Cetaphil, the Texas Pharmacy Bottle That Named Itself After Love

Cetaphil was invented in 1947 by a pioneering pharmacist in Texas, and the story of the name is my favorite detail in the category. The cet comes from cetyl alcohol, and the phil means love, so the whole word amounts to the love of softening and soothing skin. It is a slightly earnest name, and it suits a brand that has never tried to be anything but useful.

The first product was Cetaphil Cleansing Lotion, which we know today as Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser. It is the kind of bottle you find in the bathroom cabinets of people who claim to have no routine at all. The brand marked its 70th anniversary in 2017, and it is now made by the Swiss company Galderma, with its American operations in Fort Worth, Texas.

The first grid is the four I would reach for. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is the one you can use with water or wipe off with a cloth, and it is about as plain and mild as a cleanser gets. Daily Facial Cleanser is the one made for the face. Hydrating Moisturizing Cream Body Moisturizer is the thick tub for dry legs and arms, and Daily Hydrating Lotion is the lighter pump for people who do not want a heavy layer in summer.

Start with one and give it a full two weeks, no fewer. I like to keep the cleanser by the sink and the lotion by the bed, so each one lives exactly where I will need it. A body cream in the shower caddy also tends to get used more than one hidden in a drawer, and the boring, repeated habit is where most of the results come from.

I love a plain cleanser, and I also like a change of scene. If you enjoy the feel of a Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser but want a little more slip, cream or gel, this second grid is where I would look.

The Ordinary's Squalane Cleanser is the makeup-removing one, hydrating and a little richer. The INKEY List's Hydrating Cream-To-Milk Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid sits right in the middle of those two textures, comfortable and soft. Drunk Elephant's Mello Marula Cream Cleanser with 1.0% Colloidal Oatmeal is the plush one, and I like it in winter when skin is easily annoyed.

Biossance's Amino Aloe Gentle Pore-Minimizing Cleanser + Squalane is a fresh, light gel. banu's Chamomile Jelly is a bouncy jelly cleanser and the one that feels most like a treat. Clinique's All About Clean Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser with Hyaluronic Acid is the familiar foam, softer than a classic lather.

A note on double cleansing: if you wear sunscreen or makeup, use the first cleanser on dry skin and rinse, then follow with a second one. If you do not, one is enough. More washing does not mean cleaner skin, and it can leave you feeling tight. Feel free to use these on alternate days if you like variety, and keep the plain bottle for the mornings when your face is at its most sensitive. Give each one a couple of weeks before you rule it in or out.

After a mild wash, skin does best with a moisturizer that stays quiet. This grid is six simple ones, chosen for how they feel and not for how many things they promise.

Kiehl's Ultra Facial Refillable Moisturizing Cream with Squalane is the reliable one, lightweight and comfortable under sunscreen. Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+ is a barrier-minded pick, and it suits people who want a lotion and not a cream. innisfree's Green Tea Hyaluronic Acid Korean Hydrating Moisturizer is airy and fresh. ILIA's The Base Face Milk is a lightweight milk with hyaluronic acid, the closest thing here to a drink for the face.

Glow Recipe's Watermelon Milk Peptide Cushion Cream is a bouncy, richer choice for dry skin. Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Peptide Intensive Rich Cream is the most substantial of the group, made for dry skin, and I would use it at night, after a mild wash, when you have time to let it sink in.

What I would skip: adding a rich cream on top of a heavy oil, or switching every product at once because a bottle looked appealing. Change one thing at a time, and write down the date. If your skin reacts, you will know why, and a doctor can help if the problem does not settle.

The point of a plain routine is that you can tell what is working. A gentle wash, a moisturizer, and sunscreen in the morning give you a baseline, and everything else is an extra.

Sunscreen is the last step every morning, and it matters more than anything else on this page. Try each new product for two weeks unless it stings, in which case stop straight away, and keep notes on how your skin feels at midday so you can compare. Do not skip the boring bit: pat your face dry and apply moisturizer within a few minutes, while skin is still slightly damp. It makes more difference than any fancy step. And when your skin is truly unhappy, bring it to a doctor rather than to another bottle.