These 15 Exfoliating Face Washes Gave Us Glowing, Baby Soft Skin

For best results, Philosophy recommends applying a pea-sized amount of product to a damp face and gently massaging for 30 to 60 seconds before rinsing off with water. Ziegler says the face wash has a gel-like, slightly gritty texture. When applying the product, she doesn’t notice a big lather until it is mixed with water, then it easily spreads across her face.

She often uses Microdelivery in the shower and never has any issues rinsing it off. “I love the squeaky-clean feeling after using it; my skin feels tighter, but it also feels fresher since it exfoliates,” she says.

The product starts as a gel that lathers at time of application. “It’s a light foam lather, not overly sudsy,” says fitness writer Brittany Scanniello. Scanniello found that the foam-like texture helped with application. She noticed the foam began to dissipate quickly as she massaged it into her skin, and her face began feeling very smooth despite being exfoliated.

Scanniello was impressed by how effective this cleanser was at removing her mascara and light face makeup, and she didn’t experience any eye sensitivity issues. 

Writer Eve Lederman, who has mature, dry skin, was smitten with the results after the first use. She describes the texture as creamy and notes the formula creates a light lather that rinses off easily. Lederman found that her skin felt “super clean, smooth, and silky” immediately after washing her face.

“I think it lives up to its promise of increasing cell turnover by removing skin debris and other products,” says Lederman. With regular use, she found her face appeared “shiny, glowy, and polished,” and noticed an improvement in her skin texture overall.

Hanskin Pore Cleansing Oil PHA was my first foray into an exfoliating oil cleanser. I’m now hooked and have been using it daily since the testing period began.

At just over 10 fluid ounces (fl oz) for under $30, the quantity is generous and reasonably priced. I just need two pumps of oil in my hands to create a delicate lather. I then massage the product onto my face with soft upward circles, gradually adding a bit of water to create a soft slip before rinsing off.

The oil feels so luxe on my skin, and the aroma of orange flower oil is intoxicating. It was surprisingly easy to rinse off without leaving any oily residue on my face. My skin felt clean, silky, smooth, and soft, and I didn’t encounter any breakouts or clogged pores. 

Yes, we recognize Bioré for its famous pore cleansing nose pads, but this favorite drugstore brand also makes a unique exfoliating facial wipe. These oil- and alcohol-free wipes are designed to remove makeup, debris, and oil while cleansing and exfoliating. We love that they’re dermatologist-tested and noncomedogenic.

Everyday Health writer Maria Cristina Lalonde was a fan of the no-lather or rinse approach, “simply just wipe and swipe!” She was impressed by how effective these wipes were at removing her makeup — even her spray tan facial products easily came off without drying out her skin.

Lalonde liked how her skin felt refreshed and clean, “as if you’d properly washed it with water.” She did not encounter any issues with oil or dirt buildup afterward. The hint of coconut aroma that comes from coconut water was also a nice touch, she adds.

While Lalonde didn’t love the idea of a single-use product, the wipes are made from 100 percent renewable resources, so that gave her a little extra peace of mind. 

Writer Mary Dennis describes the texture as a creamy balm with a hint of an opaque, glittery, amber hue. She found the lather very pleasant, noting it lathered easily. The product wasn’t too light or too bubbly, yet it still felt “thick enough to have some substance while I massaged it into my skin.”

Immediately after using it, Dennis’s face felt “really soft, smooth, and very hydrated.” She says her face felt clean, “yet deliciously moisturized and supple.”

For darker skin tones, Geeta Yadav, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of FACET Dermatology in Toronto, recommends Kinship Naked Papaya Gentle Enzyme Milky Cleanser. It’s a milky, nonfoaming cleanser that purports to remove makeup while hydrating and brightening skin.

Dr. Yadav explains that while some exfoliants can be too strong for darker skin and increase the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, the papaya enzymes in this cleanser “gently work to break down and remove dead cells on the skin’s surface.” It’s also packed with hydrating and nourishing ingredients, like hyaluronic acid, aloe, and jojoba oil, to keep skin soft and comfortable, she says.

Fruity and fun, this product includes orange, raspberry, apricot, grapefruit, apple, papaya, and mango extract. The formula is vegan and adheres to European Union cosmetic regulations, which ban more than 1,000 questionable ingredients. It’s also clinically tested and dermatologist-approved.

While you can’t actually shrink the size of your pores, a good exfoliator can help clean them and make them appear less noticeable. This bottle boasts a generous 6 fl oz of product, and we were pleased with how effective it was. The gel formula features a patented MicroFusion Technology that aims to clean clogged pores alongside organic and botanical AHAs.

A little bit goes a long way, says editor Olivia Campbell. She found the gel a bit runny, but says it created a nice foam when activated. And while there’s no added fragrance, Campbell did notice a pleasant citrusy aroma thanks to the citrus and lavender oils.

With regular use, Campbell found her skin looked clearer and smoother, and her pores looked visibly smaller. She was also grateful that the formula did not activate her rosacea or cause a breakout, which she has experienced with other products. 

While we often think of exfoliating face washes as liquids or gels, Alpyn Hydrating Cold Cream Cleanser made us rethink this. This cleanser features a hefty dose of vitamin C, wild juneberries sourced from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and jojoba beads in a cold cream-like formula. It became an instant favorite for Dennis.

She describes the texture as “very thick” and says it “feels more like a hand lotion than a face cleanser.” When she attempted to create a lather, she found the cream got a bit whiter and thicker but barely produced a lather. Still, it rinsed off easily. Her skin felt “incredible” after washing off, and her face was “absolutely bursting with moisture.”

We love that you can also leave it on as a mask for five minutes before washing it off for a “deeper, more hydrating cleanse.” “It reduces the redness around my nose and chin, and leaves my entire face feeling luxuriously hydrated,” says Dennis.

After testing for two weeks, Dennis’s skin felt healthier, softer, and more moisturized. Following testing, she continued to praise the exfoliating cream; it’s “super duper hydrating” and “I may never stop using it.”

When it comes to acne-prone skin, Cheryl Karcher, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Center Aesthetic & Dermatology in New York City, says to look for “exfoliators with salicylic acid, alpha-hydroxy acids, physical exfoliants, and benzoyl peroxide.” Both our dermatologists love the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser, which contains 2 percent salicylic acid, lipohydroxy acid (LHA), and glycerin.

“Dead skin cell buildup within the pores is a common cause of blemishes,” explains Yadav. This exfoliating face wash can “penetrate the pore to exfoliate the pore walls.” To help stave off dryness, the cleanser also contains hydrating glycerin, which is “suitable for sensitive skin, fragrance-free, and oil-free, making it ideal for those with skin that is acne-prone as well as reactive.” 

Founded by Rachel Liverman, a third-generation esthetician, Glowbar is a brick-and-mortar customized facial studio that also has its own line of products. The Expert Cleanser is formulated with acne-fighting white willow as well as AHA and PHA chemical exfoliants.

Writer Mary Sauer describes the cleanser as a thick gel that lathers significantly during application and rinses off easily. “I don’t need a full pump to get total application,” she says. After her first use, she says her face felt “moisturized, very clean,” and “not dry.” 

Folks with dry skin may find exfoliating leaves their skin feeling tight and even flaky. But this balm, by London fashion icon Trinny Woodall, is designed just for them. Formulated with pineapple enzyme, almond, borage oil, and prebiotics, it gently exfoliates while protecting the skin’s microbiome.

Writer Sadie Crouch was a fan of its pleasant floral scent (there is added fragrance). She found that the product rinsed off easily, thanks to the muslin towelette included with her order. Crouch noticed her skin felt smooth and moisturized immediately after use. “It seemed like my skin was better the longer I used it,” she says.

Additionally, Crouch was wowed by how well the Trinny London formula could remove facial products, especially after adding water and lathering for a minute or so. Pro tip: Use water after covering your face with the balm cleanser and massaging. “When you add the water, you can feel the makeup breaking up, and it all wipes off with the towelette,” Crouch says.

Men need to exfoliate, too. For that task, we like Jaxon Lane Shake and Wake Enzyme Powder Face Wash. Designed for men by a husband and wife team, this powder-based wash is full of antioxidant-rich pineapple and papaya enzymes.

Ian Smit describes the texture as “a fine, gritty powder that becomes a light foam” when activated with water, which didn’t feel like a rough pumice stone. After rinsing, he liked how his face felt “squeaky clean.” He says the powder-to-foam formula is unique: “I feel like it exfoliates without stripping my skin.” And, while he could detect a fruity aroma, it didn’t linger when rinsed off.

When it comes to exfoliating our faces after a vigorous workout, we need something that can contend with sweat and buildup. For us, it’s Ouai Detox Face Cleanser. While Ouai is recognized for hair care, this newer product was formulated after a year of community-based sweat testing. It features glycolic acid, niacinamide, and PHA.

Everyday Health editor Lili Ladaga notes that a pea-sized amount of the gel-like formula was more than enough to create a generous lather. The product rinsed off easily, and her skin felt “and literally sounded squeaky clean.”

Once her face was completely dry, her skin was “surprisingly moisturized” and “not dry and tight at all.” She also noticed that she didn’t require a ton of moisturizer afterward. Ladaga was drawn to the spa-like scent, which Ouai calls Cape Town, that comprises spearmint, ginger, green fig, and basil notes. 

Crouch notes the product is easy to rinse off, but take note: The cleanser foams a lot. Crouch preferred to use her bottle in the shower to avoid making a mess on her countertops. But the product worked; her face immediately felt “hydrated, clean, and fresh.”

“I appreciated how exfoliating it felt without having to scrub hard,” she says. And while she did have to massage a bit extra to remove stubborn mascara, the cleanser was up to the task. “It’s super refreshing,” she adds, and “works better than any other face cleanser I can remember using.”