These Are the 14 Best Natural Faces Washes for Clean Skin, According to Testers

Best Overall

Honest Beauty Gel Cleanser

$8 at Ulta $15 at Target View on Honest.com

Key Ingredients: Chamomile and calendula extracts | Skin Type: All | Size: 5, 1.5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

The light, foamy simplicity of Honest Beauty’s Gentle Cleanser had us hooked from the first wash. Our tester, David, loved how gentle this face wash was—even on just-shaved skin. The smooth, cooling gel formula is enriched with a cocktail of botanicals, including chamomile and calendula extracts to calm and refresh, and gluconolactone, a polyhydroxy acid (PHA), to exfoliate the skin super-gently while also moisturizing and boosting the skin barrier.

It froths up nicely and left our complexion feeling clean and residue-free after rinsing. Although it’s a gel formula and not marketed as ultra-moisturizing, it never left his skin feeling stripped or dry—probably thanks to glycerin and hydrolyzed quinoa, which provide a dose of light hydration. Above all else, this face wash left his skin feeling delightfully refreshed; exactly how a good cleanser should feel.

Best Budget

Just The Goods Face Wash

View on Justthegoods.net

Key Ingredients: Kaolin clay, palmarosa essential oil | Skin Type: All | Size: 4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Right off the bat, we appreciated that this budget-friendly face wash has a minimal ingredient list. Not only that, but those with sensitive skin can pare down the formula further by choosing to omit essential oils or exfoliating jojoba beads if they wish—the brand offers four versions of the cleanser. 

A base of organic castile soap gives the wash a milky, slightly foaming consistency that our tester, Trevor, found easy to spread over his face. It’s packed with kaolin clay to absorb impurities and palmarosa essential oil to control sebum, leaving the skin clear and fresh but never dry. A single cleanse with this wash was enough to get the job done; he never felt the need to double up. That being said, he did find it a little irritating on the eyes, so have a contingency plan if you wear eye makeup regularly.

Best Foaming

100% Pure Foam Cleanser

View on 100percentpure.com

Key Ingredients: Aloe vera, calendula, white and green tea | Skin Type: All/oily | Size: 5.7 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Nothing compares to foaming formulas when you want that deep-clean feel; they cleanse without depositing any residue, leaving skin incredibly clean and fresh feeling (this makes foaming washes great for blemish-prone complexions, FYI). 

This “cloud” cleanser builds on its blemish-abolishing abilities with aloe vera and calendula, which work to calm breakouts and reduce redness. Our tester, Sarah, was impressed with the formula’s ability to effectively cleanse in a single wash, leaving her dry skin super clean without any irritation or tightness. The lightweight, pillowy-soft formula seamlessly removed all traces of makeup and SPF and actually left her skin feeling a little moisturized (thanks, aloe).

Best Chemical Exfoliator

Cocokind AHA Jelly Cleanser

$19 at Ulta $18 at Target View on Cocokind.com

Key Ingredients: Hibiscus flower acids, fermented grape extract, betaine, hyaluronic acid, glycerin  | Skin Type: All/acne-prone | Size: 2.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Chemical exfoliants are actually plant-derived acids. They’re a derm-approved way to remove dead and dull skin cells, refreshing your complexion, evening skin texture, and banishing blackheads. They can even stimulate collagen production in some cases. 

This jelly cleanser from Cocokind contains a cocktail of 4% AHA (alpha-hydroxy acids) from hibiscus flower and fermented grape, which targets clogged pores and helps remove product build-up so skin stays clear and fresh. The texture of this cleanser is very liquid-y, which makes it a little tricky to apply without making a mess, but once it was on, it did a really good job of removing our makeup—even stubborn waterproof mascara. 

Thanks to the addition of betaine, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin, the formula didn’t make our tester, Katie's, dry skin more parched. It was super gentle; a great first step in our skincare routine. Her one complaint is that she didn’t love the scent, which reminded her of wine—but not the good stuff.

Best for Makeup Removal

Farmacy Clean Bee Cleanser

$29 at Amazon $29 at Sephora $28 at Farmacybeauty.com

Key Ingredients: Honey, amino acids, hyaluronic acid, turmeric, chamomile, calendula, aloe, licorice root  | Skin Type: Dry/sensitive | Size: 5 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you wear makeup on a daily basis, then you know it can be a bit of a chore to remove before bed. This honey-infused cleanser is adept at washing everything away without the need for aggressive scrubbing, and it left our tester, Carolyn, with a clean complexion sans smudgy raccoon eyes. 

The cleanser comes out thick, but once she added water, it lathered like a dream. The formula removed all debris and product buildup from her pores thanks to natural cleansers like coconut and amino acids, leaving her skin feeling fresh. Despite boasting a hydrating blend of hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and antioxidant-infused honey, she didn’t find the formula super moisturizing. In fact, her skin felt a little tight after washing, but only to a degree that’s common among most cleansers. She also appreciated that it wasn’t heavily scented.

Best Powder

Humanrace Rice Powder Cleanser

$36 at Humanrace.com $36 at Bluemercury.com View on Credo Beauty

Key Ingredients: Rice extract, AHAs, snow mushroom extract | Skin Type: Normal | Size: 1.4 oz. | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Never used a powder cleanser like this one? Here’s how it works: You shake a dime-sized amount into your wet palm and rub your hands together until it dissolves, creating a light, pillowy-soft foam. 

It buffs away dead skin with rice powder (which gives it a slightly grainy texture) and doubles down on exfoliation with a blend of AHAs that left our tester, Ava's, skin smooth and glowy. The cleanser did a great job of wiping away makeup and excess sebum without being stripping, and hydrating snow mushroom extract kept her complexion moisturized and supple—even during freezing winter temps.

Best Skin-Softening

Indie Lee Face Wash

View on Indielee.com

Key Ingredients: Lemon and lavender extracts, rose damascena, jasmine | Skin Type: Oily/acne-prone | Size: 1.01, 4.22 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Indie Lee’s Purifying Face Wash is loved for its detoxifying abilities (it contains lemon and lavender extracts to help dissolve excess oils without stripping skin) but our tester, Tatiana, found it to be a super effective skin softener, too. The lightweight gel is formulated with rose damascena and jasmine, which left her complexion moisturized and supple after every wash.

The cleanser lathers to a nice foamy consistency and removes makeup easily (although waterproof mascara required some extra work). It made her skin feel squeaky clean and refreshed without needing to double cleanse, and she even noticed a boost in radiance, which is always a plus. The one downside? It smelled overly sweet for her taste. 

Best Deep Cleanse

Kiehl’s Foaming Face Cleanser

$38 at Sephora $38 at Ulta $18 at Nordstrom

Key Ingredients: Calendula extract, glycerin | Skin Type: Combination and oily | Size: 7.7, 16.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: No

This face wash comes out of the bottle in the form of a lightweight gel but lathers into a creamy foam, making it easy to spread. Every time our tester, Merrell, used it, she felt like her pores were purged of excess oil and product build-up. The formula contains calming calendula extract and hydrating glycerin, a combination that gently moisturized her dry skin and made it feel more balanced.

It removed makeup pretty efficiently but stung her eyes a little when she tried to remove mascara, so she would recommend using a gentler solution for that delicate area. While she didn’t notice any dramatic changes to the appearance of her complexion, she appreciates that this cleanser delivers a deep clean while still remaining gentle.

Best for Acne-Prone Skin

Kinship Gel Cleanser

View on Lovekinship.com

Key Ingredients: Apple extract, niacinamide, lactic acid | Skin Type: Combination and oily | Size: 5.3 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you’re looking for a cleanser to treat breakouts, Aguilar recommends foaming gel and powders. “They are ideal for oily and acne-prone skin, as they help to control excess oil production and remove impurities that can clog pores and lead to breakouts,” she explains. This gel cleanser from Kinship builds on that blemish-banishing potential with a powerful blend of active ingredients, including niacinamide to balance oil production, lactic acid to exfoliate and clear pores, and green apple extract to soften.

While our tester, Elizabeth, didn't necessarily notice fewer breakouts while using this cleanser, she didn’t have any really bad zit eruptions. It could be a coincidence, but the face wash genuinely seemed to help. It thoroughly cleaned her pores without causing any uncomfortable tightness, and her complexion looked more radiant and healthier overall. 

While she loved the packaging she wasn't wild about the scent, which is best described as green apple Jolly Rancher candy. Nostalgic, sure. But it’s not necessarily a smell you want slathered all over your face.

Best for Everyday

Klur Gentle Matter

$40 at Klur.co

Key Ingredients: Green and white tea, aloe, rosemary extract, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, evening primrose oil | Skin Type: All types | Size: 3.4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This gentle gel cleanser from Klur is a true all-rounder, making it a good choice for everyday use. It’s packed with a laundry list of organic botanical extracts that work in harmony to soothe, protect, and gently resurface the skin, including antioxidant green and white tea, antimicrobial rosemary extract, and a plethora of moisturizing plant oils including jojoba, sweet almond, and evening primrose.

The lightweight gel foams up just enough to feel like your pores are getting a good clean, and it removed our tester, Rebecca's, makeup effortlessly (although, she didn’t wear waterproof mascara, so can’t speak to its effectiveness on that). Her skin wasn’t dry afterward—in fact, it felt soothed and hydrated, and her complexion looked a little smoother. If you’re looking for a cleanser that’s gentle and effective on all skin types, we recommend this one.

Best Lightweight

Mad Hippie Cleanser

View on Madhippie.com

Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, resveratrol, sea buckthorn berry, white tea, rose, chamomile | Skin Type: All | Size: 4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

This Mad Hippie formula comes out of the tube as a cooling jelly before turning into a slightly foamy milk upon application—a consistency that felt refreshing and lightweight on our tester, Alexa's, skin. It’s actually an oil-based cleanser with hyaluronic acid, vegan squalane, and glycerin, which surprised her because her skin did feel slightly tight after using it.

She loves that this formula is packed with antioxidants to help protect the skin and improve its overall texture and appearance, including white tea, rose, chamomile, and resveratrol—a potent anti-aging ingredient. It seemed to have an effect, because after using the face wash twice a day during the testing period, her skin was noticeably smoother and more glowy.

Best Splurge

Marie Veronique Oil Cleanser

View on Marieveronique.com

Key Ingredients: Safflower and sunflower oils, superoxide dismutase, pre and probiotics | Skin Type: Dry/sensitive/mature | Size: 4 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

If you believe a healthy, resilient skin barrier is worth investing in, this cleanser from Marie Veronique is for you. Microbiome-friendly and free from potentially irritating essential oils, it utilizes omega 6-rich safflower and sunflower oils to penetrate pores, clearing clogs and congestion. Additionally, it works to protect the lipid barrier with antioxidants like superoxide dismutase—a powerful antioxidant enzyme—and nurtures good microbes with a potent pre and probiotic complex.

First, our tester, Jordan, had to shake the bottle before applying, as the ingredients are different weights and tend to separate. Because this is an oil cleanser, it had a thick texture that effectively removed dirt and makeup (although she needed an eye makeup remover for her mascara). There’s no stripped-dry feeling after using this cleanser; her skin was soft, supple, and dewy-looking.

Best for Sensitive Skin

Pai Cream Cleanser

View on Paiskincare.us

Key Ingredients: Camellia oil, sweet almond oil, castor oil, rose | Skin Type: All/sensitive | Size: 1.7, 5.1 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Finding trusted beauty products can be a minefield for sensitive skin types—an expensive one, at that. This ultra-gentle cleanser has a dedicated following, so we had to see if it lived up to the hype.

The cream formula is enriched with a trio of nutrient-rich oils—​​camellia, sweet almond, and castor—that remove makeup, SPF, and debris while preserving the skin’s natural oils and pH balance. It goes on like a lotion—smooth and creamy—before foaming up. Our tester, Kathleen, loves that the cleanser comes with a super-soft facecloth to help swipe away the remnants of her makeup. 

The formula is nourishing and moisturizing without an oily residue. She did experience some temporary breakouts, which is common while adjusting to a new product, but they cleared up quickly. Overall, her skin was undeniably smoother and softer after using this face wash.

Best Gel

Three Ships Cleanser

View on Threeshipsbeauty.com

Key Ingredients: Amino acids, aloe vera | Skin Type: Balanced/dry | Size: 2 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Three Ships’ Purify cleanser proves that face wash formulas can be harsh on dirt and debris while remaining gentle on skin. This refreshing gel boasts amino acids (aka the building blocks of proteins) to help plump and smooth the skin and soothing aloe vera to hydrate.

The brand recommends using this face wash as the second product in a double-cleanse routine, but we think it can easily stand alone. The gel formula doesn’t lather but is pleasant to use: smooth, gentle, and lightweight. It was very gentle on our tester, Anna's, skin and didn’t cause irritation around the delicate eye area (although it didn’t completely remove her eye makeup, either, so she recommends following with a swipe of micellar water). In general, she was impressed by how clean, soft, and healthy-looking her skin was after using this wash.