21 Best Foam Face Washes in 2023
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When it comes to skincare products, there are so many options to choose from these days—even choosing something as simple as face wash can be overwhelming. While it may be tempting to just grab the cheapest or most familiar brand on the shelf, we should be a bit more selective with any product we use on a daily basis.
The skin on your face is more complex than the skin on the rest of your body. It is naturally more exposed to the air you breathe, the changing weather, the sun’s rays, and any other elements you come into contact with as you go about your life. For this reason, your face may develop sensitivities, over-drying, acne, or other conditions that may require special care.
It’s important to tailor your skincare routine to your skin type as well as your personal preferences. If your skin tends to be dry, you may prefer a cream or oil-based cleanser. But if your skin is oily, sensitive, or even average, you might crave that squeaky clean feeling you can only get from a nice, lathery foam. If that’s you, then you’ve come to the right place.
After much careful consideration and analysis, we’ve put together this list of the 21 best foam face washes on the market in 2023. Whether your skin is oily, sensitive, aging, or normal, we’re confident that you’ll find the perfect addition to your skincare routine somewhere on this list.
If you’re still unsure about how to choose the right foaming face wash, see the Frequently Asked Questions at the end of this article. Happy shopping!
1. Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser
Formulated with 98% naturally-derived ingredients, Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser nourishes and calms the skin as it cleans with a light, foamy lather. The gentle formula is suitable for all skin types, and features a unique blend of ingredients that will leave your skin hydrated and rejuvenated all day long.
A key element in this cleanser that helps absorb and remove excess oil is volcanic ash, which also draws out impurities and pollutants from the skin. You’ll notice your pores tighten and visibly reduce in size, and this will help protect them from clogging with oil and buildup.
This face wash also contains pomegranate seed oil, which provides antioxidants and fatty acids that help strengthen the skin, along with Vitamins A, C, and K. Your skin will feel calm and nourished after using this cleanser, which is also free from preservatives, parabens, fragrances, and animal products. All of that and more convinced us to place Blu Atlas Volcanic Face Cleanser at the top of our list!
2. CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
CeraVe offers several foam face washes targeted for different skin types. This gel-to-foam cleanser is the most universal of the mix, and works best for normal to oily skin. The gentle foaming cleanser uses three essential ceramides, which help keep your skin clean and soft while maintaining the protective barrier that holds in moisture. It also includes hyaluronic acid for additional hydration, and niacinamide to soothe and calm the skin.
The fragrance-free, non-comedogenic Foaming Facial Cleanser was developed with dermatologists, so it’s safe to use on sensitive skin and won’t cause allergic reactions. Try this simple yet effective face wash and feel the dirt and makeup rinse away clean without the risk of over-drying or stressing your skin. Wow!
3. Kiehl’s Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
We’ve all heard that natural herbs and extracts can be good for the skin, but which ones are the best? Kiehl’s chose to include calendula extract and calendula petals in their Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash for the herb’s ability to soothe the skin, reduce redness, and provide balance for oily skin types. Glycerin, another key ingredient, is a humectant that softens the skin and helps it retain moisture.
This dense, sulfate-free cleanser activates with water to gently remove excess oil and dirt without stripping necessary moisture from the skin. Plus, it’s free from parabens, silicones, alcohol, and dyes. Your skin will feel renewed and revitalized immediately after rinsing away this foamy goodness.
4. La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Wash
La Roche-Posay uses its signature prebiotic thermal spring water in their Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Wash to keep the skin feeling clean and pure, as if you were washing your face directly at the source.
This gentle face cleanser also includes niacinamide and ceramide-3, which help to maintain your skin’s natural barrier and ph while lifting away the makeup, dirt, and other impurities. Your skin will feel calm and fresh after using this face wash—and it won’t leave any residue behind that might clog your pores or irritate the skin.
This product is dermatologist tested and allergy tested, so it is safe for sensitive skin. It is also oil-free, soap-free, sulfate-free, and fragrance-free, meaning it works well on most skin types.
5. Cetaphil DermaControl Oil Removing Foam Wash
Cetaphil designs its products with sensitive skin in mind, and their DermaControl Oil Removing Foam Wash is no exception. If your skin is oily and sensitive, look no further. This formula uses Zinc Technology to gently remove excess oil from your skin without causing dryness or irritation.
The cleanser is in a liquid base that transforms into a light, lathering foam with a few pumps from the bottle. It is clinically proven to be gentle enough to use on sensitive skin, and tested by dermatologists to ensure it is pH balanced and hypoallergenic. Your skin will feel soft, healthy, and radiant after every wash—and who doesn’t want that?
6. Youth to the People Kale + Green Tea Spinach Vitamins Superfood Cleanser
Kale has been a popular superfood for years, so what better way to get more of this nutrient-rich green vegetable into your system than by adding some to your skincare routine? Along with the infamous kale, Youth to the People included plenty of other natural ingredients packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and phytonutrients in this formula, including spinach, green tea, and alfalfa.
This foaming gel cleanser will infuse your skin with Vitamins C, E, and essential fatty acids from other soothing elements like green tea. You don’t need to mess with the blender or eat a salad daily to keep your skin glowing and enriched with the power of whole foods. Just a splash of this sulfate-free Superfood Cleanser, and your skin will feel calm, moisturized, and ready for anything!
7. La Mer The Cleansing Foam
A luxury brand owned by Estée Lauder, La Mer crafts its skincare products carefully to provide unique healing, anti-irritant qualities that bring out your skin’s natural beauty. The key ingredient in The Cleansing Foam is the patented Miracle Broth, made up of a fermented blend of sea kelp, vitamins, minerals, and other skin-strengthening nutrients.
When you cleanse your skin with this creamy foam, you’ll feel the pollution and dirt lift away as the silky lather penetrates into your pores and purifies the skin. The formula includes many natural extracts that soothe and moisturize the skin, such as alfalfa seed, sunflower seed, sweet almond seed, and eucalyptus oil.
While this isn’t the most budget-friendly cleanser out there, according to rave reviews from customers worldwide, it’s clearly worth the price.
8. Aveeno Ultra-Calming Foaming Cleanser
For sensitive skin prone to redness, Aveeno created this Ultra-Calming Foaming Facial Cleanser. The formula features a natural anti-inflammatory ingredient, feverfew, which is a flower related to chamomile that helps to soothe irritated skin and reduce red, blotchy areas.
A few pumps of this pillowy foam will gently cleanse your face, leaving it free from oil, dirt and makeup without stripping the moisture from the skin. It is safe to use daily for even the most sensitive skin types, as it is fragrance-free, soap-free, hypoallergenic, and noncomedogenic.
So, if your skin seems to react to almost every product, this might just be the solution you’ve been searching for.
9. The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser
I’m sure you’re aware that The Ordinary skincare products don’t live up to the brand’s name. Their Glucoside Foaming Cleanser is anything but ordinary!
This gentle, water-based cleanser has only eight ingredients, two of which are the naturally-derived cleaning agents, decyl glucoside and coco-glucoside. The product appears as a gel, which transforms into an active cleansing foam that removes environmental impurities and buildup from your skin while keeping the moisture barrier intact.
Your skin will look more supple, clear, and smooth with every use of this face wash. It is so gentle it has been clinically shown to be safe enough to use even on a baby’s delicate skin!
If you’re a minimalist who doesn’t need excess packaging or ingredients, The Ordinary’s Glucoside Foaming Cleanser was made for you.
10. Biossance Squalane + Amino Gentle Cleanser
This foaming gel cleanser by Biossance is gentle yet effective at calming and hydrating the skin as it removes all the dirt, oil, and impurities. It features an amino acid complex that breaks down all the buildup while organic aloe vera hydrates and calms any skin irritations. The gentle lather gets into the pores without over drying delicate skin.
The naturally-derived ingredients include squalane from sugarcane, which provides hydration similar to the moisture that naturally occurs in the body. Moringa extract is another powerful element that helps to remove environmental pollutants, leaving the skin refreshed and revitalized. It’s a natural but powerful combination that you should definitely consider.
11. Caudalíe Vinoclean Gentle Foam Cleanser
This ultra-soft foaming cleanser is soap-free, vegan, and made with 97% ingredients from natural origins. In addition to soothing herbs like sage and chamomile, the formula also includes antioxidant-rich green grape extract, which adds hydration and boosts your skin’s natural radiance.
Vinoclean Gentle Foam Cleanser has been tested and approved by dermatologists and ophthalmologists to be safe and gentle enough to use on sensitive skin, even around the eye area. The feathery foam moisturizes and softens your skin as it removes makeup and other impurities.
For all these reasons, it’s no surprise that this luxurious cleanser by Caudalíe is included on our list of the best foam face washes in 2023.
12. First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser
First Aid Beauty’s Pure Skin Face Cleanser activates as a creamy foam on the skin that removes makeup, dirt, and other residue, for skin that feels smooth and supple. Hydrating ingredients like glycerin help to maintain the skin’s moisture balance and a soft, even texture. If your skin is sensitive or irritated, aloe and allantoin bring a calming effect that will last for hours after washing your face.
Like all First Aid Beauty’s products, Pure Skin Face Cleanser is dermatologist tested and cruelty-free. If you are prone to allergies or have sensitive skin, you’ll be happy to hear that this face wash is free from gluten, nuts, soy, fragrances, talc, sulfates, and parabens. Only the necessary ingredients are included in this formula, to cleanse, purify, and refresh your skin.
13. Innisfree Hydrating Cleansing Foam
Innisfree developed this facial cleanser after carefully researching over 2,400 varieties of Korean green tea. They finally found the ideal tea leaves with enough moisture and nourishing amino acids to make your skin feel and look its best, dubbing this ingredient Beauty Green Tea.
They extracted tea leaves from this Beauty Green Tea to make Fresh Green Tea Water 2.0, which contains 16 different amino acids to enrich and hydrate your skin. It comes in the form of a hydrating cleansing foam that gently cleans and rejuvenates.
Your skin will look dewy and maintain its moisture when you wash your face consistently with this dense, creamy foam cleanser that benefits from a truly unique approach.
14. Honest Beauty Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser
No, it’s not just a clever name. Honest designed Calm On Foaming Cream Cleanser to soothe and calm your irritated or sensitive skin. This fluffy, foamy face wash boosts the hydration levels of your skin, so you will feel refreshed and invigorated with every use. The non-irritating formula contains no fragrances, sulfates, parabens, or phthalates.
One key ingredient in this vegan, cruelty-free formula is a mix of phytonutrients called Calming Phyto-Blend. This combination nourishes and soothes the skin as it fortifies the natural moisture barrier. It also contains hyaluronic acid, which adds moisture and seals it into the skin for continuous hydration. The foaming cream is gentle on the skin and was tested by ophthalmologists to ensure it’s safe for removing eye makeup as well—honest!
15. Farmacy Whipped Greens Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser
Farmacy designed Whipped Greens Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser for those with oily skin who want soft, clean skin without any soapy residue that can clog the pores. This soap-free lather is safe on sensitive skin too—the formula includes papaya enzymes that provide antioxidants and vitamins to energize and heal any irritations.
Water activates this cleanser from a cream into a bubbly foam that washes away dirt and oil as it hydrates the skin. Moringa seed extract and moringa water help lift and remove any environmental pollutants stuck within the skin’s layers. Meanwhile, green clay from Auvergne, France lifts and absorbs excess oils, helping your skin maintain its natural moisture balance.
Whipped Greens Oil-Free Foaming Cleanser just may be the prescription you need to bring your skin back to optimal health.
16. Olay Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Birch Water
Olay knows a thing or two about skincare. They crafted Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Birch Water specifically for sensitive skin that is also oily. The formula is fragrance-free, oil-free, and lightly foams as it cleans the dirt and oil from your pores without stripping the skin of essential moisture.
With Vitamin B3 and natural birch water to hydrate and nourish your skin, this cleanser leaves your face feeling healthy and refreshed. It is gentle enough to use daily, and doesn’t contain any harsh sulfates, parabens, or synthetic dyes that might cause irritations or dry out the skin.
From a reliable brand that won’t break the bank, Olay’s Gentle Foaming Cleanser with Birch Water is worth trying out.
17. Skinfix Barrier Foaming Oil Cleanser
Is your skin very dry or damaged from the sun or other environmental stressors? Skinfix has designed this oil-based foaming cleanser just for you!
Barrier Foaming Oil Cleanser is made from 98% natural ingredients, including coconut oil to replenish the moisture in your skin, ceramides, and fatty acids to increase suppleness and strengthen the natural barrier.
This product has been tested by dermatologists so it is gentle enough for all skin types. Your skin will feel hydrated, energized, and radiant with consistent use. Skinfix created the perfect foaming wash to gently clean your skin, replenish it with moisture, and restore its youthful, dewy appearance for years to come.
18. Lancôme Crème Mousse Confort Foaming Cleanser
The Lancôme brand is synonymous with luxury and quality. This rich, creamy face wash fulfills that expectation, activating into a delightful velvety foam.
It clears away even waterproof makeup, rinsing off clean but without harming the moisture barrier of your skin. The non-comedogenic formula will cool and comfort your skin with Rose de France, while rosehip oil nourishes and hydrates every skin cell.
This cleanser was tested by dermatologists and ophthalmologists so it is safe for sensitive skin and won’t irritate the delicate eye area. Strengthen and moisturize your skin with Creme Mousse Confort Foaming Cleanser, and watch it blossom with a healthy glow.
19. Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser
Greek yogurt can be more than just a healthy breakfast. According to Korres, it should also be included in your daily skincare regimen. The key ingredient in this cream-to-foam cleanser is, you guessed it, the infamous superfood Greek yogurt. Made with 91.4% naturally-sourced ingredients, this nourishing face wash is like a healthy breakfast to help your skin thrive.
According to a survey, 100% of women claimed that Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser made their skin feel more healthy and hydrated. The product is gentle enough to use on even the most sensitive skin (unless you have a dairy allergy, of course!), and the natural prebiotics and probiotics in the yogurt will purify and protect against dirt and environmental irritants.
For a different approach to your skin care, try this product, and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
20. Clinique All About Clean Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser
Clinique has been all about skincare for years, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that their All About Clean Rinse-off Foaming Cleanser has made it on our list of the best foam face washes. Best for oily or combination skin, this creamy cleanser washes the dirt, makeup, and other impurities from your pores without stripping away the essential moisture your skin needs.
Made with powerful natural hydrators, glycerine and hyaluronic acid, the creamy foam will lift off the excess oil and makeup from your skin while sealing in nourishing moisture that keeps your skin looking soft, supple, and healthy.
And don’t worry—this product contains no oil, sulfates, gluten, parabens, phthalates or fragrance, so it is safe to use on sensitive skin and won’t cause irritations.
21. Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser
If you have dry skin that needs as much added moisture as you can get, you probably need Clarins Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser. This soap-free, sulfate-free face wash forms a natural lather that comes from organic saponaria. The plant-based cleanser gently cleans your skin without removing the natural microbiota that create its moisture balance.
Organic aloe vera extract is also included in the formula, which hydrates and soothes sensitive skin. Other herbs featured in the Gentle Complex blend include organic golden gentian and organic lemon balm extracts, all of which are sourced from Clarins’ own sustainable farm in the French Alps, Le Domaine Clarins.
So, for soft, smooth skin, and a daily dose of soothing plant extracts, try this ultra-hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a foam face wash work better than a gel or cream?
Foaming face cleansers aren’t inherently better or worse than other types of skincare products. It really comes down to personal preference and what works best for your skin.
In general, foaming face washes are less heavy on your skin than other types of cleansers. With a nice foaming lather you will get a deeper clean without the need for a lot of scrubbing and rubbing that could irritate your skin. A good foam will also rinse away easily, while gel cleansers may leave a residue behind on your skin.
Foam cleansers are generally good for oily or acne prone skin, because they are better at removing excess oil from your pores without stripping the skin of all its moisture or disrupting the protective barrier that locks in hydration.
But a foaming face wash isn’t always the best choice for everyone. For example, if you have very dry or damaged skin from a recent surgery or medical condition, your dermatologist may advise you to use a lather-free lotion cleanser that you rub onto your skin, then wipe away gently with a damp cloth. In that case, you would want to avoid any cleansers that foam up and need to be rinsed away.
There are many different types of face cleansers out there, designed to address the needs of people with different skin types. It’s important to know what your skin type is, and pay attention to how it reacts to the different skincare products you use every day.
What should I look for in a foam face wash?
Like most skincare products, every foaming face wash is designed with a specific skin type or problem in mind. When choosing a face wash, don’t just go for the latest trends you’ve seen on social media. Read the labels carefully.
Most face cleansers will state on the package which skin type works best for that product. A face wash for oily or acne-prone skin will have different ingredients than one designed for dry or sensitive skin.
No matter what your skin type is, it’s usually best to look for products that have been tested by dermatologists so that they’re safe and effective to use on your skin. You should also seek out a face wash that includes more natural ingredients like plants, fruits, and minerals, rather than harsh soaps and chemicals that could be harmful to your skin and the environment.
Are there any ingredients I should avoid in facial cleansers?
If your skin is pretty normal and you’re not prone to allergies, there aren’t too many ingredients in a face wash that you should be concerned about. But if you have oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, or other skin conditions, there are some common ingredients in facial cleansers that could harm your skin or aggravate those conditions.
If you have oily skin, you may start by choosing a foaming face wash that is oil-free and noncomedogenic (meaning, it won’t clog your pores). If you have dry skin, on the other hand, look for products that are sulfate-free.
Sulfates are a type of cleansing agent that creates a very rich lather, but can often be almost too good at cleaning your skin. Cleansers that use sulfates can strip away your skin’s natural moisture as you rinse the product off your skin. The most common sulfate ingredients in skincare products are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES).
Other ingredients that could irritate sensitive skin or can be harmful to your health include parabens, phthalates, alcohols, formaldehyde, silicones, artificial colors, or fragrances. But everyone’s skin is unique, and you may have an adverse reaction to a product that gets rave reviews from others. If you ever notice any sudden change in the appearance or texture of your skin after using a product, stop using it immediately and see a dermatologist for advice.