Face Wash, Moisturizer & Skin Care

65 products ranked by Scout score

Best face wash, moisturizer & skin care right now

BASED Skin Revival Spray 100/100
Scout's analysis: BASED Skin Revival Spray scores 100/100. A single-active hypochlorous acid (HOCl) face and body mist — the same molecule the immune system's own white blood cells…
Santa Cruz Paleo GHK-Cu Whipped Tallow Balm + Copper Peptide 100/100
Scout's analysis: Santa Cruz Paleo GHK-Cu Whipped Tallow Balm + Copper Peptide scores 100/100. It is grass-fed, grass-finished beef tallow and organic jojoba oil whipped with water into…
Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Matcha Moisturizing Balm 100/100
Scout's analysis: Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Matcha Moisturizing Balm scores 100/100 — a three-ingredient tallow balm with nothing to hide. Grass-fed, grass-finished suet…

What to skip

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (5.5% Benzoyl Peroxide) 1/100
Scout's analysis: La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo scores 1/100 — the lowest of any product in this batch — because Valisure's March 2024 stability testing detected Benzene at >150 ppm,…
Proactiv 3-Step Convenience Pak (2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide) 1/100
Scout's analysis: Proactiv 3-Step Convenience Pak scores 1/100. Two of the three products test positive for benzene. Valisure's March 2024 FDA Citizen Petition found Step 3 — the…
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash (10% Benzoyl Peroxide) 1/100
Scout's analysis: CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash (10% BPO) scores 1/100 because Valisure's March 2024 stability testing detected Benzene at 5–12 ppm — roughly 6x the FDA's 2 ppm limit…

Independently lab-tested face wash, moisturizer & skin care

9 of the 65 products ranked here have a lab panel on their pages — each measured amount, the level it falls in and the report it comes from. The highest-scoring five:

Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Matcha Moisturizing Balm 100/100
Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Honey Moisturizer 98/100
Santa Cruz Paleo Matcha Stick 98/100
Proactiv+ Skin Smoothing Exfoliator (2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide) 4/100
Proactiv Emergency Blemish Relief (5% Benzoyl Peroxide) 2/100
and 4 more in the ranking above

Ingredients to watch in face wash, moisturizer & skin care

The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 65 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.

Phenoxyethanol in 18 of 65
Dimethicone in 5 of 65
Disodium EDTA in 5 of 65
Behentrimonium Methosulfate in 5 of 65
Sodium Benzoate in 4 of 65
Ethylhexylglycerin in 4 of 65

What the better face wash, moisturizer & skin care have in common

Glycerin in 18 of 65
Niacinamide in 16 of 65
Ceramides (NP, AP, EOP) in 13 of 65
Hyaluronic Acid / Sodium Hyaluronate in 9 of 65
Sodium Hyaluronate in 8 of 65

Common questions about face wash, moisturizer & skin care

What scores highest in face wash, moisturizer & skin care on Scout?

BASED Skin Revival Spray leads Scout's face wash, moisturizer & skin care ranking at 100/100, followed by Santa Cruz Paleo GHK-Cu Whipped Tallow Balm + Copper Peptide (100) and Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Matcha Moisturizing Balm (100). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.

What should I avoid in face wash, moisturizer & skin care?

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo (5.5% Benzoyl Peroxide) scores 1/100, the lowest of the 65 products Scout has analyzed in face wash, moisturizer & skin care; next lowest are Proactiv 3-Step Convenience Pak (2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide) (1) and CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash (10% Benzoyl Peroxide) (1). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.

What drags scores down in face wash, moisturizer & skin care?

Across these 65 products the most common flagged ingredients are Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin. Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.

Is anything in face wash, moisturizer & skin care independently lab tested?

9 of the 65 products on this page carry independent lab results — Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Matcha Moisturizing Balm; Santa Cruz Paleo Beef Tallow, Beeswax & Honey Moisturizer; Santa Cruz Paleo Matcha Stick; Proactiv+ Skin Smoothing Exfoliator (2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide); Proactiv Emergency Blemish Relief (5% Benzoyl Peroxide) and 4 more. Each of their product pages shows the measured amounts, the level each falls in and the report they come from.

How does Scout score face wash, moisturizer & skin care?

Every product in face wash, moisturizer & skin care gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.

How Scout scores face wash, moisturizer & skin care

One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →