming), with many links to further information.

Rona Berg outlines the different skin types and how to care for each in her book "Beauty: the New Basics." She also explains how to cleanse the face without over-drying the skin. A list of top facial cleansers for each skin type is included.

TheBeautyBrains.com, a beauty blog written by cosmetics chemists, discusses popular facial cleansers and offers tips for choosing a good product for your skin.

Editors at Health magazine share tips for great skin, including suggestions of what ingredients to look for in a facial cleanser.

Discovery Health discusses how to choose a facial cleanser that suits your particular needs and includes tips for determining your skin type.

Shape magazine explains the term "hypoallergenic." Editors say hypoallergenic cleansers contain fewer irritating ingredients than most, but may still cause irritation for some. They recommend looking for dye- and fragrance-free products that are labeled for sensitive skin.

About.com's beauty channel is filled with facial care tips, including signs that you may be over-cleansing skin and instructions for how to determine your skin type. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)

The David Suzuki Foundation lists the "Dirty Dozen," 12 cosmetic ingredients that consumers should avoid.

GreenYour.com has an article on natural facial cleansers, which outlines what to look for in a natural cleanser and includes a list of recommended products.

Procter & Gamble's reference site The World of Skin Care describes the different facial cleanser formulas and includes a cosmetic ingredient dictionary that explains the function of various ingredients.

In this free article from ConsumerReports.org, editors explain that some pricey products, like high-end facial cleansers, are not worth the extra cost. Editors explain that expensive ingredients like hydroxy acids, peptides and vitamins are better suited to moisturizers because they perform better the longer they are in contact with your skin.

Facial cleanser brands

Manufacturers' websites also offer helpful information:

Purpose

Pond's

CeraVe

Be Fine

Desert Essence

Cetaphil

Clinique

Olay

Neutrogena

Philosophy

pHisoderm