For many years, my favorite and loved facial cleanser has been the blue jars of Noxzema that smell of eucalyptus, methol and camphor. I've long been buying them in the U.S., but they're relatively heavy and thus a bit expensive to keep sending here on a regular basis... So two things:

1. I've never seen any Noxzema skin products here in Thailand (Neutrogena, yes... Noxzema no....) Has anyone ever seen Noxzema here and/or know how to source them here?

2. Failing that, any suggestions on a good, locally available replacement facial cleanser that is kind/gentle to your skin, refreshing and will leave your face feeling just clean (and not dried out, oily or sticky, etc etc.)

I go to the local drug stores, and see dozens of products and brands on the shelf, and don't have any idea where to start or what to consider. Thanks!

To anyone who's never seen or used it, this is what Noxzema's product looks like:

I'll ask the Mrs.

She has about 300 different types of creams and lotions she applies daily!

I find most products here quite aggressive but I have found that Berli Pops does the job. I use the banana cherry smoothie facial foam for dry skin very good but they also have other versions for mixed and oily skin. Alternatively I go for Botanics products which you can find in Boots.

I use the Vitamin E body shop facial cleanser. Its about 400 baht but its very soft and gentle on my sensitive skin and its stop it from being dry or oily.

Bodyshop is actually an international brand, but they have them at most CentralWorld's in BKK.

Ive used Golden Herb Bodycare products for my Sun Dried Skin and i'm a Man. They do a Mantime Range.Excellent Product. My Wife uses the Lady Range , obviously, but that range is endless. No Chemicals

Physiogel was recommended to me by a dermatologist after I had soem laser treatments a few years back, and I ahve used it ever since. Gentle and Ph neutral.

To all -- thanks so much for the various product suggestions above...

But it seems that most of the items you're mentioning are not ones I see regularly in the stores...

What retailers around BKK carry the products you are suggesting???

I was shopping last night at CentralWorld, and did see the Berli Pops brand mentioned above... kind of hidden down on the bottom shelf in the cosmetics/drug store section of the Central market there. Never before heard of or seen that one before.

Physiogel is a brand I know from the U.S., but can't say I recall seeing it here. Do see Cetaphil pretty regularly around town, though. Not sure if they're comparable or not.

Neutrogena, Clean and Clear and Smooth-E seem to be the dominant brands in the market/drug store sections. And while I've had good experience with a couple of Neutrogena products back in the States, their facial cleansers, particularly the ones offered here, seem to get very bad user reviews as being overly harsh/drying. Same for Clean and Clear.

Interestingly, it turns out that the Noxzema brand I mention in the OP -- which previously was owned by P&G and later Alberto-Culver -- very recently has been acquired by the international conglomerate Unilever, which has a big presence in Thailand. I may actually give a call to the local UL folks and see if they know or have any plans to bring the Noxzema product line here...

Try boots tea tree and witch hazel face washes.

Was using bodyshop tea tree oil soap when I moved here but they stopped making it.

You van usually find Physiogel at Boots and Watsons. Even out where I live, they have it. As do many regular pharmacies. it's not hard to find.

Teatree oil facial foam, sold in Tescos and many other places. Pic as below. There are a few different types, they all deep cleanse without drying. Can double up too instead of using a separate shaving foam

http://www.google.com.vn/imgres?q=tea+tree+oil+thailand+facial+wash&start=325&hl=en&sa=X&biw=1366&bih=643&tbm=isch&tbnid=wh_mtlMj0eKnaM:&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Control-Vitamin-Prevent-Thailand/dp/B009ETWFZG&docid=1Z90f0u53iA1eM&imgurl=http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41Wdu4EEHzL._SL500_SS500_.jpg&w=500&h=500&ei=MAg-Uc77N-6eiAeJ7oGwBg&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:52,s:300,i:160&iact=rc&dur=316&page=12&tbnh=193&tbnw=180&ndsp=34&tx=107&ty=96

Body shop also do loads of stuff in a tea tree oil range: face wash, cleanse, clay, mask etc. Bit expensive in Thailand though as expensive, eg

http://www.google.com.vn/search?q=tea+tree+oil+thailand+facial+wash&hl=en&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Bwg-UcibJM2higfDhoDgDg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643

Thanks for the additional suggestions, folks.... Needless to say, the only way to judge in these kinds of things is through buy/try/experiment... So that's what I've been doing.

Last week, I last week bought a bottle of Physiogel Cleanser, 100 ml bottle, from Boots on sale for 119b, regularly 145b there. Haven't tried it yet, but the wife's using it now. She seems OK with it, but it's a bit early for any real judgment.

A bit earlier, I also bought and tried the Tea Tree Oil Control Facial Foam, 140g tube, when Foodland had it on sale for 79b, when regularly they sell it for something like 129 or 149b. I didn't care for it, even though I really like and regularly use Tea Tree's Tea Tree Shower Soap. The wife also didn't like it initially, but the other day, reversed course and told me she actually likes it now. Hmmmm....

I've been using lately, and found it the best of the ones I've tried thus far, the Olay brand Gentle Foaming Face Wash 100g tube, which the Central Markets sell for 99b. I got mine at CentralWorld. I don't like it nearly as much as Noxzema, but at least it doesn't leave my face dried out or with some waxy, sticky feeling after use -- which are two of my priorities for things to NOT have a facial cleanser do.

Previously, the wife really liked a different Neutrogena product that I had brought from the U.S., but never have been able to find in Thailand as yet, even though Neutro had a lot of product lines here -- the 200 ml Fresh Foaming Cleanser in a pump bottle. I've never tried it yet myself. In the U.S., online, it usually costs around $5, which equates to about 150b here. But then of course you have to get it delivered here.

So for the present, I'm continuing to look...not having found anything I prefer more to the Noxzema facial cleanser.

You van usually find Physiogel at Boots and Watsons. Even out where I live, they have it. As do many regular pharmacies. it's not hard to find.

Thanks Sheryl... One of the complicating things about this is that places like Boots seem to arrange all their products in many instance by brands...rather than by product type. So you can't really go to one area of the store to look for the facial cleansers or shampoos, etc. You've got to know and go to the XXXX brand section and find the item you want among all their different products.

In the case of the Physiogel, I found it, but it was placed off by itself in a different area of the store, given that their brand presence/product line isn't nearly as big or broad as the Olays, Neutrogenas, Ponds, Niveas, etc etc..

Body shop also do loads of stuff in a tea tree oil range: face wash, cleanse, clay, mask etc. Bit expensive in Thailand though as expensive, eg

Thanks Fletch... I've been looking at some of their products, and some get pretty good reviews/comments. But as you noted, pretty expensive here in Thailand. I'm debating whether to try/buy here or look for a sale in the U.S. and then include that in something I'm already having sent to home here.

One thing about facial cleansers, though, like razors and such, is that once you've decided on a brand you like, it's pretty much going to become an ongoing, recurring purchase for most folks. So I'd kind of like to find something local here (and not have to import it) and have it not cost 300-400 baht per bottle.... if possible!

I'm also a big fan of Noxema and normally can't use anything else. Over the years I have found that PEAR soap (bought it from Carefour) is a good substitute for it and follow by Oil of Olay (light daycream) as a mositurizer.

Doji, any idea if the "Pear" soap has survived the transition to Big Cs???

And what exactly is it? A bar soap? Tube, pump bottle? And what's it look like, label, color-wise?

I'd be willing to give it a try if I knew a bit better what to look for?

BTW, the two things I really like about Noxzema are:

1. it leaves my face feeling absolutely clean, soft and fresh, without any after washing residue that's perceptible.

2. the product's inclusion of eucalyptus, camphor and menthol smells great and is really refreshing/cooling on the skin.

I read lately, but didn't know it before, that many folks recommend using Noxzema both as a shaving foam in lather form, and also as a sunburn remedy when applied as a cream on the skin. I'll settle just for using it as a face wash.

I don’t know at BigC, never looked for them there.

Noxema is a great product, Hubby likes to use it too and with that great menthol smell, many times also as a moisturizer. But like finding many things I want in Thailand….never came across it. May be I should be thinking about importing it..haha

PEAR is a natural clear glycerin transparent soap. It works well for me and leaves my skin quite clean.
But you have to lather it with a baby washcloth then rinse. Before PEAR I was with Neutrogena transparent bar soap “very similar to Pear soap” but is much more expensive and melts too fast.

Other than those two soaps, I can’t use anything else without them giving me pimples!

Like many things in Thailand, you just have to find a substitution that gives you a close enough result.

You might also try out other “clear glycerin transparent soaps” that you may come across, to see if it will work or not.
And follow by Olay face lotion (yes hubby uses this too).

Those soaps may not give you that menthol smell, but hey at least your skin is clean w/o too much stripping or over moisturizing.

fyi, Carrefour stores don't exist in Thailand anymore.

The chain's presence in Thailand was taken over by, and converted to, Big C stores some time back.

I don’t know at BigC, never looked for them there.

I used a Neutrogena facial soap in the U.S. that was in a pump bottle. It was as gentle as the bar soap -- maybe more so -- and lasted forever (unlike the bar soap). I think I've seen it at well-stocked beauty supply places in CM, but can't be sure.

Frankly, now that we're in Thailand, I shower 3 or 4 times daily and wash my face with shower soap. In the mornings, if I don't shower immediately, I just splash water on my face since I had aldready removed the makeup with the before-bed shower.

There's a huge selection of moisturizers available here, but I must say that Citra body lotion, applied just after washing (even to my face), works just fine in everything but the driest Chiang Mai weather. Citra is plenty coy about SPF, claiming just UV and whitening benefits, but I haven't had a sunburn since I started to use the stuff.

Here locally, in terms of pump bottle facial soaps, Neutrogena has several different varieties...

I've tried their Oil Free Acne Wash, which terribly dried out my skin, because it has salcylic acid.

I haven't yet tried their Pure Mild Facial Cleansers.

Just finished trying Neutrogena's Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser which, for starters, doesn't actually "foam".

Tried it through finishing a 100g tube, and didn't like it. Had a strong smell that was off-putting at first, always ended up as a thick sticky cream on my face, and left my skin feeling waxy and not clean even after rinsing. In looking at the ingredient list, one item there is beeswax. Dunno if that's why.

Wouldn't buy it again.

I confess, I buy my facial wash in the US and bring back about 6 bottles of the stuff every year. Huge fan of Aveeno positively radiant cleanser with soy.

I never had much luck with cleansers here. Sorry its not much help as I can't say I have ever seen Aveeno for sale here either

I don’t know at BigC, never looked for them there.

Noxema is a great product, Hubby likes to use it too and with that great menthol smell, many times also as a moisturizer. But like finding many things I want in Thailand….never came across it. May be I should be thinking about importing it..haha

PEAR is a natural clear glycerin transparent soap. It works well for me and leaves my skin quite clean.

But you have to lather it with a baby washcloth then rinse. Before PEAR I was with Neutrogena transparent bar soap “very similar to Pear soap” but is much more expensive and melts too fast.

I think I finally found the PEARS soap you mentioned above.

Bought some at my local Foodland, but haven't had a chance to try it yet. The store had both a bar soap and a liquid shower soap in a bottle.

Here's what they look like:

I've been using lately, and found it the best of the ones I've tried thus far, the Olay brand Gentle Foaming Face Wash 100g tube, which the Central Markets sell for 99b. I got mine at CentralWorld. I don't like it nearly as much as Noxzema, but at least it doesn't leave my face dried out or with some waxy, sticky feeling after use -- which are two of my priorities for things to NOT have a facial cleanser do.

Meanwhile, just to update, I finished using this product above, the Olay Gentle Foaming Face Wash.

Although it doesn't have any particular scent and doesn't have the methol tingle of Noxzema, it does meet my main objective, which is to clean my face and leave it feeling fresh without drying out my skin.

So on that basis, it passes my test -- though I'd still prefer Noxzema...

I use Golden Herb Man Time facial cleanser and Moisturizer. Obviously my Wife recommended them ,because shes a Golden Herb Addict. They have a Website. Golden Herb Body Care, nothing much in English though. No Chemicals, Herbs Only so that's nice.