Dieux's Baptism Cleanser is a dream come true for my dry, sensitive skin

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In my opinion, cleansers are the most underrated, underappreciated, and underestimated skincare products. While they may not be as exciting as, say, a brightening vitamin C serum or a skin-plumping hyaluronic acid, they have an important job: sloughing off all the dead skin cells, oil, makeup, and other impurities to prevent clogged pores and create a clean, smooth canvas for other products to work their magic. Admittedly, I've used the same drugstore brand since I was about 15. But then one of the best skincare brands I've tested, Dieux, introduced their first cleanser. I decided to find out whether swapping out my trusty standby for the new Dieux Baptism could make a difference in my skin and share my experience in a full Dieux skincare review.

Until recently, I'd never given much thought to my cleanser. But as the first step in my skincare routine, a cleanser sets the stage for how my skin looks and feels. I've always noticed that if I don't apply moisturizer immediately after cleansing, my skin feels super tight and uncomfortable. I began to wonder: Is this normal? Or could the right cleanser solve that issue?

Here's what I discovered after switching to Dieux Baptism.

Dieux Baptism ingredients

As far as skincare products go, Dieux Baptism has a relatively short ingredients list — which is always a good sign if you have sensitive skin. Some of the superhero ingredients in this formula include:

• 10% Glycerin: According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, this naturally occurring sugar alcohol is one of the best ingredients for dry skin. That's because it's a humectant, meaning it can pull moisture into the outer layer of your skin. In fact, a 2016 study found that glycerin is the most effective ingredient at increasing skin hydration — even working better than the much-hyped hyaluronic acid.
• 2% Betaine: This amino acid is also a humectant that can attract water into your skin's outermost layer and promote hydration. As an added bonus, studies have found that betaine can also prevent or reduce skin irritation.
• 1% Glycolipids: These biosurfactants gently clean the skin by removing oils and dirt — but research has also shown that they have moisturizing properties, too.

"We wanted to make a gentle cleanser for all skin types that would tenderly lift oil from the skin so only what you're trying to get rid of — dirt, excess oil, pollution — goes down the drain: not your entire skin barrier," Charlotte Palermino, Dieux Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer, and Joyce de Lemos, Dieux Co-Founder & Clinical Chemist/Head of Product, told me in an interview. "With the rise of 'active' cleansers that can be sensitizing and irritating with daily use, we wanted to also offer a gentle yet effective cleanser free of harsh ingredients, so you can use it as often as you like without worrying about stripping your skin."

Many foaming personal care products get their sudsy action from sulfates, which studies have found can cause skin dryness, irritation, and inflammation. Fortunately, there are no sulfates in sight here.

Instead, Baptism gets its foaming power from sodium cocoyl glutamate, a cleansing agent from coconut, and two amino acids: glutamic acid and decyl glucoside. The latter ingredient is so gentle that it's a super common ingredient in baby shampoos.

"This mild cleansing agent creates a creamy lather, cleanses the skin, and leaves the skin feeling supple and not stripped," said de Lemos.

Fragrance-free vs. Fragranced Formulas

Knowing that my body can absorb the ingredients I apply to my skin, I'm super selective with skincare products. Dieux is definitely one of my go-to brands not only because it's cruelty-free and only uses science-backed ingredients but also because their products don't contain fragrances — which can cause irritation in people like me with sensitive skin or a compromised skin barrier.

That said, if this isn't an issue for you and you live for a heavenly scent during your skincare routine, Dieux has you covered: The Baptism cleanser is their first product that also comes in a fragranced version. The amount of fragrance in this formula is pretty minimal at just .8%. During testing, both the fragrance-free and fragranced versions of Dieux Baptism were found to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing — as well as non-comedogenic, meaning they don't clog pores and are suitable for acne-prone folks. So, you can choose whichever option best suits your needs and preferences.

According to Palermino, common irritants can actually be removed from synthetic fragrances, often making them less irritating than some natural fragrances. That said, some synthetic fragrances contain phthalates, which research has shown can disrupt your body's hormone system. Dieux Baptism is totally free of phthalates, though — as well as parabens, formaldehydes, formaldehyde-releasing agents, phthalates, and so many other controversial ingredients.

Something I really appreciate about Dieux is the brand's dedication to transparency — and to that end, the entire ingredients list (including the fragrances) published on the product page so you can easily spot if anything might be problematic for your skin. The fragrance blend includes many naturally occurring ingredients like:

• Juniperus virginiana oil: An oil that comes from the Eastern red cedar tree, which has a sweet woody scent
• Citronellol: A compound derived from plants like geranium, lemongrass, and rose
• Geraniol: A terpene alcohol that occurs in essential oils like rose oil and citronella oil
• Limonene: A compound found in the rind of citrus fruit peels' essential oils
• Linalool: A terpene alcohol found in many plants like lavender, and has a pleasant floral aroma

"While we recommend if you have eczema to stick to fragrance-free, as this is a wash off product, we were able to create a gentle cleanser that also smells amazing," Palermino said.

How to use the Dieux Baptism Gel Cleanser

Since I have pretty dry skin, I only wash my face at night — in the morning, I just splash my face with water or use micellar water before applying my serums, moisturizer, and SPF.

That said, the Dieux Baptism cleanser is definitely gentle enough to use twice a day.

The first time I used this cleanser, I applied it to my face using a washcloth. However, I noticed that I didn't really get much of that oh-so-satisfying foaming action. So, from there on out, I followed Dieux's directions, which entailed:

• Gently massaging the product into my skin using my hands
• Spritzing or splashing a little water onto my face to help break down any dirt or makeup remnants
• Removing the cleanser with more water

I liked to remove the cleanser by swiping a warm, wet washcloth across my skin before patting it dry, but you could also just splash water on your face a few times.

By the way — because the formula is tested to be acne-safe and non-sensitizing, you can feel free to do a double cleanse with it if that's your thing.

Dieux Baptism review

For this Dieux Baptism review, I used the gel cleanser every night for two weeks, alternating between the fragrance-free and fragranced versions.

The first thing I noticed is how easy it is to pump the product out. I love how slippery it feels on my skin — almost like a gel-serum. When I rubbed the product into my skin, I got a nice creamy lather. I also found that it was super easy to remove. Some cleansers feel like they leave a film on my skin that I can't seem to wash away, but that wasn't the case here.

To my relief, I experienced no irritation from the fragranced cleanser. That said, I prefer the fragrance-free version since I have other scented products in my personal care routine — and can get olfactory fatigue pretty easily.

I won't say I didn't experience any tightness after cleansing, but I think it's unrealistic to expect otherwise. After all, it's the cleanser's job to rid your skin of excess oil, so a little tightness is to be expected. Dieux Baptism definitely didn't leave my skin feeling nearly as stripped as many other products. Normally, I'm frantically slathering on moisturizer after cleansing to alleviate the uncomfortable dryness. And while I still followed up with a moisturizer after using Dieux Baptism, I found that I didn't need to use it as much.

The bottom line

Hallelujah, Dieux has done it again. Baptism left my skin feeling super clean but, at the same time, not as dry as the Sahara desert — an impressive feat.

Dieux Baptism's formula is packed with moisture-attracting ingredients, and it shows. I didn't experience severe tightness, irritation, or other common issues that cleansers sometimes cause because of my dry, sensitive skin.

And I love that Dieux Baptism has been formulated with all skin types in mind, not just mine.