The American Academy of Dermatology keeps its face-washing advice refreshingly plain: use a gentle, non-abrasive cleanser that does not contain alcohol. That one sentence is the filter I use whenever someone asks me for the best face wash for sensitive skin. I do not look for the most exciting formula. I look for the quietest one.

There is one more word to read carefully. The AAD points out that many products labeled unscented contain masking fragrances that can still irritate skin, and that dermatologists recommend the label fragrance-free. Every cleanser in this first group is fragrance-free by its ingredient list, which is why I start here.

Clinique is a good place to begin, because the brand says it has been dermatologist guided since 1968 and calls itself an allergy tested, 100% fragrance free brand. Its All About Clean Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser is a no-drama foam. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Gentle Face Cleanser is another plain, comfortable one. Avène has a long story of its own: the brand says its Hydrotherapy Center has been dedicated to dermatology since 1743, and its Tolerance Foaming Facial Cleanser is the quiet foam from that world.

Laneige's Water Bank Gentle Gel Cleanser and Tower 28's SOS Gentle Hydrating Gel Cleanser are the soft gels I reach for when my face feels tight. Paula's Choice RESIST Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser is a little more classic in feel, and Medik8's Total Moisture Daily Cleansing Gel is the moisture-first gel. Dr. Idriss makes a jelly wash, Aestura has a foaming one built around barrier care, and Beauty of Joseon's Green Plum cleanser is a light, fresh option.

The rest are all gels and foams too, from Facile, ILIA, Phyla, Torriden, Dezi Skin, Refy, beplain and Sofie Pavitt Face. Choose by texture, since they are all in the same quiet family. Pick the one you will enjoy using twice a day.

Sometimes a foam feels like too much, especially in winter or after a long flight. That is when I switch to a milky or creamy cleanser, the kind that leaves a soft film on your skin and rinses off without squeaking. Cleveland Clinic describes micellar water as a gentle cleanser made with tiny clusters called micelles that attract and lift away dirt, oil and makeup, which is a helpful way to think about the micellar ones here.

I need to be upfront about this group. Four of these cleansers contain fragrance or scented oils, even though they are made for sensitive skin: make p:rem Safe me. Gentle Cleansing Milk contains bergamot oil, Caudalie Vinoclean Gentle Cleansing Almond Milk contains fragrance, Innbeauty Project Extreme Cleanse Milky Micellar Cleanser contains lavender, and Dermalogica Ultracalming Cleanser contains lavender. If scent tends to sting your skin, skip those four. They are lovely, but they are not fragrance-free, and I will not pretend otherwise.

The rest of the group is where I would look first. First Aid Beauty Ultra Gentle Cream-to-Foam Cleanser starts as a cream and turns to a soft foam. Farmacy Green Clean Gentle Creamy Cleanser is a creamy one. Drunk Elephant has two here, Mello Marula Cream Cleanser and E-Rase Milki Micellar Water. The INKEY List Hydrating Cream-To-Milk Cleanser is the lightest of the creams.

S.Nature Aqua Rice Cleansing Milk and ma:nyo Pure Soybean Cleansing Milk are the milky ones I would try for daily use. Kate Somerville DeliKate Soothing Cleanser is a mild one. Experiment Plasma Wash Gel Cream Cleanser sits between a gel and a cream.

Augustinus Bader, Macrene Actives, The Outset and a second Avène, Tolerance Extremely Gentle Cleanser, round out the group.

Sunscreen and makeup are the reason I own a balm or an oil at all. If you wear either, a first cleanse with something oil-based lifts them more easily than rubbing at your face. Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Wu explains that oil-based cleansers help remove oil-based impurities and excess sebum, while water-based cleansers remove water-soluble impurities like sweat and dirt.

Double cleansing, meaning an oil-based cleanser first and then a water-based one, gets talked about as if everyone needs it. Cleveland Clinic says a dermatologist there finds it usually not necessary for most people. So I treat the balm as a makeup-day step and wash with a gentle gel or milk on the other days.

Clinique has two here, Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm and Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil, and Tatcha has The Indigo Cleansing Balm. Dieux Ethereal Concentrated Cleansing Oil and DamDam Silk Rice Cleansing Oil are the oils. The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser is the one I would pick if I wanted something plain and silky. beplain Mung Bean Cleansing Oil and Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil are lighter oils, and Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser is the richest texture in the group.

Glossier has the Milky Jelly Cleansing Balm and the Milky Oil Dual-Phase Makeup Remover. The INKEY List Oat Makeup Removing Cleansing Balm, Dezi Skin Skin So Balm, goop Beauty Luminous Cleansing Balm and Dr. Barbara Sturm Makeup Remover are the other gentle ones. One more scented flag: Yepoda The Calm Balm Oil Cleanser contains limonene, a fragrance component, so skip it if scent bothers you.

What I would skip: trusting the word hypoallergenic on its own. The FDA says there are no federal standards or definitions for it, and it means whatever a company wants it to mean. Read the ingredient list for the word fragrance, since the FDA says it can be listed that simply, and look for the label fragrance-free. I would also skip rubbing a balm in hard, since pressing and massaging softly does the same job.

Here is how I wash on a normal day, using the AAD's steps. Wet your face with lukewarm water, apply the cleanser with your fingertips, and skip the washcloth or mesh sponge, since those can irritate skin. Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel. Do it in the morning and at night, and again after you sweat heavily. Resist the urge to scrub, because scrubbing irritates skin.

Patch test before you commit. The AAD suggests putting a new product on a quarter-sized spot, such as the underside of your arm or the bend of your elbow, twice a day for seven to 10 days. For a wash-off product like a cleanser, keep it on the test spot for five minutes or as long as the instructions say, then rinse.

Every skin is different, and nobody can promise a particular result from a cleanser. If a reaction keeps coming back, or your skin burns, swells or does not settle, that is a job for a dermatologist, not another product.

For me the routine is simple: a fragrance-free gel in the morning, the same gel or a milky cleanser at night, and a balm only when I have makeup or sunscreen to remove. Choose one, use it for a few weeks, and let your skin tell you.

If your skin is breaking out as well as sensitive, my notes on the CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser cover how I would ease into it.