All of our open cleansers, reviewed.
Oils, balms, gels, powders, you name it, we got it.
We have way too many cleansers on rotation currently but we promise, we finish them all…eventually. There are two bathrooms between the two of us and we have extra opens from Sarah’s apartment move, so the ridiculous list you’re about to read through constitutes the cabinets of three different bathrooms. It’s fine. We’re double cleansing every night just to get through it all, but it’s totally fine.
First Cleanses/Cleansing Balms & Oils:
Allies of Skin Omega Cleansing Balm: (TOPSHELFEDIT for 20% off) You get a relatively efficient makeup meltdown with this balm, but the texture is quite messy as it separates into a complete liquid and spills out profusely upon opening the cap. We prefer an actual balm—whether its more synthetic sorbet-style or traditional half-melted, as long as it stays intact we’re ok—that can be massaged into skin, and although this was probably intended to do that, the large amount of oil that separates out says otherwise. It’s quick to remove product and washes off alright, though.
Overall rating: 6/10
La Belle Lune Midnight Orchard Cleansing Balm: (TOPSHELFEDIT10 for 10% off) Now this is a perfect example of a cleansing balm that has an already somewhat melted texture, yet stays intact and rarely separates on us, even in very humid conditions. Beyond the fun texture, this cleansing balm is an incredible treat for skin: it removes makeup easily, maintains a thick texture so you can do a little face massage/gua sha action with it or use it as a face mask (we like to add a drop of BHA liquid when we do this), washes off in a milky, creamy fashion that never feels drying to the skin, and comes in three gorgeous scents. Midnight Orchard is our favorite, followed closely by Nightbloom. These are pricey, but each full-sized jar lasts us about 6-9 months as you need much less product than you think, and the overall sensorial experience is just unparalleled.
Overall rating: 10/10
Prequel Pre-Gleanse Cleansing Oil: We only have one cleansing oil on rotation currently and do enjoy the mid-weight texture of this semi-affordable option, but this stuff clouds our eyes pretty intensely. It doesn’t sting, but the cloudiness is annoying enough for us to not reach for the oil as often as we’d like. If you want something that removes makeup quickly though, this is a great option.
Overall rating: 7/10
Hybrid Cleansers (Double Cleansing in 1 Product):
Slurp Laboratories Gel: (TOPFREESHIP for free shipping to most countries) This is such an underrated gem. It is a simple, straightforward gel (fine-foaming) cleanser that removes makeup remarkably well thanks to an initial oil phase (it does not feel like an oil in the slightest, but there is a slippery consistency to the gel texture that definitely feels unique). We find that a good hybrid cleanser starts off with a slightly thick texture that creates a sort-of elastic layer of product over the skin to initially break down any overlying makeup/sunscreen, but once you begin to massage into the skin, it foams up and washes away easily. We love the large size (11.5oz./340ml), the pump dispenses just the right amount of product, and a bottle will last us a good year or so depending on how often we use it. It also comes in a nice travel size that will last a good while on it’s own as well.
Overall rating: 10/10
Beekman 1802 Micellar Milk Froth Cleansing Gel & Makeup Remover: We didn’t think any other cleanser could top Slurp’s, but Beekman comes pretty close! This has a thicker gel texture out of the tube and more of a foaming effect compared to Slurp Gel, so it can be a tiny bit more drying, but otherwise it’s, a fantastic hybrid cleanser that removes makeup using a micelle cleansing approach.
Overall rating: 9/10
Neither of the above are fragranced, nor do they irritate/cloud our eyes in the slightest.
Gel Cleansers:
Dieux Baptism (Fragranced Version): This is the newest cleanser to the rotation, but so far, we’re enjoying it. You get a similar slippery component here as Slurp’s Gel, but in a much thinner texture overall. This is technically a hybrid cleanser as well but we’re not convinced this does the same job as Slurp or Beekman on heavier makeup, but if you’re looking to remove a bit of tinted sunscreen and a light layer of eye makeup, it can work. There is a fine foam component that washes off incredibly comfortably, leaving absolutely no tight/squeaky-clean feel to the skin thanks to 10% glycerin. If you’re serious about your gel cleansers and want something top-tier non-stripping, yet highly efficient at cleaning the skin, you will enjoy this one. The packaging is worth mentioning, too, as the pump is smooth and the slim aluminum packaging is sturdy. Also, we bought the fragranced version because we can’t see anything with Juniper and not get it, but truthfully we’re not crazy about the scent—it’s spa-like and artificial, we were hoping for a more complex scent (like La Belle Lune level), but given that the price does not change between the fragranced and fragrance-free version (and that they even offer a fragrance-free version to begin with), we won’t complain too much. If we decide to repurchase, we’d happily go with the fragrance-free option.
Overall rating: 9/10
Sachi Saffron Luminous Cleanser: (TSESUBSTACK20 for 20% off, ENDS 4/30!) A classic gel cleanse with an airier (almost bubbly) texture out of the tube, this finely foaming option is comfortable to quickly wash the skin, yet highly efficient. There isn’t a slippery component here like the more glycerin-rich options on this list, but we know there are some people out there who don’t want that feel on the skin, so a more traditional gel cleanse like Sachi will do them well. We reach for this regularly, especially after a first cleanse in the evening, and it just makes our skin feel clean without any residual tightness, squeaky clean feel, or oiliness. We also find this cleanser requires much less product dispensed to work well compared to the thinner gels from Dieux and Experiment.
Overall rating: 9/10
Experiment Plasma Wash: This is Dieux’s biggest competitor in our opinion, and although the textures aren’t similar at all straight out of the tube, they both clean the skin quickly without a trace of dryness/tightness, both utilize a heavy dose of glycerin for that hydrating, slippery feel and finish (15% glycerin in Plasma Wash, yet it has a more elastic feel than Dieux), and both can be categorized as mild hybrid cleansers. Experiment gets a leg up for its first cleanse ability—it removes mascara better than Dieux for us—but also the price. We have already repurchased this cleanser and can see ourselves sticking with it for years to come. At $22/5oz. with the same or better hydrating, yet deeply cleansing ability as many other options on this list, we see a much better value here.
Overall rating: 10/10
Cream Cleansers:
Birds & Blokes Face & Body Cleanser & Moisturizer Cream: You get both a cleanser and a face cream in this large tube—yes, a face cream. We haven’t used it as a sole moisturizer just because it lives in a bathroom cabinet and we don’t do our regular skincare routines in the bathroom, but we LOVE this as a moisturizing face mask in the shower. The texture is crazy: it’s a true rich, buttery cream that genuinely feels like we’re applying a moisturizer to wash our skin (well, we are!), and yet it leaves no filmy residue thanks to water-activated surfactants, just a really comfortable lather. This is a huge feat in cleansers in our opinion, and deserves some hype. Another important note is they added nanosilver to the formula, which can help with clarifying and healing skin, especially if used as a moisturizer. If you’re on the dry side or have very sensitive skin, you will absolutely love this treatment cleanser. It’s fragrance-free, crazy soft on irritated skin, and yet very efficient. We haven’t seen much innovation in cleansers over the years, but this one is definitely impressive.
Overall rating: 9/10
Motif Abundance Plumping PhytoCeramide Cleanser: (THETOPSHELFEDIT15 for 15% off) You get such a cool smoothing treat in this cream + gentle physical exfoliant cleanser. It has a thick, true cream texture that smells faintly of real rose with very sparse microcrystalline cellulose granules and larger bits of luffa fruit powder. Additionally, the brand recommends using it as a treatment cleanser/face mask thanks to the kaolin clay, bromelain (pineapple enzyme), and plenty of antioxidant-rich botanical extracts packed in here. Wash-off experience is great, with no residue or dryness, just a nice softened complexion. We reach for this most mornings.
Overall rating: 10/10
Sachi Saponins Cream Cleanser: (TSESUBSTACK20 for 20% off, ENDS 4/30!) As far as cream cleansers go, this is more traditional compared to the above two, with a bouncy, airy, slightly whipped texture that does not feel balmy or like an actual face cream, but instead maintains a velvety component that washes off very easily. The brand says you can wash makeup off with this and while we certainly can, we have to use a lot more product than we’d like, and we actually prefer this formula for when our skin needs something gentle, soothing, and completely non-stripping (there are some solid soothing botanicals in the blend), so we often prefer it in the morning to wash off any BPO/retinoid/AHA-BHA situation we had on the night before. If you like a cream cleanse following a first cleanse, but struggle to find something that doesn’t leave a filmy residue on the skin, you’ll definitely enjoy this one as well. As a side note, we got to trial many iterations of this cleanser prior to launch and were able to give a lot of input about the texture and wash-off experience, so for us, it’s extra special because it’s nearly our ideal cream cleanse brought to life!
Overall rating: 10/10
Cipher Cloud Melt: (TOPSHELF15 for 15% off) not a true cream cleanser, but since it doesn’t foam at all, we have no other category to put this unique little gem. It’s more of a gel-cream with a slippery, elastic texture similar to that of Experiment’s Plasma Wash due to its hybrid oil and gel components, but wow, you get a full treatment with this blend (as expected from Cipher): it removes light makeup well and doesn’t irritate our eyes, yet it contains a touch of salicylic acid, kaolin clay, and zinc PCA for some serious clarifying action. There’s also a solid blend of ectoin, panthenol, strawberry + cupuaçu seed, phospholipids + glycolypids, linoleic acid, and a prebiotic complex packed in here for some legit lipid barrier and skin soothing help. We absolutely love what this does for our skin and often go through phases where we only use this am/pm without fail.
Overall rating: 10/10
Powder Cleansers:
Personal Day Full Clarity Cleansing Powder: (THETOPSHELFEDIT10 for 10% off) We don’t usually care for a powder cleanser (they tend to be messy and averaging the powder-to-water ratio is not our favorite thing to do), but this cleanser is worth the slight hassle in our opinion, by a lot. This is a solid zinc, azelaic acid, rice powder, and papaya combination for clarifying, smoothing, and balancing out the skin. We really feel like it helps control oil and contributes to reducing congestion (from both regular acne and fungal acne perspectives), but the overall performance is quite gentle and surprisingly not drying on our skin at all. The packaging is also very sensible—the cap simply twists, revealing a small opening for just the right amount of powder to be dispensed—and the powder foams finely to a slight milky/creamy lather—so it’s not messy or wasteful. Personal Day has impressed us with their solid lineup of gentle products to help support acne-prone skin with slightly unconventional featured actives, but we really think this cleanser is our favorite product of the bunch. Even if you’re not acne-prone, but still want the benefits of zinc and azelaic acid for redness, texture issues, balancing oil production, etc., you may very well enjoy this.
Overall rating: 10/10
That’s it! Not the most insane amount for two people, but we definitely should not open a new cleanser for next 8 months or so. Don’t hold us to that, though.
Take care for now,
S&S
These are great reviews!
Do you happen to know if Slurp Laboratories is still selling in the US? Their website doesn't work.