Facial cleaners: choices abound.(Product/service evaluation)

For the simple task of washing your face, your dizzying options include foaming and fizzing liquids, creams, lotions, mousses, pads, cloths, pillows, and those old standbys, bars. Our tests help take some of the mystery out of what to purchase: Almost all the cleansers we evaluated did the job just fine.

Our panel of 25 testers, including men as well as women, judged nine facial cleansers in blind tests of cleaning ability, ease of application and removal, and how convenient they were to use. Each product had fans and critics, because fragrance, texture, and many other factors influence whether you like a cleanser.

Five of the nine products were foaming or fizzing varieties, and three were disposable pads or cloths. One was cold cream. All were perceived as excellent or very good at cleaning except Pond's Cold Cream and a Biore-brand cloth (see box below).

One disposable pad cleaned better than some liquid cleansers, and the pads and cloths generally rated highest for convenience and ease of use, although they do help fill the trash can.

The overall best cleanser in our tests was a department-store product from La Prairie. But it's $70 per tube, 3 to 10

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GOOD TO GO Highly rated cleansers include wipes from Aveeno and Olay, which our panelists found convenient times more expensive than others that also washed well. A foaming cleanser from Estee Lauder scored nearly as well and cost $19 for a similarly sized tube.