Okay, let's talk face wash. The truth of the matter is that while it's essential (it keeps our skin clean and the makeup off our pillowcase), it can be annoying. Unlike moisturizers, masks, and serums, which all have a kind of luxurious and ritualistic feel to them, cleanser sits on our face for about 15 seconds maximum, feels like the ask of the century after a night out with too many tequilas, and leaves us with water dripping down our forearms. It's just not the most enjoyable step come nighttime skin prep. Alas, as we said, face wash plays a vital part in priming our skin for our other (more exciting) products and treatments and ensures our pores remain clean and our blemishes banned.
That said, since face wash is, indeed, the most fleeting step in our skincare routine and circles the drain instead of soaking in to our face, it's just not worth spending an arm, leg, and hefty portion of our budget on. In fact, there are countless drugstore face wash formulas that are just as effective at nixing dead cells and any aftermath of makeup—many of which specifically cater to different skin types.
We did you the favor of perusing the face wash selection of a few of our favorite affordable beauty retailers (think Ulta, Walmart, and Amazon) to pick the best-of-the-best formulas we either use ourselves or would personally recommend to a friend. Keep scrolling for 20 drugstore picks that made our cut.