I have very dry, acne prone skin. I've always had acne since my teen's but after I had my daughter, it got worse. Especially the dry skin! I've tried scrubs, gel and liquid cleansers and every other product at the drug store. Nothing really worked and if it did, maybe for a week. Then I would break out horribly!
I read up on this and finally took the plunge. What did I have to lose? I didn't wash my face with anything before hand, I just used the cleansing bar. It took my make up off great and my skin felt so good afterwards. Like somebody mentioned in a review that although it helped moisturize their skin, they couldn't skip their moisturizer afterwards. That's how my skin was. The BIG difference was, I didn't have to use as much moisturizer! My skin soaked it up and felt wonderful! I woke up the next morning and my skin still felt moisturized. That's not something that happens with my extra dry skin! I'm in love with this stuff! I would recommend this to anyone with dry and acne prone skin!

After so many years of trying to find the "right" acne wash I finally found the best solution.... a bar of soap!?
I was skeptical at first. However, after using this bar on my face and body for two weeks I'm a believer! This is coming from a 22-year-old who hasn't left the house without makeup since middle school. My face has always been red and had a fair amount of acne. This bar has made 95% of my face and back acne disappear. I looked in the mirror today and was shocked. Please give it a try!

I don't know the difference between the normal gentle bar. It feels the same as the normal bar, and smells a bit different.
I like the way my skin feels cleaner after each use. It doesn't dry my skin and after each use I like to run my hand over my body and feel the smoothness. It's unlike other bars.

I used this with noticeable results after just ONE DAY! My face is smooth and all that's left is some scarring from the hellstorm that brewed there from the last two months. I know bacteria is just one of the causes of acne but it really just got rid of it all and it keeps getting better. Now looking for something to fade the scars!
The downside is, they test on animals and are not vegan as they do not strictly monitor and cannot give a "100% guarantee" that the ingredients they buy are "100% of non-animal origin." (via an inquiry email to Galderma.) Once it runs out I will not be buying again due to this. It does work wonders but based on this it's an absolute 'no' to buying again.

I will be honest and say I bought this out of sheer curiousity and cringe at the thought of anyone using bar soap to cleanse their skin ( as a skincare fanatic) however, I caved in, took the plunge, tried something new, AND fell in love. It was pretty instant for me. I'm used to using just cream cleansers and usually stick to Origins Mushroom Line, but at first use I knew it was going to be holy grail product. It smells clean but somewhat mild and not too fragrant. It is milky and rinses off wonderfully clean--I usually massage the milky bar into my skin to soothe it. It truly is a great product and I will repurchase it. It has made my skin become more balanced and my clogged pores...probably due to makeup use..are cleared up again. I used to extract my pores regularly and now even in a 3x mirror they look clean. Still have to get used to using soap on my face though, seems so taboo to me still.

I LOVE LOVE THIS! I had horrible acne on my entire face chin, forehead,cheeks... I started using this after I had gone through so many drugstore scrubs/washes, claiming to clear my acne but they only irritated it and did nothing to cure it..My aunt recommended it and It's the best thing ever! I do have oily skin (esp. in the summer I have extremely oily skin, which is when I began using this) and although It says its for dry sensitive skin, It works for me! I use it with my acne medication (clindamycin solution and retin A generic version and anitbacterial pills). I have one in my shower and near my sink.. It melts a whole lot faster in the shower but the one by my sink lasts months! I just place it in a soap dish that you can stick to the wall- got mine at walmart for a few dollars) and It lasts and stays clean.. The bars also come in packs of four our five for like $15? it's worth it!
P.S if you are struggling with acne GO TO THE DERMATOLOGIST it really helps, I spent probably 100's of dollars looking for the perfect face wash, toner, moisturizer when it was all a waste! Go to the professionals, Its worth it. my clindamycin solution is only $35, retin A generic is only $40 at most and the pills are $4! all at walmart! about $80 total for lasting results!

Woo-freaking-hoo! This product rocks. I have been struggling to get my skin healthy, cleared up, and back to normal after a bad allergic reaction I had, and this product did it. It cleared up the acne I had coming in and really balanced/calmed my skin without overdrying it or making it too greasy. I have been using this product with the Cetaphil facial moisturizer during the day and the moisturizing lotion at night. So far, this wash is helping to control my oil production when using the moisturizers because using them previously with the gentle cleansing bar made my skin too oily and clogged my pores. However, would not suggest this for those with dry skin as I could see how it would be overdrying. I do know that it's working great on combo/sensitive for now though! Overall, this is magic in a cheap $3 bar and has visibly improved the look of my irritated/broken out skin overnight.

I have the most annoying skin. Greasy with large pores (read: Italian!), yet dryer than sheet rock the second I wash it. At 32, I have aged very well - my skin is still pretty plump and I have very few deep wrinkles - but the dryness produced by most cleansers ages me 10 years. To top it off, I am prone to small, rash-like pimples on my forehead and chin, and have a generally uneven texture as a result. I have tried pretty much every single cleanser out there...department store brands, organic, home made, desperate-ebay-orders-from-japan, made for acne, made for oily, made for dry, made for sensitive, and (literally) every single option available in drug stores/Wal-Mart. I've spent as little as $3 and as much as $100. Nothing worked. Either I broke out even worse or my skin dried up so much it looked like I took a cheese grater to it. I finally, out of desperation, decided to try the antibacterial Cetaphyl bar...I figured I had nothing to lose, especially for $3. I had heard good things about triclosan on my particular kind of acne, but to be honest, I wasn't expecting it to work too well...nothing ever did, and an experiment with the liquid Cetaphyl for oily skin a few years back fried my face. Boy, was I surprised. THIS IS THE BEST!!! This bar produces a surprisingly creamy foam but leaves no residue. I find that if I use it in the hot shower, my skin does dry a bit, but if I use it at the sink, it leaves my skin supple and healthier looking than it has been since my teens. My breakouts have diminished significantly, and the tone and texture of my skin overall is 100% improved. I have been using it every night (in the morning I just swipe with a warm washcloth...i mean, let's face it, there's really no need to scrub your face the second you crawl out of bed as long as you washed it the night before...unless you sleep outside, that is) for two months with consistently amazing results. The scent may be strong for some, but I like it - very clean, though perhaps too strong for super sensitive skin types. I swear, if you have finicky skin that you can never get balanced for more than a few days at a time, try this stuff. Combined with the Equate brand versions of classic Oil of Olay and lots of water - nothing else - my skin is completely transformed. And having such a simple skin care routine is pretty great too : ) PS - I do not wear foundation of any kind (they all feel so gross), so I can't comment on whether or not this is effective at makeup removal).

Out of boredom I switched up my nightly beauty regimen and began using the Clinique 3 Kit system. I broke out in cystic acne along my jawline, cheeks, and even forehead (where I typically do not break out)! about 10+ pimples in total. I returned it, and began using this bar. It's been a week and a half and my skin is turning around! *PHEW* I enjoy the clean (medicinal, almost) scent. The lather is also nice. It helps to take your time to lather it extra well in your hands so you have a lot of suds to reduce the friction between your fingertips and face. It leaves my skin feeling fresh and clean. However, I would not recommend this for people with dry skin because it may exacerbate your dryness...that's why I gave it a two for packing as it advertises it's intended for dry skin. I've been using this with a daily benzoyl peroxide treatment. I believe the two products synergize and have been effective in improving my blemishes. Will buy again!

for me, this is an okay product. it makes your face feels clean after you wash ur face, but, i dont think it really helps with my acne prone skin :/ i still like cetaphil's gentle skin cleanser better. it cleared up my skin more than this bar does. i dont know if im going to purchase this again or not..

I think that this product is so so. Personally I don't like the gel cleanser because it i feel that it doesn't clean my face enough. For acne prone skin it's good that the bar is antibacterial to rid of the bacteria left on the skin. However it is pretty gentle as it hasn't dried out my skin as most bar soaps do. It just cleanse my face it doesn't do much else.

When I feel like my skin is out of wack, this is the first product I reach for. After using it my skin calms down and my breakouts are greatly reduced. It can be a little drying, but nothing a little moisturizer can't fix. Otherwise it makes me skin feel super clean! The only gripe I have is the price.

I decided to get an antibacterial soap since I live in a very germ-y environment and I wanted to make sure that all the bugs were both killed and washed away at the end of the day. I don't have body acne or anything like that, so I can't comment on the soap's usefulness in that regard. Anyway, I like this soap a lot. I have dry to very dry skin and while this isn't moisturizing enough for me to skip the lotion, it doesn't seem to dry me out either. I leave as moisturized as I come in, I guess. Good soap, nice scent, will buy again.

Dermatologist recommended this to me for body breakouts. I have been a convert ever since. Especially in summer, I would not use any soap but this. Not at all drying, but keeps me from breaking out along bra straps, etc.

Re: packaging: does it really need a plastic wrap and a box? Seems like a bit much.

This is by far the best cleanser I have ever used! I have acne-prone skin. I pretty much only break out on my cheek area, and that's probably the worst area to break out. Though I don't have bad acne, I still felt insecure at points. After trying, clinique, proactiv, Kate sommerville, neutrogena, natura bisse, kaneno Sensai, okay...you get the point. This mixed into my regimen has given the best skin I have ever had. It looks absolutely amazing. I want to help others as much as I can, cause I know how it feels. So I'll write my regimen here, it's very inexpensive, sans one product.
So first, I remove my foundation every night with Shu Uemura's cleansing beauty oil in the green tea version (which is the best makeup remover I've ever used, and keeps my skin SO clear and soft) and also the most expensive, retailing at about 130, but lasts forever. Then I get my cetaphil cleanser and wash my face with my clairasonic, after that I tone about 3 times, depending on my mood. One with a green tea bag, then lit it dry, then with my oolong tea bag, then let it dry, then with my Thayers Alchohol Free Witchazel toner with aloe vera, I let that dry, then apply my Neutrogena 3-in-1 hydrating acne treatment (works wonders for redness and bumps) then I moisturize with my Dermalife skin care formula with vitamins moisturizer (found at whole foods) and that's it. Weekly I use Kate Sommerville's exfoliate to slouch off dead skins cells. But this regimen has left my skin 'clean, clear, and undercontrol' everything is extremely affordable, minus Shu Uemura, which is very worth it, cause it'll last probably more than a year! And the Clairasonic is something everyone should have, cause it'll work wonders for your skin. :) I hope this helps someone! Let me know :)

I switched to this cleanser after my dermatologist told me to do so due to a new skin routine.
I was really scared this wouldn't work/break me out because it wouldn't mesh well or wouldn't be strong enough.
I was very surprised that it works very well. Lathers up nicely, I feel it cleaning and leaves my skin smooth, without drying or anything.
Since my skin is acne prone and sensitive, I'm very weary of trying completely new products. I thought I needed something almost to the harsh side to battle any skin problems and I was proved wrong.
I do see that it takes off my makeup decently. But honestly, if you're looking for a face wash to do everything for you, you're going to be disappointed quite often. That's why they make makeup removing products. So don't expect this to be an all-in-one.
I gave it a four because obviously, it doesn't exfoliate. I think that I may use a wash cloth with the soap from now on to cover that.
I don't thank this soap for being the sole cause of my skin improving but it DOES help. With other products, this is very gentle and wouldn't irritate the skin.

This is great for my sensitive skin. It never breaks me out and i've used it for years. I sometmes switch it up though and use the liquid cleanser for normal to oily skin in the summer because I'm often oily in my T-zone. The cleansing bar helps with that too, however, it sometimes becomes too dry after extended use which is why i rated it a 4 instead of 5.

p.s.- for those concerned about the price of the bar, try Basis brand gentle cleansing bar. similar results, similar product, but usually costs less =)

I use this as a body soap.
Thus antibacterial soap has been amazing! I use primarily on my underarms and feet. I feel fresher and use less deodorant. Love!

I've been using this product for almost a year now, and I LOVE IT!! My dermatologist recommended it last summer when I broke out in huge, red cystic acne on my forehead between my eyebrows. I've never had terrible acne problems before, just one or two pimples during my t.o.m. My bathroom featured just about every drugstore acne product available, nothing seemed to work. I started using this as my cleanser every morning and night, and my face started clearing up (with the help of neutrogena acne stress control toner). I don't know why this combo worked, because cetaphil is not medicated. Maybe i needed the acne medication to sit on my face for longer as opposed to washing it right off. I must say, though, that my acne is not genetic, and was probably caused by sweat and bacteria, which is why this product worked for me. This product lathers easily, takes off most of my makeup except mascara and eyeliner of course, has a pleasant smell (though this might not be a good thing for sensitive skin), and leaves the skin feeling clean and refreshed. Only issue is that it does get soft and mushy easily if left in water. I use a soap dish with perforations at the bottom to drain the excess water and keep it dry. Nevertheless, this product is a definite repurchase!!

I like the Cetaphil liquid cleanser for dry skin as well, but I don't have overly dry skin. I use the liquid when my face feels more irritated or if I have used a peel recently. I have used the Basis bars before as well as one from Clinique (years ago) and many other types from health food stores, etc, but the Cetaphil bar has always been better IMO.
Since the liquid does not take off makeup I use the antibacterial Cetaphil soap for everyday cleansing. I use it on my face, neck, and upper back. Even though it says it is for dry sensitive skin, I have always found it suitable for oily skin/combo as well. I started using it many years ago, but I like to switch up with other cleansers to try new stuff.
The bar lasts forever, and it will not melt away to nothing when it gets wet. I know a lot of people cringe over bars because they think a lot of germs are on them, but studies have shown that they don't necessarily collect more germs than a hand pump. The bar is antibacterial, so it shouldn't do that anyway.
This is a cheap gentle cleanser that will take off makeup and leave the skin nice and soft. I have no problems using it along with BP creams for acne. It leaves no residue or film behind- just clean skin.