If you have sensitive or reactive skin, experimenting with a new face wash is a downright risky business. Ideally, you want one that washes away the day’s dirt, oil and bacteria—without leaving it feeling stripped and starved for moisture—melts away makeup (yay for shaving off a step in your routine), keeps pesky breakouts at bay, and most importantly, leaves your skin feeling baby soft and balanced without a stitch of irritation.
It so happens that Three Ships’s Harmony Cucumber + Kombucha Microbiome Balancing Cleanser (now $19) does all of the above flawlessly. Specially developed for sensitive and easily irritated skin (but fabulous for everyone), the milky cleanser calms, comforts and washes away makeup with ease—leaving you with a balanced, moisturized and baby soft face. And according to shoppers, you absolutely need it on your skin-care shelf. Best of all? Three Ships is having a side-wide sale (starting today until July 16), with all products 20 percent off—just use the code ShopDirect20 at checkout.
Check out more epic July sales and deals—all curated by W+G editors—here.
The first thing about the Harmony Cleanser is that it’s designed with your skin’s microbiome in mind. “The skin’s microbiome is an ecosystem of microorganisms that live and reside on the skin,” explains board-certified dermatologist Sandy Skotnicki MD, who co-developed the Harmony Cleanser. Dr. Skotnicki says there are millions of these tiny microorganisms on your skin, and like the microbiome in your gut, they help train your body’s immune system to recognize ‘bad’ organisms, and keep your skin’s barrier function in tip top shape—keeping moisture in, and irritation and blemish-causing bacteria out.
How it works
The Harmony Cleanser’s microbiome-boosting benefits can be chalked up to everyone’s favorite fermented bevy, kombucha. “The pH of the skin is between 4 and 6…This acidic environment is responsible for a healthy barrier function,” Dr. Skotnicki tells us. “Kombucha contains many organic acids and natural prebiotics [that help keep] the skin acidic [which] helps barrier function…It is also known that the microbiome is most healthy at an acidic pH.” Meanwhile, skin-soothing cucumber extract brings anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits—calming sensitive, irritated skin while protecting it from environmental damage. Glycerin, a derm-beloved humectant that draws water into the skin, gives the milky wash its ultra-moisturizing feel, so your skin feels perfectly balanced and hydrated long after rinsing.
Why people love it
It calms redness and irritation
With ingredients as soothing as these, it’s no wonder why Three Ships’s Harmony Cleanser is favored by folks of all skin types—especially those with sensitive skin. One 46+ shopper says it’s the only cleanser that keeps her rosacea in check. “It’s incredibly hard to find a product that doesn’t aggravate my skin. This works!” she says in a 5-star review. “It’s so calming, hydrating and makes my skin feel so good!” Another reviewer says it toned down her redness. “[The Harmony Cleanser] has calmed my sensitive skin,” she says in a 5-star review. “I’ve noticed that there’s less redness.”
It’s non-drying
If you find foaming cleansers to be too harsh, Harmony’s milky texture is pure perfection, according to shoppers. “The name says it all. I love this product!” gushes one 50+ shopper in a 5-star review. “My skin feels clean and rejuvenated, and most importantly, not stripped.” “This has surpassed all my other cleansers!” echoes another shopper in her 50s in a 5-star review. “[It’s] gentle and non-drying for my sensitive skin.” What’s more, the Harmony Cleanser leaves your skin feeling balanced and moisturized, without leaving a weird greasy residue behind—which means your face actually feels clean after you’ve rinsed. “It is so gentle but still leaves me feeling clean and fresh faced,” confirms a 65+ shopper in a 5-star review.
It removes makeup
Users also say the Harmony Balancing Cleanser also works wonders at removing your makeup, making it a skin-care triple threat. “It’s gentle on my sensitive skin, very hydrating, and at the same time does a wonderful job at removing makeup,” says a happy Three Ships shopper in a 5-star review. “This cleanser is AMAZING at removing makeup!” agrees another shopper. So there’s no need to bust out a separate makeup remover with this beauty on your vanity—saving you a step in your routine, and a few dollars, too!
So if you’re looking for a new, do-it-all cleanser that comforts as it cleans, make it the Harmony Microbiome Balancing Cleanser—snag yours on the Three Ships site, here.
Our editors independently select these products. Making a purchase through our links may earn Well+Good a commission.