Last Updated on December 21, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
Is Clean And Clear face wash good? A quick Google search will bring up results telling you how harsh this thing is. “It strips your skin! It dries it out! It’s really bad!” But, they don’t even tell you which face wash they’re talking about! Clean & Clear has been around forever and, at the moment of me writing this, they have 3 face washes for sales. Are they really all bad?
I mean, the brand has been around since high school was actually fun (okay, maybe not), and they’re owned by Kenvue Brands LLC now. Their whole thing is oil-free formulas for clear skin, targeting excess sebum and breakouts. So they can’t all be that bad, right? Right? You know me, I had to investigate. In this reviews, I’ll share the truth about Clean & Clear face washes, which (if any!) are worth adding to your skincare routine, and everything else you need to know about them. Let’s get started:
CLEAN & CLEAR® Deep Action Cream Wash
This is a no-frills salicylic acid cleanser that’s been around forever, and it works exactly how you’d expect it to. The formula is thick and creamy without any foam, which throws people off if they’re used to cleansers that bubble up like crazy, but foam has nothing to do with whether your face is actually getting clean. The salicylic acid is what’s supposed to do the work of exfoliating skin and unclogging pores. It works… sort of. Let me explain. Like all exfoliants, salicylic acid needs to be left on the skin to work. Rinse it off the drain (which happens as soon as you rinse the cleanser off) and you’ll barely get any exfoliation at all. It’s good if your skin is so sensitive, it can’t tolerate salicylic acid at all. But it’s gonna take a while to see results, know what I mean?
The menthol gives you that cooling, tingly sensation that feels refreshing, especially in the summer, but it’s not actually treating your skin or doing anything therapeutic. It’s just stimulating your nerve receptors to feel cold, which tricks you into thinking something powerful is happening when really it’s just menthol being menthol. And while some people love that sensation, the whole chemical reaction is just irritating your skin. And yeah, there’s fragrance in this, which is the real dealbreaker for a lot of people. If you want to use it, squeeze out a small amount and massage onto your wet face – a little drop goes a long way with this cream cleanser. Still, it’s the best face wash of a bad bunch.
Active ingredients: Salicylic acid (BHA), Polysorbate 60, Steareth-21 and Potassium Cetyl Phosphate (cleansing agents).
Benefits: Exfoliates inside pores (a little buit) and removes oil and makeup.
Cons: Contains fragrance and menthol (both can irritate sensitive skin), salicylic acid works a lot better when left on the skin for a long time.
Skin type: Acne-prone skin.
Fragrance-free: No
Clean & Clear® Advantage® Spot Control Daily Wash
Same basic idea as the cream wash with salicylic acid to unclog pores (and we’ve seen how well that works). But they’ve dumped in cedarwood oil, cinnamon oil, and moss rose extract. The marketing says these help with redness and spot size, but they’r way more likely to irritate your skin (common side effects for sensitive skin that reacts to anything). Essential oils are such a gamble in skincare because some people use them and nothing happens, other people break out like crazy. Cinnamon oil is especially risky because it irritates a lot of people’s skin. f your skin freaks out over scented stuff or essential oils, skip this. Actually, just skip this altogether. There are better cleansers that cleanse your skin without the risk of irritation. Just saying.
Active ingredients: Salicylic acid (BHA), Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate and Cocamidopropyl Betaine (cleansing agents)
Benefits: Washes away problem-causing dirt and provides mild exfoliation.
Cons: Contains essential oils (cedarwood, cinnamon, moss rose) that can irritate sensitive skin.
Skin type: Oily skin (avoid if you have sensitive skin or react to essential oils).
Fragrance-free: Technically yes, but contains essential oils which can be just as irritating as synthetic fragrance.
Clean & Clear® Daily Exfoliating Wash
A physical scrub with cellulose beads removing dead cells from the surface of your skin. This has two benefits: it makes your skin softer and brighter and prevents breakouts (if dead cells are off your skin, they can’t fall into your pores and clog them). The cellulose beads may be gentler on the skin, but physical exfoliation every day is way too much for every skin type, especially if you use this both in the morning and at night. It doesn’t make sense calling it a “daily” wash when nobody’s skin needs exfoliating every damn day. Use this daily and you’ll wreck your skin. So much for a clear day. Oh, and avoid the eye area!
Active ingredients: Lactic acid (AHA), cellulose beads (physical exfoliant), Sodium Laureth Sulfate.
Benefits: Cleanses and exfoliates skin.
Cons: Too harsh for daily use despite the name.
Skin type: Oily and combination skin.
Fragrance-free: No
The Bottom Line
Look, I’m not gonna sugarcoat this. The online product reviews were right. Clean & Clear face washes aren’t great. They’re cheap, sure, and they’ll remove excess oil and dirt from your face. But that’s the bare minimum a cleanser should do. The issue is they’re all designed with the same approach – strip the oil, add some actives that don’t have time to work because you’re rinsing them off, throw in fragrance or essential oils that irritate more than they help. None of them respect your skin’s moisture barrier. They just clean it and call it a day. They’re not a great choice for oily skin, but they’re a total no-go for dry skin.
