Start with BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser for a lower-cost, fragrance-free gel wash. Choose The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser if you prefer a balm that starts on dry skin. Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3% is worth comparing if you specifically want that niacinamide formula.
All three have cruelty-free brand evidence and vegan claims. The choice should now be about the cleanser you enjoy using, not which bottle lists the most fashionable ingredient.
What each purchase costs
| Cleanser | Size | Price | Cost per 100 ml | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser | 175 ml | $12.99 | $7.42 | Jelly wash |
| Naturium Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3% | 210 ml | $18 | $8.57 | Rinse-off gel |
| The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser | 50 ml | $10.50 | $21 | Balm in a tube |
US prices exclude tax and delivery. BYOMA and Naturium were checked October 28, 2026; The Ordinary was checked October 29. Offers and stock change. We have researched the labels and prices, without running a makeup-removal or skin-feel test.
BYOMA: our price-led gel-wash pick
BYOMA costs less than Naturium both at checkout and for the same volume. Its brand describes the formula as fragrance-free and soap-free, with a jelly texture that lathers with water.
It contains ceramides, cholesterol and fatty acids. Those are useful formula details, especially if they are features you already seek. They don't establish that this wash will feel like every other cleanser containing ceramides.
We would begin here for a buyer who wants a fragrance-free daily wash at a modest price. The $12.99 bottle offers more volume than The Ordinary's $10.50 mini, though the formats differ.
For a local offer, compare the same 175 ml size. A cheaper-looking mini or a different cleanser from the BYOMA range can make the shelf comparison misleading.
Naturium: buy it for the formula, not the percentage alone
Naturium's 210 ml bottle gives you 35 ml more cleanser than BYOMA, but it costs $5.01 more. Its unit price is also higher by about $1.15 per 100 ml.
The product is fragrance-free and contains 3% niacinamide. Its directions allow application to dry or damp skin, followed by rinsing. This is a wash, not a leave-on niacinamide serum.
If you already want that type of gel cleanser, Naturium belongs in the comparison. If the only attraction is the 3% printed in the name, we would pause before spending more. An ingredient concentration does not, on its own, rank the cleansing experience or establish that a product suits your skin.
Neither the bigger bottle nor the highlighted ingredient makes it the automatic value winner. Choose the formula first, then compare the price of the amount you intend to buy.
The Ordinary: the balm option
Squalane Cleanser starts differently from the two gels. The directions call for warming the balm between dry hands, massaging it over dry skin and rinsing with warm water. The squalane is identified as plant-derived.
The 50 ml mini has the lowest sticker price here at $10.50, but the highest price per milliliter. We would choose it for the balm format, rather than call it the cheapest wash for an equal amount of product.
A larger size is also offered. Check which tube is selected before assuming the displayed mini price buys the larger pack. For a formula you haven't used, the mini can still be a reasonable first purchase despite its higher unit price.
The Ordinary's brand review explains the current PETA approval and conflicting Leaping Bunny recommitment information. This shortlist uses the positive PETA record and the vegan policy, rather than presenting an unverified current Leaping Bunny claim.
Replacing CeraVe or Cetaphil? Keep the feature you use
A replacement needs to match more than the word cleanser. Someone who likes a low-lather cream may dislike a jelly wash even if both contain a familiar ingredient.
CeraVe's review looks at its cream-textured Hydrating Facial Cleanser. Cetaphil's review highlights a detail that replacement lists often miss: Gentle Skin Cleanser can be used without water, while the products compared here are rinsed off.
If you rely on a no-rinse method, these aren't direct substitutes for that routine. If you already rinse, the gel-versus-balm choice becomes more useful.
A medicated acne wash is a separate purchase again. Keep the treatment requirement when choosing a replacement instead of selecting any ordinary cleanser from an approved brand.
Sensitive skin, makeup and sunscreen
Use the complete ingredient list for an ingredient you know you need to avoid. A cruelty-free label doesn't predict personal comfort, and a gentle-sounding product name is not a guarantee against a reaction.
Likewise, a makeup-removal description cannot tell us which product removes your particular mascara or sunscreen most comfortably. We would look for the right intended use and format, then start with an amount you can afford to try.
There is no basis here for requiring two cleansers instead of one. If your current routine only needs a daily wash, choose that product first. Our moisturizer guide handles the leave-on step separately.
Why these brands made the list
The positive records for BYOMA and Naturium, along with The Ordinary's record linked in its review, cover suppliers and outside parties. The selected formulas also have vegan claims from the brands.
Ownership differs: BYOMA is in Bansk Group's portfolio, Naturium belongs to e.l.f. Beauty, and The Ordinary sits within The Estée Lauder Companies through DECIEM. Use that information if avoiding an owner is part of the purchase.
Check the total before buying a bigger basket
The table compares volume, not cleanses. We haven't measured how much people use from each pump or tube, so a cost-per-cleanse ranking would be guesswork.
Delivery can also change the cheapest checkout. Compare the exact size and version at a seller you would use, with the shipping fee included. Adding a toner or serum to reach free delivery can cost more than ordering the cleanser you came for.
Our starting recommendation remains BYOMA for a price-conscious gel-wash purchase. The Ordinary earns its place for balm users; Naturium earns a comparison for its particular formula. That is a more useful choice than treating all approved cleansers as interchangeable.
Sources
BYOMA. Creamy Jelly Cleanser. https://byoma.com/products/creamy-jelly-cleanser. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
Naturium. Niacinamide Cleansing Gelée 3%. https://naturium.com/products/niacinamide-cleansing-gelee-3. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
PETA. Brand record. https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/byoma/. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
PETA. Brand record. https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/naturium-e-l-f-cosmetics-inc/. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
Naturium. Discover Naturium. https://naturium.com/pages/discover. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
The Ordinary. Squalane Cleanser, US product page. https://theordinary.com/en-us/squalane-face-cleanser-100446.html. Accessed on October 29, 2026.
