Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution vs. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

I am kind of a skincare fanatic.  It all started in high school when I had stubborn acne that wouldn't go away no matter what I did.  No matter how diligently I washed, moisturized, ate cleanly, drank water, visited the dermatologist, and prayed to the gods of good skin, my angry red bumps just didn't go away.  I found it to be the most frustrating thing in the world, as anyone with acne will understand.  Once the acne finally started fading, I became obsessed with keeping my skin under control.  I knew I never wanted to deal with bad acne again (who does?).  So, researching skincare products and reading online reviews became one of my favorite pastimes and I learned a lot about different brands, ingredients, and products in the skincare world.  Cleansers are one of those things that are important to get right in your skincare regime, because they must keep your skin clean without stripping it of all its moisture and throwing it off balance.  Here's a couple of my favorite cleansers, each at drastically different price points, pitted against one another:

Two years ago I stopped using foaming cleansers and switched to Dermalogica's Essential Cleansing Solution.  It has a lotion-y consistency rather than a soapy one and since it doesn't get sudsy like most cleansers, it almost feels like it's not cleansing at all.  However, it worked wonders for my skin and I found that using a gentler, non-foaming cleanser made my skin softer, more moisturized, and much less oily throughout the day.  I also didn't notice any more breakouts than with the foaming cleanser (less actually) so it must do a great job of cleansing as well.  I like that the Essential Cleansing Solution doesn't contain any fragrances or dyes, and I like the additions of safflower oil, vitamin C and E for skin conditioning.  It's an all-around great cleanser and I have no complaints about it's performance.  But that price though...It is very expensive for a cleanser, and it's hard to justify paying $36 for 8oz. of something that is going to be washed down the drain, even if it is really great.

I decided to try CeraVe's Hydrating Cleanser to see if it measured up to Dermalogica.  The consistency is kind of like a gel/lotion, and like the Essential Cleansing Solution, it doesn't lather up.  It contains ceramides and hyalauronic acid (shoutout to Lisa Eldridge on YouTube for educating me on this ingredient) which help moisturize and protect skin.  It also doesn't contain any fragrances or dyes.  Check check check.  As far as it's performance, I've been using it nearly a month now and it has kept my skin smooth, moisturized, oil-balanced, and clean.  Also, it's $12 for a 12oz pump bottle.  Not bad.

So, in conclusion, the Dermalogica and the CeraVe cleanser are equivalent products that do an equivalent job.  They are both great, but it is safe to save your money (save lots of money!) and go for the CeraVe!


~Ashley