Best Cleansers for Every Skin Type

You don't have to spend a lot of money to find a good cleansers. You can get a great basic cleanser for any drugstore, but if you want the very best, you can pay for it. Here I run down the best face cleansers for 5 different skin types: dry, oily, combination, sensitive and blemished. This list includes some of the yearly picks by the staff of 'InStyle' magazine plus the tried and true picks selected by myself other beauty experts.

Best Basic Cleanser for All Skin Types: Purpose

My beauty cabinet is full of cleansers from some of the priciest boutique brands, but the cleanser I use every day doesn't cost $60 or even $30, it costs $6 at the average drugstore. When my friend Laura (visiting from Seattle) spotted my bottle of Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash in my bathroom, she emerged laughing. She couldn't believe THIS was my cleanser of choice. I had to explain that you don't need a lot of bells and whistles in a good cleanser.

This soap-free, oil-free liquid lathers away dirt, makeup and oil but doesn't leave skin so dry it reacts by overproducing oil. Since trying out Purpose a couple years ago, I've read other dermatologists who cop to using Purpose as well, and it makes most of the "Best" lists in magazines.

Best Cleanser for Dry to Normal Skin: Cetaphil Cleanser

Just as there are no bells and whistles with Purpose above, there are none with this baby-mild product that even dermatologists swear by. So why is this $10 cleanser such a must-have? It's creamy, simple and isn't loaded with chemicals or perfumes that can irritate the skin. Cetaphil products are revered in the industry and their cleanser is one of the best drugstore buys out there. Period.