As a beauty blogger, I have a lot of people in my life asking me for advice when it comes to makeup and skin care, detailing their issues and skin type and what they're looking for. I can tell you with 100% honesty that when it comes to recommendations, CeraVe is probably the brand I recommend the most to the people in my life outside of this blog. There are several reasons for this, which I'll get into a little bit later in this post, but thus far friends and family members have taken my advice and had great results with the products. So, with that being said, I felt like really digging into the cleansers (which are probably my most recommended from the CeraVe range) and making really specific recommendations seemed like a really good idea. 

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I think the most significant reason that I recommend CeraVe products so much is that I know the products are effective, but also that they're gentle enough that I feel confident I'm not going to be recommending a product that could cause harm. I have friends with issues like eczema, scent sensitivity, and just really, really sensitive skin that really have to be careful what they're using on their skin, and CeraVe is a range that I never feel uncertain about recommending to them. On top of that, being able to recommend products that are easily available at your local drugstore at an affordable price is always an added bonus. 

I haven't really shut up about my love for the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser*, but it's for very good reason. I'm a complete and total cleanser junkie and I'm very particular about using gentle products that aren't going to damage my moisture barrier, and no matter what's happening with my skin I know that I can reach for this and it'll gently cleanse my skin and leave it feeling clean and hydrated.

Obviously, this product is recommended for people with normal to dry skin, but I would also say that this is the cleanser that I'd recommend to people with very sensitive, eczema prone, or mature skin. It's just incredibly gentle and genuinely leaves my skin feeling more hydrated after I've used it than before washing my face. If you're the kind of person (and I know many) who tend to avoid using a traditional cleanser on your skin because they all leave you feeling dry and stripped, this is 100% the one that I would recommend. Also, for anyone who is dealing with a skin issue that has left your skin sensitized or inflamed, I think this is probably the best option for that situation.

As for who it isn't right for, I would honestly say that pretty much anyone could use this, but if you're more oily skinned or are dealing with acne, I would actually recommend reaching for the other option because this might end up feeling a little bit much on that type of skin after rinsing. 

I have to admit, I was never really interested in trying out the CeraVe Foaming Cleanser* because me and foaming cleansers had never gotten along in the past and I tended to avoid them like the plague. Also, there was a particular other foaming cleanser that I think tends to be compared to this one quite often that was the catalyst for one of the worst freakouts my skin has ever had. So.. It took me a while to try this and I'm kind of kicking myself now.

I genuinely believe that if I had given this cleanser a chance back in the day when my skin was at its worst - unbalanced, prone to breakouts, sensitized, oily and dehydrated, all due to a severely compromised moisture barrier - I would have had a very different experience with my skin. This is a foaming cleanser that's incredibly gentle, but still does a really good job of cleansing and balancing my skin while also maintaining my skin's barrier. While it doesn't leave my skin feeling overtly hydrated, it doesn't make my skin feel tight and stripped, so I know that it's done a really thorough cleanse without damaging my moisture barrier. 

I'm actually kind of surprised to find that this is probably the cleanser that I'll end up recommending more often because I know that this is probably the one that a lot of people will like the feel of more - and it's a really, really, really good cleanser. If you have oily, combination, or breakout prone skin, I would definitely check this one out. Dealing with oilier skin can be tricky, because going at it too hard can strip the skin and lead to a whole other raft of issues, but this one is just so gentle that I know I never have to worry about that.

So... What's the takeaway here? I'll try to keep it brief.

If you have dry to very dry skin, ezcema prone skin, mature skin, or are dealing with a skin issue causing sensitivity or inflammation, I would recommend the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser* as your every day second or morning cleanse. 

If you have normal, oily, breakout prone, or unbalanced skin, I would recommend trying out the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser* as your every day second or morning cleanse.

If you're someone that wears makeup, I would recommend using a cleansing oil or balm as your first cleanse in the evening to remove your makeup (neither of these are super effective at removing a full face of makeup) and then follow with whichever one of these cleansers is best suited for your skin. 

Like I said, CeraVe has really become the skin care range that I find myself recommending the most to people looking for advice on their skin care routine. I'm a huge proponent of the fact that if you're not cleansing effectively and gently you're not going to have the skin you want, regardless of how many expensive serums and treatments that you're using. And when it comes to cleanser, I really don't think that you have to spend a lot of money to get the effects you want - but by far the best affordably priced cleansers, as far as I'm concerned, are these ones in the CeraVe range. 

There aren't a lot of things that I unequivocally sing the praises of without any downsides or criticism, but these cleansers are on that very short list, and I genuinely feel like you can't go wrong. They're workhorses, getting the job done every time, and I think that one of these will likely work for almost anyone.

Thanks for reading!