Ask a Beauty Blogger: Favorite Cleanser?

I've recently published 2 posts on my favorite beauty items (here and more items here), but I thought Julie's question was the perfect opportunity to explain my craziness with facial cleansers. I know I'm not the only one with a couple of cleansers sitting around and using them for different things.

So, without further ado, here are the 4 (!!) cleansers that I keep around.


1. Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing and Makeup Remover: This is the cleanser that I've "officially" dubbed my favorite simply because it is the one I reach for the most often. It sits on my countertop and I use it most nights to wash everything off. On days that I can't quite get all of my eye makeup off (it seems to depend on the mascara, that new Maybelline Rocket is quite the hard one to remove), then I reach for the cotton rounds and #4. This one is a bit too thin to work well with my Clarisonic.

2. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser: This is a very gentle cleanser that removes pretty much everything (except eye makeup, hence the #1), without irritation or drying out my skin. I mostly use this one with my Clarisonic. It is a bit more viscous than the other cleansers, so it seems to stick around in the bristles a little bit more. It also does have a nice lather, but it doesn't go totally crazy with the Clarisonic. All around it's a winner.

3. Skin Authority Moisturizing Cream Cleanser: Another gentle cleanser, but this one is definitely more hydrating. I haven't totally figured out how they did this with something you rinse off. It feels more like a lotion than a cleanser, removes dirt, oil and makeup, leaves lots of moisture behind... I leave this one in the shower to use in the morning, though I'll also bring it over to the counter for times that I'm feeling dry and in need of a little extra pampering. This one works well with my Clarisonic, but it bubbles up a bit too much with the brush for my taste (I get bubbles up my nose!), so I tend not to use the 2 together.

4. Hard Candy Take It Off Eye Makeup Remover: Finally, this is the makeup remover that I use most of the time. It removes pretty much anything you throw at it, and somehow the fact that it is a thick lotion (instead of an oil like most other removers) works in its favor. I sometimes will wipe some on, and let the lotion sit for about 10-15 seconds before wiping it off. The extra time makes hard to remove liners and mascaras just melt off. Love that.