10 Cleansers That Actually Make You Want to Wash Your Face

In a study, Olay found that 70 percent of people are dissatisfied with their facial cleanser, with many wishing they could skip the process altogether. We’ve all felt the itch to skip skin care and go straight to bed after a long day, but we all also know this isn’t good for your skin health. It’s no surprise that the lame face washes of yore don’t excite us enough to jump out of bed first thing in the morning and get to scrubbing, but experts have done a lot of work to make cleansing more fun. Here are 10 cleansers that actually make us want to wash our face. Believe it or not, we look forward to using each of these for different reasons.

Cleansers we’re excited to use daily

1 / 10

Olay Cleansing Melts + Vitamin C Face Cleanser ($19 for 64 count)

Perhaps the biggest innovation in cleansers in the past decade and the inspiration for this article, Olay Cleansing Melts are the height of innovation, and we’re obsessed with the water-activated cleanser. Many years in the making, the patented technology behind these little eight-ingredient squares is like nothing we’ve seen before. Simply wet the product and watch it transform into the perfect foamy lather in front of your eyes. Not only is application fun and the lather decadent, put up against other cleansers it out performed many when it came to riding skin of makeup, sunscreen and dirt. While our favorite is the Vitamin C option you could opt for Hyaluronic Acid or Retinol-packed melts depending on your skin’s needs.

• BUY ON AMAZON – $19

2 / 10

Youth To The People Kale + Green Tea Superfood Cleanser ($39)

This is truly a cleanser that’s great for any skin type. Users often become lifers committed to the product for years, ordering refills instead of trying something new. The texture is so refreshing, and the bottle and green hue are chic. You feel as though you’re pumping out a $20 Erewhon smoothie a la Hailey Bieber and lathering your face with it.

• BUY ON YOUTH TO THE PEOPLE – $39
• BUY ON NORDSTROM – $39

3 / 10

OLIVIAUMMA Glass Skin Tanghulu Shine Muscat Cleanser ($29)

This cleanser promotes the glass skin we’re all going for through thick, rich bubbles, making the easily dull cleansing step feel like a luxurious bubble bath for your face. The packaging is adorable, and it smells great with fun ingredients like heartleaf, shine muscat, green apple, papaya and green plum.

• BUY NOW – $29

4 / 10

OSEA Ocean Cleanser ($48)

Most of OSEA’s oceanic products help turn monotonous skin-care steps into mindfulness moments with their sensorial experience from smell to texture, and this cleanser is no different. It’s one of those cleansers that makes your skin feel better immediately and in the long term, with 100 percent of users agreeing skin looked balanced and clean and felt hydrated and refreshed right after use.

• BUY ON OSEA – $48
• BUY ON AMAZON – $43

5 / 10

Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser ($22)

I’ll bet you suspected seeing this Glossier cleanser on the list. The name alone—Milky Jelly Cleanser—makes us want to bathe in it and also spread it on our toast, so the next best thing is washing our face with it as intended. Plus, the price is as cute as the milky bottle.

• BUY ON SEPHORA – $22
• BUY ON GLOSSIER – $22

6 / 10

DEINDE Purifying Whipped Cleanser ($32)

The brand describes the feel of this anti-inflammaging cleanser as “like a cloud, light and whipped with a velvety soft foam.” We second that, likening the texture to the frothy foam off the top of a latte. While foaming cleansers can sometimes leave skin feeling stripped, that’s not an issue for this one, so it’s even great for sensitive skin types.

• BUY ON ANTHROPOLOGIE – $32
• BUY ON DEINDE – $32

7 / 10

Herbivore PINK CLOUD Rosewater + Tremella Creamy Jelly Cleanser ($24)

One reviewer on Amazon said this cleanser “feels like rose petals on my skin.” I’m not sure we need to say much more than that, but we will. The cream-to-lather application is delightful, and the result is extremely moisturizing thanks to squalane, rosewater and tremella mushroom, which holds 500 times its weight in water, providing intense hydration.

• BUY ON AMAZON – $26
• BUY ON HERBIVORE – $26

8 / 10

BeautyStat Universal Microbiome Barrier Balancing Cleanser ($29)

This cleanser was formulated by cosmetic chemist extraordinaire Ron Robinson, so we know it’s chock full of beneficial ingredients, but it’s also a joy to apply. Something about the silver shade and clay-like texture feels so soothing. It generates a gorgeous foam that’s fun for all and deeply cleansing for skin.

• BUY ON BEAUTYSTAT – $29
• BUY ON ULTA – $29

9 / 10

Dr. Idriss Soft Wash Jelly Cleanser ($30)

If one of the reasons you don’t love washing your face is related to pesky eye-makeup removal, this pH-balanced cleanser is the solution. Speaking of solution, New York board-certified dermatologist Shereene Idris, MD included poloxamer in this formula, “an ingredient commonly found in contact solution, to ensure this would be suitable for the more sensitive eyes.” So not only will you fall in love with the jelly texture, but you also have the option to cut an additional step out of your routine.

• BUY NOW – $30

10 / 10

Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Amino Hydrating Cleanser ($41)

Reviewers have long been obsessed with the iconic sensoriality of this orange cleanser. Among the fans is Kaia Gerber, who told Refinery 29, “I wash my face with the Allies of Skin cleanser. Everything I use is Allies of Skin; I don’t use anything else.”

• BUY ON ALLIES OF SKIN – $41
• BUY ON REVOLVE – $41