You know how I am – always hunting for the best drugstore purchases I can find. These top 5 are the ones I either repurchase repeatedly or are so cheap and yet so very good that I almost couldn’t believe it! Without further ado, let’s go!
1. Vichy Normaderm Deep Cleansing Gel: One of my everlasting favorites, Vichy’s Normaderm cleansing gel makes its appearance when I get crazy blemishes and clogged pores. I rarely use this on a daily basis because my skin isn’t very oily, and the fragrance can be a little cloying. However it does a great job when my skin flares up, gets too oily (during the hormonal week of the month) and when I need to feel super squeaky clean without the squeak. This lathers up minimally for me and a 200ml pump bottle retails for RM60+. All in all, this makes it cheaper than Clinique’s 200ml liquid facial soap. Unfortunately Vichy will be exiting the Malaysian market in March, and if you’ve missed the BOFO (buy one free one) sale, just stash up as stocks are running very low.
2. Nivea Aqua Sensation Invigorating Cleansing Gel: I’ve reviewed this previously (link here) and it’s a pretty useful cleanser. Cheap as it’s RM17+ for a large 200ml bottle and it lasts for months. The parent company is the same company that produces Eucerin.
3. Clinelle Deep Cleansing Gel: I’ve also reviewed this previously (link here) and retails for RM33.90 for 100ml (no 200ml tube exists). Famously referred to as a Dermalogica dupe (as I’ve heard rumors that the same company who brings in Dermalogica also brought in or formulated Clinelle), it’s a great way to get clean skin without breaking the bank. Unlike Nivea and Vichy, this one needs more help when it comes to removing makeup so I highly recommend double cleansing.
4. Liquid Neutrogena: A staple in most bathrooms, or at least when you’re growing up, Liquid Neutrogena has been the go-to for me. I think it retails for around RM17+ per 150ml pump bottle, and our Southern neighbors carry the 175ml version as well. This was one of the simplest formulations I encountered in a facial cleanser, and I’m happy to report that this is a great cleanser that doesn’t strip my face but leaves it comfortably clean.
5. Clean & Clear range: These are so cheap, retailing at an average of RM12 per tube. I was surprised how well they worked for me, considering that most of these are cream cleanser formulations. My favorite out of the lot, the Deep Action cleanser, really helped me during a bad outbreak (which involved a lot of clogged pores) and did not leave my skin feeling stripped. Most cream cleansers make my skin feel all tight and uncomfortable, but not this one. As you’ll find a lot of promos on this line (e.g. BOFO, discounts) you’ll be so tempted to toss 5 million of these into your cart. Try out the small sized ones first and see how you go.
That’s pretty much it for my top 5 picks. Have a great week ahead 🙂
belle de moiselle 
I’m envious of your resilient skin. My stupid skin kicks up a red angry fuss if I even dared THINK of switching cleansers. I switched from Dermalogica UltraCalming to Dermalogica Esssential Cleansing solution and whoa!!! I’ve learnt my lesson the painful way.
Yo Geeque! I used to have very sensitive skin too but what made it resilient was Clinique’s No. 3 toner (now the new Twice-a-Day Clarifying Exfoliator, something like that). But yikes, even switching within the same brands? 😦 I was gonna recommend Clinelle but I think you made the right choice to stay with what works best for you.
i love the clean & clear range, they were my staples for a really long time until i started switching things around. i love neutrogena also, but i haven’t tried this one you wrote, i used the other cream version, can’t remember the name already.
Hi Plue 🙂 Cream version could be the Deep Clean one? I use Deep Clean too but it wasn’t fantastic the way C&C was (price is a huge factor)
The Nivea and Vichy cleansers remain my favourites! 😀 Alas, C&C doesn’t particularly work for me so I tend to stay clear of it. Great list though. 🙂
Thanks Bee! Sorry to hear C&C doesn’t work for you 😦 the old formulas/old packaging ones didn’t work well for me but I’m surprised that the ones in the new packaging do. Maybe it’s psychology – kena psycho by new packaging.
I still can’t find anything that makes me as happy as J&J’s Head to Toe – both price and performance wise!
Hi Kahani! Is this the one in the yellow bottle? I better go check it out 🙂 I used to use it a few years back only for my hair but never really thought to use it for other things 😀
Great list, Dom! I’ve a mind to try out a few of the ones you listed (namely #1,3 and 4). I’ve been switching around with cleansers aplenty, but interestingly, we don’t have any overlaps! Haha.
Thank you muchly Syen. Out of your choices, 3 + 4 have no discernible fragrance but texture-wise 4 is the best – just the right gel-like consistency 🙂 What have you been using? Maybe I can try them out too.
Vichy and Nivea always have excellent, gentle products!
Definitely! It’s a pity Vichy is exiting our market though 😦