Foaming cleansers have not always had a good reputation among the skincare community.
They are often blamed for stripping skin of its natural oils, disrupting the microbiome and desert-levels of drying that leave complexions tight and crying out for hydration. Luckily all that has changed.
The cleansing type has not been immune to the constant innovation in the space, and it is now possible, if not more common, to find foaming cleansers that are not only effective, but infused with kind-to-complexion nourishing ingredients.
Ideal for all skin types, but most specifically those prone to excess oil, blemishes and acne, the frothy first step in your routine melts away dirt and stubborn makeup and regulates sebum production with mousse-like textures, purifying the pores to clarify and dissolve impurities. Blackheads? Don’t know ‘em.
We consulted Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, skin expert and Medical Director/Founder of the Adonia Medical Clinic to find out more.
Are foaming cleansers good for your skin?
“Foaming cleansers can be good for your skin, but their suitability depends on your skin type and specific skin concerns”, she says. “They are designed to deeply cleanse the skin, removing dirt, oil, and impurities. These are particularly good for those with oily and combination skin types”.
What makes them foam?
According to Dr Ejikeme, “Foaming cleansers foam usually due to the presence of surfactants, which are compounds that lower the surface tension of water. Common surfactants found in foaming cleansers include sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), and cocamidopropyl betaine. These ingredients create a lather when mixed with water, helping to lift dirt and oil from the skin. There are newer foaming agents such as amino acid-based cleansers”.
Who should use foaming cleansers?
The skin expert explains, “Foaming cleansers are typically best suited for those with oily or combination skin”.
How to use a foaming cleanser?
Use AM and PM to refresh the skin. Simply apply to wet skin and massage to ignite the lather.
Dr Ejikeme breaks it down.
- Start with warm water to wet your face
- Use a small amount of foaming cleanser, typically a pea-sized amount
- Rub your hands together to create a foam before applying it to your face
- Gently massage the foam onto your skin for around 30 seconds
- Wash until the water runs clear
- Gently pat your face dry with a clean towel
Shop the best foaming cleansers below
Augustinus Bader The Foaming Cleanser
Start your day with the utmost luxury with the signature blue and gold exterior of Augustinus Bader. The skincare label, famous for lining the bathroom cabinets of celebrities from Victoria Beckham to Kim Kardashian, places its signature TFC8 complex at the heart of its formulations - including The Foaming Cleanser.
It has gentle foam lather that dissolves dirt and grime, even working its magic on the most stubborn of makeup. This is all without stripping the skin’s natural moisturising oils or causing a barrier imbalance. The star ingredient has anti-ageing benefits and each time you wash your face, you are improving the look of pigmentation and dark spots and fighting against environmental stressors.
Buy now £56.00, Augustinus Bader
INNISFREE Cherry Blossom Glow Jam Cleanser
It’s always cherry blossom season in your bathroom with K-Beauty favourite INNISFREE. The Korean label sets the picturesque floral front and centre of this cleanser. It has a gel texture that transforms into a very gentle lather once it is massaged onto wet skin.
The formula uses only natural ingredients, 14 of them to be precise, treating the complexion with intense hydration and nourishment. This is one you’ll use until the very last squeeze, eeking out every drop of the dew-giving niacinamide and betaine composition. Skin feels silky soft and most importantly, clean after use.
Buy now £17.00, Cult Beauty
CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser
Drugstore label CeraVe is considered cult for a reason. The brand’s products are effective and easy on your wallet too.
The new CeraVe Hydrating Foaming Oil Cleanser does all the things you’d hope the first step in your skincare routine would do i.e. remove the dirt and grime from the day. But it also brings hydration, while remaining delicate, soap-free and fragrance-free so that it can be used on even the most sensitive skin.
It is made up of ceramides to keep moisture in and irritants out, plant-derived squalane oil and triglycerides to replenish the skin barrier and glycerin to hydrate and soften.
Buy now £14.50, Boots
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash
This is one of the best products in the Kate Somerville range and comes as part of the brand’s ExfoliKate collection. This means that it takes cleansing to the next level by adding the gentle exfoliation of AHA acids like glycolic and lactic acid but not in a way that feels harsh in the slightest. By offering this process, it leaves skin refreshed and glowing, ready for your next skincare step. It also shouldn’t result in your skin feeling dry or tight as foaming cleansers may have done in the past.
Honourable mention also goes to the brand’s cult Goat Milk Moisturising Cleanser - a cream texture without the foam that removes makeup and impurities in one fell swoop.
Buy now £19.00, Kate Somerville
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser
Foaming cleansers can often strip skin’s natural oils, but La Roche-Posay’s is so gentle it can be used by those with sensitivities. The effervescent formula effectively removes dirt and shine but does so in a gentle way so as not to irritate delicate skin.
Much like the entirety of the French pharmacy label’s range, it calls on thermal spring water to impart a heavy hit of hydration and sets this alongside zinc PCA, an ingredient selected for its ability to combat excess sebum with a very light exfoliating effect.
Buy now £16.00, Cult Beauty
Bioderma Sensibio Soothing Micellar Face Wash Sensitive Skin
If you’re not yet familiar with Bioderma for cult micellar water, consider this your introduction. The French pharmacy skincare label changed the makeup removal process forever through its introduction of the aforementioned product.
After you have completed this step, the Sensibio Soothing Micellar Face Wash is next up. One for those with sensitive skin, it is a very gentle gel texture that has light foaming, while being free from both soap and fragrance as well as coming at the physiological pH. Keeping your skin clean and clear, it also makes it feel silky soft after use.
Buy now £14.00, Boots
The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Cleanser
No-fuss, no-frills, just a good cleanser containing the hydration hero that’s hyaluronic acid. If you have tried foam cleansers in the past and found them to be stripping, The INKEY List is here to change that. Instead, it gives your skin moisturisation that should last 48 hours according to the brand.
So, while you are removing the likes of SPF, grime etc, you are also helping to support the skin’s barrier thanks to the named ingredient as well as an inulin compound. Sensitive and dry skins alike should be able to get on board with this one.
Buy now £12.00, Cult Beauty
Medik8 Micellar Mousse
There are many gems in the Medik8 collection that extend beyond the brand’s beloved retinol range. The Micellar Mousse is one such product, empowering bubbles to remove makeup while clarifying the complexion. The formula contains unique technology - spheres or micelles as they are known that are infused with olive oil to melt impurities, SPF or foundation and the like. There is also antioxidant-rich moringa oil to protect the skin and glycerin to up the hydration levels.
Buy now £25.00, Cult Beauty
Dr.Jart+ Pore Remedy Renewing Foam Cleanser
Another Korean label proving its prowess in the skincare space is Dr.Jart+ which takes an advanced approach to product formulation. Much like the cap, the foam cleanser has a mint colourway that forms a frothy texture when layered onto wet skin to break down unwanted impurities.
It starts as a gel and is infused with amino acids, hydrating glycerin and the humectant panthenol to give your complexion a long-lasting moisture boost. For oily and blemish-prone skin types, you will want this pore-declogging powerhouse in your cleansing arsenal.
Buy now £20.50, Cult Beauty
The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser
With a cloud-like foaming texture, this cleanser from The Ordinary is all about fortifying the skin’s barrier as it dissolves your base makeup. Out of the tube, it’s a gel texture that is designed to be massaged into wet skin to unlock its plant-derived actives.
Forget that tight feeling that once was a prerequisite of a foaming cleanser, after you have used this formula each morning and night, you will be left with a glowy, clean and fresh complexion.
Buy now £11.10, lookfantastic
SkinCeuticals Soothing Cleanser
If you have sensitive skin, you may have entirely dismissed the idea of foaming cleansers from your twice-daily choice of complexion refreshing. But SkinCeuticals has you covered. The science-backed skincare label has curated an efficacious cleansing experience that imparts the benefits of glycerin and cucumber extract to hydrate, while it does its job. From the skin feel to the scent, this will come as a welcome treat to start or end the day.
Buy now £31.00, lookfantastic
Oodee Halo Purifying Foaming Cleanser
Foaming cleansers can often dry out the skin - not so with this version by Oodee, the first cosmetics brand free from all allergy-inducing ingredients. With a texture more like whipped cream, this non-drying formula is based on the label’s own unique blend of plant-based nutrients, superfoods and actives that support good skin health and a strong barrier function.
Rice protein and prickly pear extract are fantastic for deep cleansing away oil, dirt and makeup while keeping the complexion feeling supple and soothed. Avocado and apricot add a deliciously creamy scent too – all irritant-free and psoriasis-friendly.
Buy now £12.00, Oxygen Boutique
Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser
While the exterior packaging gives an apothecary feel, don’t underestimate the pampering that the Malin + Goetz products provide. The cleanser has light foaming - emphasis on the word light - where grapefruit extract acts as a natural antibacterial and gives a zesty invigoration when used as your morning cleanse.
Buy now £34.00, Space NK
EVE LOM Foaming Cream Cleanser
The rich pampering of EVE LOM’s original cleanser has earned the product holy grail status and this new launch shows the brand is not resting on its laurels. With a cream-to-foam texture, it lathers when coming into contact with water. The formula removes makeup and dirt from the day away in one fell swoop without drying out your skin and leaves behind a radiance for good measure.
Buy now £50.00, John Lewis
