Face Cleansers
& Exfoliators

A face cleanser is the foundation of your entire skincare regimen and provides multiple benefits. First and foremost, a face cleanser helps remove dirt, oil, sweat, and pollutants—all of which can lead to clogged pores and breakouts. Your face cleanser also helps refresh and revitalize the skin and prep it for the products that come next. A clean complexion can help with improved absorption of your treatment products, like serums and moisturizers.

The double cleanse method aims to clean your skin thoroughly by using two different types of cleansers—an oil-based cleanser followed by a water-based cleanser—to remove the different kinds of impurities that accumulate on your face throughout the day. In other words, a double cleanse helps everything—dirt, oil, makeup, sunscreen and sweat—comes off.

Our most popular face cleanser is our Checks And Balances™ Frothy Face Wash. It rinses away makeup, impurities, and surface oils. Best of all, it’s a face cleanser appropriate for all facial skin types and addresses both dry and oily zones, so skin feels balanced and comfortably clean.

A face cleanser is formulated to remove dirt, oil, and impurities from the skin's surface. It typically provides cleanses but does not exfoliate. On the other hand, an exfoliator is formulated to slough off dead skin cells, helping promote natural skin renewal and a smoother texture. Physical exfoliators contain granular ingredients, like Bamboo or Mineral Silica, which can be found in our Checks and Balances™ Polishing Face Scrub, to help gently loosen and remove the dull, dry surface layer of the skin.

At Origins, we recommend using a face cleanser appropriate for your skin type, twice a day. In the morning, to refresh your skin and prep it for the day, and at night to remove the dirt, oil, and impurities that have accumulated throughout the day. Use an exfoliator a few times a week, up to 3 if your skin can tolerate it. If using a face cleanser and an exfoliator together, your face cleanser comes first to remove surface impurities before sloughing off the dead skin.

If you’re looking for a face cleanser that leaves your skin feeling comfortable and not tight, you want it to contain great hydrating ingredients like Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, and Squalane. Both Glycerin and Hyaluronic Acid are humectants and Squalane is an emollient. We’re big fans of our gentle Checks And Balances™ Milky Oil Cleanser + Makeup Melter, which contains Rice Oil, Almond Oil, Squalane and plant-derived Glycerin for gentle makeup removal.

Choosing the right face cleanser for your skin type starts with identifying your skin type. Sometimes, skin type is glaringly obvious (hello, shine), while other times you may have to self-assess with a few questions. If you’re having trouble identifying your skin type, you can always chat with an Origins Expert. Once you figure it out, finding the best face cleanser for you, is a breeze.