I’ve been looking for a good cleanser for my sensitive skin for, well, years. Back in the day, I used an amazing product by St. Ives that came in a tub-like container and smelled like lemon. I believe my grandmother would’ve called it “cold cream” but darn, did it clean well and the lemon scent made me happy. Alas, that wonderful product went the way of Agree shampoo, Dr Scholl’s wooden sandals and the baby blue Trimline telephone.

So here I am in 2025 still trying to find something that cleans well, doesn’t make my face angry and smells like happiness. (Yeah, I don’t ask for much!)

My daily regimen has always been pretty basic and I hate overpaying for skincare products. I also hate having to go out of my way to procure them (and remembering to order them online never happens until I squeeze out the last drop), so drugstore brands rule in my world.

After doing some online research and standing in the skincare aisle reading labels, I decided on Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser. The price was $8.99 for 8.5 fl oz at Target. I’ve always been a fan of Neutrogena and I trust their products, so why not?

The product is labeled “fragrance free, soap free, dye free, paraben free, hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, sulfate free and alchohol free”. I appreciate the “free”.

I pumped out a handful and smeared it on my face. Immediately, I disliked the smell of it. It’s supposed to be fragrance-free, but it smells like chemicals. They’d have been better off to add in some fragrance because the idea of putting chemicals on my face it exactly what I don’t want!

The cleanser did foam nicely and it did a good job of removing my makeup. It didn’t irritate my eyes either. For those reasons, I used it for two more days. But then I decided I just couldn’t tolerate the smell of it and I returned it. It just wasn’t a winner for me.

If you aren’t bothered by the fragrance (or lack thereof), try it. It did do a good job and didn’t irritate my skin. But if you’re like me and you like to enjoy your products, you may want to stand in the aisle, twist the lid off and sniff it first. If you don’t like the smell, I can assure you it won’t get better in the shower. I wish I had given it the sniff test before buying!

My pursuit of the perfect facial cleanser will continue. If you’ve got one you like, let me know!