Cetaphil is the gentler, cheaper wash. Toleriane rinses cleaner. Pick by how much you need to wash off.
Both are fragrance-free cream cleansers for dry and sensitive skin, and both list niacinamide and panthenol. The difference is how much they clean. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser has ten ingredients and only a trace of a very mild cleanser, so it leaves skin soft and barely removes anything heavier than sweat. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser uses coco-betaine to lift sunscreen and oil, adds ceramide NP, and rinses off cleaner.
If your skin is dry and reactive, or you want the most cleanser for your money, get Cetaphil. If you wear sunscreen every day and want to feel clean without feeling tight, Toleriane is worth the extra cost.
Which cleanser is right for you?
| Mildest, best value Cetaphil Gentle Hydrating Cleanser for Sensitive Skin | VS | Cleaner rinse La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Facial Cleanser |
|---|---|---|
Sodium cocoyl isethionate, very low in the list | Cleansing agent |
Coco-betaine + polysorbate 60 |
Glycerin, panthenol, niacinamide | Skin extras |
Glycerin, ceramide NP, niacinamide, panthenol, vitamin E |
Soft, light film | Feel after washing |
Clean, comfortable |
Poorly | Removes daily sunscreen |
Reasonably well |
Dry, very sensitive skin | Best for |
Normal-to-dry, sensitive skin |
| View | View |
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser: the mildest, best-value wash
Ten-ingredient, non-foaming cream cleanser.
Cetaphil’s cleanser has just ten ingredients. Water, glycerin and cetearyl alcohol make up the bulk, followed by panthenol (vitamin B5) and niacinamide (vitamin B3). The only cleansing agent, sodium cocoyl isethionate, is one of the mildest there is and sits near the end of the list.
That’s why it doesn’t foam and why it cleans so lightly. It lifts sweat and leftover moisturizer, leaves a soft feel and won’t strip dry skin. You can rinse it off or wipe it away with a soft cloth. There’s no fragrance.
The downside of being that mild: it won’t take off sunscreen or makeup well, and oily skin may feel it never got clean. For dry, sensitive skin, though, it’s hard to beat, and the 20-ounce bottle costs far less per ounce than Toleriane.
- Short, ten-ingredient, fragrance-free list
- Very mild; leaves dry skin soft instead of tight
- Rinse it or wipe it off with a cloth
- Costs far less per ounce in the 20-ounce bottle
- Barely removes sunscreen or makeup
- Can leave a light film that some people dislike
- Too mild for oily skin
Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser: a cleaner rinse that's still gentle
Milky cleanser with ceramide NP and niacinamide.
Toleriane is a milky cream that cleans a step more than Cetaphil. Coco-betaine and polysorbate 60 lift oil and sunscreen, while glycerin and a light emollient ester keep it from feeling stripping. Ceramide NP, niacinamide, panthenol and vitamin E round out the list, along with La Roche-Posay’s thermal spring water.
The result rinses off clean and leaves skin comfortable rather than coated. It’s fragrance-free, soap-free and non-comedogenic, and it’s made for normal-to-dry and sensitive skin. Oily skin will want something with more cleansing power.
It costs noticeably more per ounce than Cetaphil. You’re paying for a better rinse, not a gentler one.
- Rinses off sunscreen and daily grime more cleanly than Cetaphil
- Ceramide NP, niacinamide, panthenol and vitamin E
- Fragrance-free, soap-free and non-comedogenic
- Still comfortable on dry and sensitive skin
- Costs noticeably more per ounce
- Not made for oily skin
- Won’t remove heavy makeup on its own
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser with travel lotion
16 oz cleanser plus a 2 oz travel lotion.
This set pairs a 16-ounce bottle of the same Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser with a 2-ounce Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion. The cleanser is identical to the 20-ounce bottle, just a little less of it. It’s worth it if the small lotion goes in your gym or travel bag; otherwise, buy the bigger cleanser.
- Same Cetaphil cleanser formula in a 16-ounce bottle
- Adds a 2-ounce Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion for travel or your bag
- Less cleanser than the 20-ounce bottle
- The lotion adds nothing if you already have a moisturizer you like
How the formulas differ
Cetaphil barely cleans, on purpose. Its ten-ingredient list is mostly water, glycerin and cetearyl alcohol (a non-drying fatty alcohol), with panthenol and niacinamide. The only cleansing agent, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sits near the end, so it removes very little and leaves a soft, slightly cushioned feel.
Toleriane cleans a little more. It uses coco-betaine and polysorbate 60, which lift sunscreen and oil more easily, balanced by glycerin and a light emollient ester (pentaerythrityl tetraethylhexanoate). It adds ceramide NP, niacinamide, panthenol and vitamin E, and it rinses off clean without leaving much behind.
Both are fragrance-free and both include niacinamide and panthenol. In a cleanser those stay on your skin for under a minute, so treat them as a nice extra, not a reason to choose one. The real differences are the cleansing strength, the emollients and the price.
Hot water and rough towels undo a gentle cleanser. Wash with lukewarm water, massage for 20 to 30 seconds, and pat your face dry. Put on moisturizer while your skin is still a little damp.
How each fits your routine
Morning: either works. Cetaphil is the easier pick if your skin is dry, because it barely cleans and leaves a soft layer behind. You can rinse it or wipe it off with a soft damp cloth, which is handy for skin that hates water.
Evening, after sunscreen or makeup: neither is a makeup remover. Take makeup and water-resistant sunscreen off first with micellar water or a cleansing balm, then follow with either cleanser. Of the two, Toleriane does a better job on everyday sunscreen if you skip that first step.
Value: Cetaphil's 20-ounce bottle is larger than Toleriane's biggest size and costs much less per ounce. The Cetaphil set swaps in a 16-ounce cleanser and adds a 2-ounce travel lotion; it's a good deal only if you'd have bought a small lotion anyway.
Choose Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser if your skin is dry or very sensitive, or if you want the best value. It’s a ten-ingredient, fragrance-free cream wash that cleans very lightly and leaves skin soft, and the 20-ounce bottle costs far less per ounce.
Choose La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Cleanser if you wear sunscreen or light makeup every day. It rinses cleaner, still feels comfortable on normal-to-dry and sensitive skin, and adds ceramide NP and niacinamide.
Skip both if your skin is oily; a gel cleanser will suit you better. Grab the Cetaphil set with the travel lotion only if you’ll actually use the lotion.
