Over the last few decades, we’ve seen skin-care evolutions that would shock our younger selves. Think: face oils as essential nourishment rather than breakout bombs, or exfoliating dermaplaning and facial shaving that’s safer than seed-based scrubs. But it’s the shift in the cleanser space that’s the most jarring. “For years, the industry was obsessed with that ‘squeaky clean’ feeling, pushing high-pH alkaline cleansers that essentially stripped the skin to ’fix’ acne,” explains Liah Yoo, an influencer and the founder of Krave Beauty.
In the majority of cases, those cleansers created tons of lush foam, utilized in part to create an illusion of a deeper clean. “Foam is simply a result of surfactants interacting with air and water,” says Julie Russak, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York. “It does not reflect cleansing quality—in fact, highly foaming cleansers often remove beneficial lipids along with dirt and oil.” As it turns out, that taut feeling we believed to be the paragon of skin clarity was actually our faces crying out for help, our skin barriers compromised and scoured of their natural lipids. After decades of skin abuse, society moved on to different cleansing formats, like non-foaming gels, milky cleansers, and even enzymatic powders.
Vogue’s Favorite Cleansing Foams:
And while these more nourishing, moisturizer-adjacent cleansers remained popular for decades, the last year has seen a return of the cleansing foam; though they’re not the sudsy face washes of our youth. The new formulas have been heavily influenced by the lathering formulas found in Korea. “Cleansing foams are a foundational step in K-beauty, particularly as the second step of the double cleanse,” explains Sarah Chung Park, creator of K-Beauty World and CEO and founder of Landing International Inc. A big part of the importance here is that this second, water-based cleansing-foam step removes any makeup, sunscreen, or oil-based cleanser remaining on the skin from the first step. That’s not all, though: “What makes K-beauty different is that this step is treated as active skin care,” says Park. “Whether it’s a foam that targets breakouts with gentle acids, supports brightening with rice or niacinamide, or soothes compromised skin with repair-focused ingredients like PDRN, the cleanser is already working on skin concerns before toner or serum ever touches the face.”
Thanks to the ever-surging demand for K-beauty formulas, a handful of Western companies have closely followed the trend and incorporated benefit-driven cleansing foams into their lineups, including Britain’s top anti-aging skin-care brand, Elemis. “Market insights show clear momentum behind transformative textures that deliver a highly sensorial yet efficacious cleanse,” explains Noella Gabriel, the CEO and cofounder of Elemis. “Consumers are no longer just looking for a cleanser that works—they want products that feel gentle, comforting, and nourishing, while still delivering effective results and supporting skin health.” Knowing that traditional foaming cleansers were long associated with dry, tight skin, the Elemis team seized the opportunity to leverage its expertise in unique cleansing formulas (the brand’s Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm is many people’s introduction to a balm cleanser), creating its new Pro-Collagen Hydrating Cleansing Mousse, which rids of dirt and residue, while delivering lasting hydration and skin comfort.
As seasons shift and weather gets warmer (yet skin still feels interminably dry), using one of today’s more modern, skin-loving cleansing foams is our new favorite way to wash. They feel indulgent, effective, and just plain fun while helping our skin look its best—our younger selves would be thrilled. Keep reading for some of our favorite formulas, plus expert tips for shopping this newly improved cleansing category.
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Best Cleansing Mousse: Elemis Pro-Collagen Hydrating Cleansing Mousse
- Why We Love It: If you love the brand’s legendary Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm, consider this new formula its lighter yet still indulgent cousin. You’ll notice the similarities between the two as you dispense a dab of the creamy wash out of the tube, especially with that first whiff: “The signature blend of nine essential oils found in the Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm [have been] reinterpreted in a lighter mousse format to deliver comfort, performance, and sensoriality in equal measure,” explains Gabriel. Rather than bubble bath–like levels of lather, it creates a refined silky mousse of foam when emulsified with water that hydrates and protects with prebiotics and padina pavonica extract; with just one use, it’s clinically proven to boost hydration by 125 percent.
- Key Ingredients: Inulin (prebiotic), earth marine water, padina pavonica extract
- Best for: Dry, dehydrated skin
- Size: 4.2 oz.
Best for Mature Skin: Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Rejuvenating Cleansing Foam
- Why We Love It: The star ingredient of this creamy cleansing foam is ginseng, a favorite of the Sulwhasoo brand for good reason. Studies show that this heritage ingredient and its compounds boast potent anti-aging properties, inclusive of collagen and hyaluronic acid stimulation, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and wound healing benefits. It’s also a natural tyrosinase inhibitor, meaning it helps combat hyperpigmentation. Not only will this cleanser leave your skin clean and glowing, its cushiony foam will make sure it’s hydrated, too.
- Editor’s Experience: “Even as a major Sulwhasoo fan, I love this cleanser more than I anticipated. It dispenses as a cream, and lathers into a decadent mousse-y foam that wipes away dirt and oil without stripping. It’s one of the most comfortable face washes I’ve ever tried, and I’m not sure how I got on without it!” —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: Ginseng, amino acids, peptides
- Best for: Dull skin, aging skin
- Size: 5.2 oz.
Best for Everyday: Blue Lagoon Foaming Cleanser
- Why We Love It: This Blue Lagoon formula has all the makings of a spectacular daily cleanser. Gentle and airy, it lathers into a featherweight foam that sweeps away impurities with ease; its antioxidant-rich composition is truly an added bonus that aids in skin feeling fresh once you wash it away. Inside is a lineup of ingredients sourced straight from Icelandic waters—microalgae to stimulate collagen levels, silica to improve moisture retention, and seawater to protect the skin barrier.
- Key Ingredients: Blue Lagoon microalgae, blue lagoon seawater, blue lagoon silica
- Best for: Normal to oily skin types,
- Size: 5 oz.
Best for Dry Skin: Chanel La Mousse Camellia Cleansing Cream-to-Foam
- Why We Love It: A pea-sized amount of this luxurious cleanser is all you need to create plenty of rich, foamy lather. The formula is packed with hydrating and moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, camellia oil, and ceramides to pamper dry skin types, leaving the skin velvety soft and clean—never greasy—after rinsing. In fact, it’ll support barrier function for up to 24 hours post-wash, so you can expect your complexion to feel more comfortable every time you cleanse.
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, camellia oil, ceramides
- Best for: Dry skin, aging skin
- Size: 5 oz.
Best for a Double Cleanse: Merit Beauty Great Skin Double Cleanse
- Why We Love It: This bi-phase cleanser functions as a full double-cleansing ritual in one bottle—just shake it up to combine the phases, massage into damp skin to develop its lather, and rinse. Inside, mild exfoliant PHA helps slough away pore-clogging and radiance-repressing dead cells; oat-derived surfactants break down makeup (including waterproof formulas); and jojoba esters leave your complexion feeling comfy and looking fresh.
- Editor’s Experience: “I mean this lovingly, but it’s annoying how Merit outdoes themselves launch after launch; this cleanser included. It’s a sleeper hit that will transform your cleansing routine after first use. While I don’t use it to completely substitute my double-cleansing regimen (I prefer to start with an oil cleanser), I love that this still conditions my skin while smoothing and softening. The sensorial bonus is its traditional, rich foam texture—a reminder of the face washes of yore, but a nod to how far we’ve come.” —Kiana Murden, beauty shopping editor
- Key Ingredients: PHA (gluconolactone), jojoba esters, oat-derived surfactants
- Best for: Dull skin, sensitive skin
- Size: 5 oz.
Best for Combination Skin: Neogen Real Fresh Foam Green Tea
- Why We Love It: This foaming face wash is a favorite second step for double cleansing; it’s powerful enough to cut through oil-based cleansers without stripping the skin. “Infused with fermented green tea, the micro-bubbles cleanse deep into the pores, gently removing makeup and impurities,” says Park. In addition to the 60 percent green tea in the formulation, the cleanser features soothing chamomile and snow mushroom, which offers the added bonus of potent humectant properties (it’s said to be more hydrating than hyaluronic acid).
- Key Ingredients: Green tea, mugwort extract, snow mushroom extract
- Best for: Congested skin, combination skin
- Size: 5.6 oz.
Best for Acne-Prone Skin: Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam
- Why We Love It: There are still plenty of cleansing foams that are formulated for oily or acne-prone skin—this one from Some By Mi just happens to address the needs of these skin types in a more sophisticated way. “It uses a multi-acid system to gently exfoliate, unclog pores, and support clearer skin, showing how K-beauty treats cleansing as daily maintenance rather than a harsh reset,” explains Park. While acids like salicylic and gluconolactone resurface and clarify skin, botanicals like mugwort and cica (and many of its compounds, such as madecassoside and asiaticoside) work to quell redness, irritation, and inflammation, leaving behind calmer-looking skin with every cleanse.
- Key Ingredients: Tea tree extract, centella asiatica extract (cica), 0.5% salicylic acid
- Best for: Blemish-prone skin, irritated skin
- Size: 3.38 oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Ilia The Cleanse Soft Foaming Cleanser + Makeup Remover
- Why We Love It: This jumbo bottle (easily recyclable, by the way) houses a light, airy face wash that’s able to whisk away excess oils, stubborn makeup, and other residue without leaving skin dry and tight. Light humectants, including glycerin, make sure your skin is hydrated upon rinsing without making your face feel overly nourished or weighed down, making this formula ideal for combination skin as well as for use into the sweaty summer months.
- Key Ingredients: Plant-based surfactants, glycerin, sugar-derived humectants
- Best for: Makeup removal, sensitive skin, combination skin
- Size: 6.76 oz.
Best Softening: I’m From Rice Whip Facial Cleanser
- Why We Love It: You only need a little bit of this creamy face wash (plus a splash of water) to make a spectacular amount of foam. “It’s formulated with rice extract from Yeoju, a region in Korea known for the most ideal conditions for growing rice,” explains Park. “It deeply cleanses while locking in moisture.” That nourishment comes courtesy of fatty acid–rich rice bran extract and allantoin, the latter of which also works to repair the skin barrier to stave off sensitivity.
- Key Ingredients: Yeoju rice extract, rice bran extract, allantoin
- Best for: Dry skin, sensitive skin
- Size: 5.07 oz.
Best Creamy: Tula The Rich Rinse Nourishing Cream Cleanser
- Why We Love It: This aptly named formula creates a lush, dense lather that breaks down dirt, makeup, sunscreen, and other grime on the skin yet doesn’t strip away skin’s natural oils—in fact, it fortifies them with added ceramides, squalane, and prebiotic extracts for a strong skin barrier. It’s also worth noting the bottle’s footprint, which is so generously sized that we don’t feel guilty using a little extra cleanser now and then as a shaving cream (the formula is more than up to the task!).
- Key Ingredients: Ceramides, prebiotics, squalane
- Best for: Dry skin, sensitive skin, makeup removal
- Size: 6.7 oz.