Best face cleansers & scrubs to buy in 2024
Every skincare routine should start with a facial cleanser, here are our top-rated recommendations - including the cult-fave face cleanser that's our beauty writer's new favourite.
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Face cleansers are probably the least interesting skin product out there, but in reality, they’re one of the most important parts of your skincare routine.
If you’re not properly cleansing your face, especially at night to wash away the dirt, oil, grime, sunscreen and makeup that’s built up throughout the day, your skin is seriously going to suffer.
A face cleanser should be part of a double cleanse routine – one where you’re using a cleansing balm or oil first and then following up with a cleanser that is designed to work with your skin type. Because using the wrong one can really wreak havoc on your skin health.
We've been loving the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser from Sephora - news.com.au checkout's beauty writer, Marina, dubbed it a "holy grail cleanser" as she "can't believe how soft my [her] skin feels".
If you're on a budget, we also highly recommend CeraVe Hydrating Cream to Foam Cleanser - retailing for $24.99,. Marina says she "can't live without it" as it's "the kind of product that does it all".
OUR TOP PICKS
EDITOR’S PICKS: BEST OVERALL FACE CLEANSERS
FRESH Soy Face Cleanser, $65 at Sephora
Why we love it: This is the kind of face cleanser that can be used and enjoyed by any age, any skin type, with any sort of skin concern.
What to consider: Some people may not like the smell.
Formula: Gel | Size: 150ml | Best for: All skin types
Tried and Tested by Marina Tatas, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
After hearing that one Fresh Soy Face Cleanser sells every minute worldwide - and as a self-proclaimed beauty expert - I knew I had to try the cult-fave cleanser for myself. And it's quickly become one of my new favourites.
One of my favourite things about the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is just how gentle it is. And it's all thanks to the hydrating ingredients - you've got amino acid-rich soy proteins, cooling cucumber extract, soothing aloe vera and nourishing borage seed oil.
After using this holy grail cleanser, I can't believe how soft my skin feels - it effectively cleanses without stripping my skin's moisture barrier.
My fiance decided to also try it out and he gave it a big ol' tick of approval too.
But don't just take my word for it. The highly-rated cleanser also boasts over 10,000 five-star ratings on the Sephora website - how impressive!
Cosrx Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser, $38.47 at iHerb
Cosrx Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser
Why we love it: This cleanser is super gentle and non-drying, and leaves skin smooth and clean.
What to consider: Some people may not like the smell.
Formula: Gel | Size: 150ml | Best for: All skin types
Tried and Tested by Harriet Amurao, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
As someone with dry skin, I often find that the majority of cleansers leave my skin feeling extra dry and super tight. However, this gel cleanser thankfully doesn’t do that, it instead leaves my skin feeling super smooth, supple and clean. It’s super gentle on the skin, lathers really nicely and makes for a great follow-up cleanser after an oil cleanser.
It's formulated with snail mucin which, putting the grossness aside, is actually really good for the skin - it hydrates, soothes and repairs your skin barrier, improves skin elasticity and even reduces signs of ageing too. Talk about a powerhouse!
Radiant Skin Foaming Cleanser, $39 at Jurlique
Why we love it: This unique cleanser works hard to gently cleanse and exfoliate the skin at the same time.
What to consider: Some users felt it dried their skin out.
Formula: Foaming | Size: 80g | Best for: All skin types
What You Need To Know
Jurlique follows a natural philosophy when it comes to their skincare, and the Radiant Skin Foaming Cleanser is no exception. Calendula extracts provide soothing relief, spilanthes help to rebalance your skin's natural oils and lemon balm is added to give a refreshing effect to the skin - but to also help with overall softness.
This foaming cleanser works into a rich lather to remove makeup and cleanse your skin in one step. There's also added pumice to act as a gentle exfoliant, leaving your skin looking and feeling totally radiant and clear.
Five-star rating Jurlique customers have noted it "smells beautiful" and makes their skin look "radiant".
Go-To Juicy Gel Cleanser, $39 at Go-To Skincare
Why we love it: This is the kind of face cleanser that could work all skin types.
What to consider: Some people may not enjoy the fragrance.
Formula: Gel | Size: 200ml | Best for: All skin types
Tried and Tested by Marina Tatas, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
Go-To's Juicy Gel Cleanser is one of those cleansers that I just can't stop reaching for - it's a staple part of my skincare routine.
The Juicy Gel Cleanser features all my favourite things in one. I use it morning and night and I love how the soap-free gel consistency transforms into a light lather as you rub it into wet skin.
It’s formulated with cucumber extract to hydrate and plump the skin, while lotus root water focuses on soothing the skin. Aloe vera is also incorporated to help restore the skin’s natural barrier, so all in all, you’ve got a bunch of calming and soothing ingredients to ensure your skin never feels dry or tight. And it seriously works.
After use, my skin feels cleans, soft and healthy. The formula is so gentle and hydrating and I think it’s a great pick for all skin types. It’s also got a light cucumber and aloe vera fragrance that is super pleasant and not overpowering at all.
BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY FACE CLEANSER
CeraVe Hydrating Cream To Foam Cleanser, $24.99 at Adore Beauty
CeraVe Hydrating Cream To Foam Cleanser
Why we love it: It's an affordable cleanser that transforms from a cream to a foam, to not dry out the skin.
What to consider: Some people with super dry skin felt it was a little too drying for them.
Formula: Cream to foam | Size: 236ml | Best for: Most skin types
Tried and Tested by Marina Tatas, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
If I had to pick one cleanser to use for the rest of my life, it’s got to be this one – I simply can’t live without it.
The Hydrating Cream to Foam Cleanser is made to be your answer to a double cleanse routine – the kind of product that does it all. While I still use a cleansing balm or oil beforehand, I can sleep easy knowing that this cleanser is getting everything off my skin.
And it does that by leaving my skin feeling soft, supple and hydrated – all thanks to the addition of hyaluronic acid, amino acids and ceramides.
I’ve tried pretty much every cleanser from the CeraVe range but this is by far my favourite.
It comes out in this gorgeous cream texture but once you add water, it transform into this foam, so you can easily lather it into the skin.
The best part? You can pick it up for just $24.
BEST LUXURY FACE CLEANSER
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel, $112 at Oz Hair & Beauty
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
Why we love it: It's a deeply cleansing product that doesn't dry out the skin.
What to consider: High price tag.
Formula: Gel | Size: 500ml | Best for: All skin types
What You Need To Know
One of Dermalogica’s most iconic products is the Special Cleansing Gel. It’s a soap-free formulation that slightly foams up to deeply cleanse the skin without damaging your moisture barrier – so you’re left with clean and soft skin.
Calming balm mint and lavender extracts help to soothe the skin, while natural quillaja saponaria works hard to remove oil, dirt and grime from the skin.
With an impressive rating of 4.7 out of five on Google Reviews and well over 15,000 five-star ratings, happy shoppers describe it as "simply the best" and the "best cleanser ever".
Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash, $63 at Kiehl’s
Why we love it: This face cleanser works hard to calm and soothe your skin, while also getting rid of impurities.
What to consider: Might be too pricey for some.
Formula: Gel | Size: 230ml | Best for: All skin types
What You Need To Know
The Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash helps to balance all skin types – from normal to oily to dry – by gently removing dirt and impurities, and leaving you with soft, supple skin.
Calendula is one of the brand’s powerhouse ingredients, with it being featured in many of their skincare products. It works hard at controlling redness and calming sensitive skin types.
It’s racked up an average rating of 4.7 out of five on the Kiehl’s website, with happy customers calling it their “daily staple” and “perfect for sensitive skin”.
BEST FACE CLEANSERS FOR DRY SKIN
Properly Clean Facial Cleanser, $33 at Go-To Skincare
Why we love it: It's the kind of cleanser than can be used by anyone and everyone.
What to consider: Some users with sensitive skin did not like this cleanser.
Formula: Mousse | Size: 150ml | Best for: Dry skin types
What You Need To Know
Zoe Foster-Blake’s skincare brand, Go-To, has loads of popular products – but on the face cleanser side of things, we love the gentle foaming wash that is Properly Clean. Throw out what you think you know about foaming cleansers – this product is gentle, doesn’t leave that tight-skin feeling when you rinse off, and is cruelty-free, vegan and pregnancy safe.
It's formulated with glycerin, a 100 per cent plant derived ingredient that works to hydrate the skin, while willow bark extract is added to naturally exfoliate the skin, help shedding dead skin cells and clear those pesky pores.
It's racked up almost 4000 five-star ratings on the Go-To website, with rave reviews calling it a "brilliant" cleanser.
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser, $36.50 at THE ICONIC
The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser
Why we love it: This unique balm cleanser turns into an oil once you add water, cleansing the skin without leaving it feeling dry.
What to consider: It may not work as well for more oily skin types.
Formula: Balm to oil | Size: 150ml | Best for: Dry skin types
What You Need To Know
One of the most loved face cleansers in this list, The Ordinary’s Squalane Cleanser is perfect for anyone with dry skin.
Squalane is known for its anti-inflammatory and hydrating qualities, and is close to our skin’s pH which is why it’s so great in products for dry skin. This cleanser won’t leave you feeling dry or tight, trust me.
It's racked up over 10,000 five-star ratings on Google Reviews, with one noting it's their "favourite makeup remover for a great price" and another happy customer commenting it's "the only cleanser I'll ever use".
BEST FACE CLEANSERS FOR OILY SKIN
Benefit Cosmetics The Porefessional Good Cleanup Pore Purifying Foaming Cleanser, $49 at Sephora
Why we love it: If reducing the appearance of your pores is one of your main concerns, you need to ty this purifying cleanser.
What to consider: Some users may not like the strong fragrance.
Formula: Gel to foam | Size: 147ml | Best for: Oily skin types
Tried and Tested by Marina Tatas, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
This is my second bottle of the The Porefessional Cleanser from Benefit Cosmetics and I find that it does a fantastic job at properly cleansing my skin, getting all the gunk out, without leaving it feel tight or dry. In fact, my pores look tighter and smoother after using this cleanser consistently.
When you first pump the product, it comes out like a gel consistency but as you add water, it turns into a foam.
It’s formulated with lemon extract and yuzu extract for the pores, and different ceramides to preserve the skin’s moisture barrier.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel, $31.95 at Adore Beauty
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel
Why we love it: It's gentle enough for daily use, and really leaves your skin feeling clean.
What to consider: May feel too drying for dry skin types.
Formula: Foaming | Size: 200ml | Best for: Oily skin types
What You Need To Know
La Roche-Posay is loved by many for its Effaclar range, which is designed for oily skin types, and this cleanser is a hero product in the line.
It's a purifying foaming gel that's formulated with something called phylobioma that works hard to reduce excess sebum and imperfections. It also features the brand's famous thermal spring water and zinc PCA to restore your skin's moisture barrier.
“I am up to my second bottle of this cleanser and I absolutely love it. It does a really great job at tackling breakouts and preventing them. I also have oily skin and it helps to control the oil. It leaves my skin feeling clean but not stripped,” one reviewer wrote on Adore Beauty.
BEST FACE CLEANSERS FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
Cosrx Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser, $14.99 (down from $25) at Amazon Australia
Why we love it: Low price tag and a highly-rated K-Beauty product.
What to consider: May not be ideal for oily skin types.
Formula: Gel | Size: 150ml | Best for: Sensitive skin types
Tried and Tested by Philippa Tonkin, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
I first heard of this cleanser from one of my favourite skinfluencers @shitskinchat. Sakura had raved about the cleanser for her acne-prone skin and so I was keen to give it a go too. This gentle cleanser is designed to maintain the skin’s optimal pH level while also calming it too.
As Sakura notes it features tea tree oil and betaine salicylate (which is a gentle form of BHA) so if your skin is super dry this might be one to stay away from. Overall, I appreciated the simplicity of this cleanser. It doesn’t try too hard but it works well and gets the job done.
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Caring Wash Cleanser, $32.95 at Adore Beauty
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Caring Wash Cleanser
Why we love it: This is a super nourishing cleanser with rave reviews from shoppers.
What to consider: May not be ideal for oily skin types.
Formula: Cream | Size: 200ml | Best for: Sensitive skin types
Tried and Tested by Hannah Paine, news.com.au checkout Editor
In my job I’m constantly trialling different products but this cleanser from La Roche-Posay is a favourite I always go back to. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve repurchased this and it does a better job than cleansers that are quadruple the price. Not only does it effectively remove makeup, sunscreen and dirt with just one wash. It leaves my skin feeling calm and plump afterwards and never tight. If you’ve got sensitive or dry skin that is easily stripped by cleansers then this is the one for you.
Skinstitut Gentle Cleanser, $41.60 (down from $52) at Oz Hair & Beauty
Why we love it: This cleanser is specifically formulated for sensitive skin types.
What to consider: Some users felt it made their skin break out.
Formula: Gel | Size: 200ml | Best for: Sensitive skin types
Tried and Tested by Philippa Tonkin, news.com.au checkout Shopping Writer
I first started using this gentle cleanser when on acne medication that dried out my skin and this cleanser was seriously a godsend. I had previously always used cleansers that had some sort of actives in the ingredients to fight my oily skin and so when my skin started to dry up I was at a loss for what skincare products to use. I fell in love with how gentle and calming this cleanser was. It’s fairly simple but honestly, in my opinion, that’s all a cleanser needs to be. This is definitely an underrated beauty buy that I would 100 per cent recommend.
BEST FACE CLEANSERS FOR ACNE-PRONE SKIN
Skinstitut Glycolic Cleanser 12%, $41.60 (down from $52) at Oz Hair and Beauty
Why we love it: This is a cleanser and exfoliant in one, working hard to keep breakouts at bay.
What to consider: May feel too harsh for sensitive and dry skin types.
Formula: Gel | Size: 200ml | Best for: Acne-prone skin types
What You Need To Know
Another top seller from Skinstitut, this cleanser is ultra exfoliating to clear out clogged pores and prevent breakouts.
Tea Tree oil is also included to help fight bacteria, one of the causes of acne breakouts.
“I have struggled with acne for years, while being quite strong this face wash has made my skin so much better and prevents breakouts so well! I have been using this for years and will use it forever,” one reviewer said.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN BUYING A FACE CLEANSER
When choosing face cleansers to include in our list, we evaluated several factors:
Budget: You don't have to break the bank when it comes to choosing a great face cleanser - there's plenty of great picks for under $30.
Formula: There's loads of different formula types to choose from - you may prefer something that's gel-like, one that's more foaming or milky. It all comes down to your personal preference.
Skin type: Different skin types have different needs - so if you suffer from super dry skin, you may prefer a milky face cleanser that's going to feel super hydrating and nourishing.
Ingredients: All cleansers have different types of ingredients, so make sure you look into products that feature ingredients you may specifically be after - you might be after a cleanser that features glycolic acid to help renew dull and uneven skin tone, lactic acid for gentle exfoliation to remove dead skin cells and fade dark spots or even rice powder to help your skin appear more bright and glowy. To truly target your concerns, you should look for cleansers with ingredients that can help with your skincare goal.
HOW WE CHOOSE PRODUCTS
With hundreds of cleaners available, it’s impossible to test every product out there. To help you find the best face cleanser, we tested a few well-known brands at different price points. In addition, our shopping team read hundreds of customer reviews and looked at test results and ratings from product review sites to find the best cleanser for your skin.
We also spoke to Adelaide dermatologist Dr Corinne Maiolo to find out more about why your face cleanser is one of the most important steps in your skincare routine.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF USING A FACE CLEANSER IN A SKINCARE ROUTINE?
Cleansing your face does not replace any other steps in your skincare routine. It is the first (and arguably most important) step of your regimen as it ensures you are cleansing your skin of oil, dirt, grime and any makeup or sunscreen you’ve worn throughout the day.
“The purpose of cleansing the face is to remove sweat, sebum, environmental dirt and cosmetics from the face,” Adelaide dermatologist Dr Corinne Maiolo told news.com.au.
“Cleansing is important for skin hygiene.”
Using a face cleanser isn’t as necessary in the morning – many people, including myself, will just splash their face with water and move on with the rest of their routine. However cleansing – especially double cleansing – is most important at the end of the day.
WHAT TYPE OF FACE CLEANSER IS BEST FOR EACH SKIN TYPE?
No matter your skin type, you need to be using a face cleanser. Luckily nowadays you can find ones that are more targeted to oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, combination skin etc, taking the guesswork out.
“There are lots of different types of cleansers, which include soaps, creams, milks, oils and micellar water,” Dr Maiolo said.
If you deal with oily or acne-prone skin, looking for a cleanser with ingredients like salicylic acid is going to help control oil production and treat acne.
Struggle with dry, flaky skin? Opt for a cleanser that’s super gentle and hydrating, something that’s more of a creamy consistency.
And if you’ve got sensitive skin, we recommended looking for a cleanser that is specifically made for you – La Roche-Posay’s Toleriane range is a great example.
WHAT IS DOUBLE CLEANSING?
Double cleansing isn’t just washing your face twice. Usually, people who double cleanse have two separate cleansers – the first to remove makeup, the second to wash skin. The first cleanse is usually a cleansing balm or cleansing oil, it may also be a micellar water or makeup removing gel applied to a cotton pad.
This is to remove all traces of makeup, so the second cleanse can get deep into pores and treat the skin, not simply rid it of makeup. Double cleansing is a good idea if you wear a full face of makeup daily, or work in an environment that leaves a lot of dust, dirt or pollution on your skin.
CAN FACE CLEANSERS HELP WITH REDUCING PORE SIZE?
“Pores can be more obvious when facial skin has built up sebum, environmental dirt or poorly-removed cosmetics,” Dr Maiolo explains.
“Cleansing the skin appropriately and regularly can help make pores less obvious.”
Dr Corinne Maiolo
Dr Maiolo is a qualified dermatologist experienced in the medical and surgical treatment of skin, hair and nail conditions. She also has an interest in cosmetic dermatology. She is passionate about patient education and supporting her patients through their treatment journey.
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