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10 Best Face Cleansers for Men
Cleansing is the very first step in a skincare routine and it’s simply one you just can’t afford to skip out on. There’s no shortcut when it comes to removing dirt, bacteria, and impurities from your face.
Applying any skincare product to a face that isn’t clear is the definition of unproductive. Nothing will ever be fully absorbed into the skin with a layer of dirt preventing it, so if you want to make the most of your skincare routine, start with a cleanser.
Clean and cared for skin is a great base for a healthier complexion, you might even be tempted to shave that beard off once you have flawless skin underneath. For the longest time, water and soap were the only two things that men used to wash their faces, and it worked. Or you could just about get away with it at the very least. But with more pollution in the air and leading busier lifestyles, it’s no longer enough.
Cleansers are pretty easy to use, dare we say fool-proof, no matter your skin type or how much time you have in the morning. We all have a few minutes to spare first thing in the morning even if you like your sleep.
Cleansers can fit into any routine with hardly any effort at all. You could cleanse whilst you read the news, scroll through Instagram, in the shower, or even over the kitchen sink whilst you’re keeping an eye on your breakfast fry up. We don’t really care how or when you do it, just that you actually do it. Twice a day. As always, we’re here to make life easier for you and have put together a top 10 product roundup of the best face cleansers for you to try this year.
Best Buy
1. Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser
If you’re looking for a two-in-one face wash product then this Malin + Goetz Grapefruit Face Cleanser is your top choice. It’s excellent for all skin types and great for everyday use. Grapefruit extract has the ability to tone the skin, restore its natural pH level, and smoothes rough patches with an uplifting citrus scent.
Feel-good grapefruit is combined with citric acid and amino acid-based cleansing agents to deep cleanse the skin. It’s a product that combines the first two steps of any skincare routine: cleansing and toning. After washing the face with this solution, the skin will instantly feel fresher, more balanced, and cleaner.
2. Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser
If it has the word “fabulous” in its name it’s safe to assume you’ll feel fabulous for using it, and this face cleanser definitely delivers. The formula is a beautiful blend of botanical ingredients that glide over the skin, such as aloe barbadensis leaf juice, bergamot, sea salt, coco-betaine, rosemary, and anthemis nobilis flower oil. Together they gently cleanse the skin whilst preserving its natural balance (a very important thing in skincare).
If your skin’s pH levels change even slightly, you could be faced with some serious skin concerns like acne, dryness, and inflammation, so it’s easier to choose products that maintain their levels and this is one you’ll want on your side.
3. Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser
Neutrogena is very well-known for its unisex skincare products that offer extraordinary benefits. For those of you who are looking for something simple, yet efficient, this cleanser is the right choice. It’s water and glycerin-based to effectively remove dirt, impurities, and grime for a newfound freshness.
If your eyes are easily irritated, especially in the warmer months if you suffer from allergies, Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser won’t further irritate or sting the eye area. In fact, it’ll provide a cooling sensation that you crave.
4. Marlowe. Facial Scrub
We know it’s classed as a scrub, but don’t be too quick to judge. Many men enjoy the feeling that a facial scrub delivers to their skin. The texture and the scrubbing powder work together to provide even the most demanding skin with a nice and relaxing scrubbing experience – don’t knock it until you try it, but be prepared to spend more than a few minutes in the bathroom as you’ll find it hard to stop.
By regularly scrubbing your face, the natural ingredients it contains, such as green tea extract, willow ark extract, passionflower extract, and deep-sea algae extract, will better prepare the skin for shaving and all the other goodness your other skincare products have to offer.
5. CeraVe Foaming Cleanser
CeraVe is the most recommended skincare brand by dermatologists, so don’t you owe it to yourself to give it a try? We think so. This cleanser is rich in hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and glycerin that intensely moisturize and hydrate the skin for 24 hours without providing a shiny or oily finish to the skin. If you’re a fan of a shortcut when time is of the essence in the morning, you can also use it as a body wash. Genius, right?
See more about - The 10 Best Face Washes for Men in 2021
6. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser
The Amazonian rain forest is full of botanicals that hold magnificent ingredients and benefits for the skin. Kiehl Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser brings Amazonian white clay particles all the way to your home as a solid base to this formula.
This isn’t your typical liquid cleanser as it feels and looks like clay. White clay will work its magic into reducing the look of the pores, providing smooth and healthy skin. It simply falls off the skin when lukewarm water is applied so there will be no harsh stripping of the skin whatsoever.
7. Disco Face Cleanser
If the fresh scent of eucalyptus is something you enjoy in the morning, then this cleanser will invigorate your senses and your skin too. The Disco Face Cleanser is more than just a cleanser. It rejuvenates, moisturizes, and exfoliates the skin, making it clean and ready for the day. The charcoal formula works together with coconut oil to deeply nourishes the layers of the skin, additionally boosting its radiant and healthy look.
8. Jack Black Pure Clean Daily Facial Cleanser
Keeping in mind men’s needs and necessities, this Jack Black cleanser combines oat and coconut, organic sage leaf, chamomile, rosemary extract, and witch hazel for a solution that delivers great results of a toner and cleanser.
It’ll unclog pores, fight off bacteria, calm redness, and control oiliness. After washing your face with this cleanser, you will instantly witness smoother, shave-ready, and clearer skin – you’ve been warned. You’ll want to use it more than twice a day once you see these dramatic results, but please don’t. Using a cleanser more than twice a day will only do more harm than good.
9. Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser
Have you been looking for a product that will prepare your skin for shaving as well as clean, moisturize and treat the skin? As challenging as it might sound, the Anthony Glycolic Facial Cleanser does it all with glycolic acid, aloe vera, vitamins A, C, and E. Plus, it’s nicely packed in a simply stylish bottle that’ll complement the aesthetic of any bathroom.
The solution inside the bottle is not foamy, but creamy and light, and it specifically targets beyond the beard hairs. Dedicated use will put your skin and your beard in top condition.
10. Lumin Charcoal Cleanser
Lumin Charcoal Cleanser is a cleanser that every city gentleman needs to protect and care for their skin in the best and easiest way. If you spend a lot of time in the city, your skin will be more exposed to pollution and nasty bacteria. Charcoal is the main ingredient of this cleanser for its ability to remove dirt, dead skin cells, and oil build-up. It’ll also minimize and prevent the skin from breakouts and future breakouts as well as press pause on premature aging.
Other ingredients include shea butter, bergamot, geranium, lavender, rose and lemon oils, tiger grass extract, Japanese knotweed root extract to add to the effectiveness of the product. We bet you can see why you need it now, right?
See more about - The 10 Best Face Moisturizers for Men in 2021
Face Cleanser FAQs
Cleaning the face is an integral part of the skincare routine – cue cleansing as it helps remove excess oil, sweat, dirt, and dead skin cells from the top of the skin. It also cleans the pores, unclogs them, and prevents the appearance of acne which happens from clogging the canals. With daily cleansing, the skin feels refreshed and the complexion gets a chance to breathe. Their main role is to clean the skin without stripping its top layer which will leave it feeling vulnerable to impurities.
While both cleansers and face-washes do the basic common job of cleansing the face, a face wash is a foaming cleanser, while a cleansing lotion/cleansing milk (or simply called “cleanser”) is non-foaming in nature. Both face washes and cleansers are used to clean the face of dirt, oil, pollution, and all the other stuff we don’t want off our skin. But a cleanser dissolves away the excess oil and grime from the face better as they’re oil-soluble impurities.
They can be removed by a face wash too, but they may not be 100% effective. A face wash’s job is to remove deeper seated debris and also cleanse pores, thanks to its foaming action. If you have been exposed to a lot of dust or pollution, it might be a good idea to use a cleanser first, before using a face wash.
As mentioned above, the face cleanser is the right product to use for everyday use and cleansing the skin. With that comes the need to look for:
- Surfactants – Surfactants are the basis for many face cleansers because they remove dirt, oil, and debris from the skin.
- Emollients – Emollients are the compounds that help to reduce the amount of moisture lost from the skin, even when washing it.
- Exfoliants – Exfoliants remove dead, dull skin cells and reveal a brighter appearance.
- Humectants – Humectants work similarly to emollients to help the skin retain moisture.
