This Cleanser With Thousands of 5-Star Reviews on Sephora Saved My Acne-Prone Skin

A few years ago, I started experiencing acne. I never had it growing up, so the influx of tiny tenants taking up residence on my face were definitely not welcome. I went from being someone with great skin to the person getting annoyed when her best friend said, "I can't remember the last time I had a pimple."

I went through a long process before I finally figured out what worked for me, and for the last year or so I've had my routine down pat. One thing I never really gave much thought to was face wash. Up until a month or so ago I was still using my drugstore foaming cleanser, thinking that it didn't really make a difference. I cared about what went on my face, especially if it was going to sit there for multiple hours at a time, but face wash? I put it on and I rinsed it off. It wasn't staying on my face, so I didn't think it mattered what I used.

Still, even with my carefully curated skin-care routine, I'll notice the occasional break out. Whether it's caused by stress, something I've eaten, or hormones around that time of the month, I've never been able to fully kick my acne to the curb. All of that changed the day I took home a sample of the Murad Clarifying Cleanser ($32) from work. The formula is made with salicylic acid (which dissolves excess oil inside pores) and green tea extract (which calms inflammation). Here's what using it for a month did for my skin.