Which COS Cleanser Is Best For Your Skin Type?

There’s no better way to wake ourselves up or wash the day off than with a gentle, indulgent cleanser to help remove dirt, excess oil, makeup and other impurities from our skin. This vital step in your daily skincare routine helps our skin rest and breathe to prepare for the day or night ahead. Keep reading to find out about the different types of cleansers we carry and how to integrate the cleanser or cleansers of your choice into your skincare routine.

Choosing the Right Cleanser

Chances are, we don’t have to tell you twice to use a cleanser—the feeling of clean, smooth skin and the clarified appearance of your complexion speak for themselves. Plus, cleansers help address the visible—dirt, oil, sweat—and invisible skin stressors, like environmental pollutants and bacteria, for a healthier-looking glow. The next step is choosing the right cleanser for your skin type. Being aware of the advantages of each type of face cleanser and of your skin’s tendencies will allow you to incorporate the cleanser that might have the biggest impact in your daily skincare routine.

Gel Cleansers

What it is: A gel cleanser is a gentle, water-based formula designed with skin-loving, mild-yet-powerful botanicals for a refreshing, deeply cleansing experience. Gel cleansers are typically lightweight and non-foaming, making them ideal for use by even the most sensitive skin.

Benefits:

  • Helps gently lift off dirt, oil and makeup while also penetrating deep into the skin to aid in drawing out pore-clogging impurities
  • Cleanses while helping to maintain skin’s natural moisture barrier
  • Helps soothe skin for a soft and hydrated feeling

Skin Type: A gel cleanser is an all-around favorite, but it is especially beneficial for those with sensitive skin.

TRY: Benefit Clean Gentle Cleanser

Exfoliating Cleanser

What it is: “Exfoliation” often brings to mind face scrubs, which are great (and see “Scrub Cleanser” on this list to read more about those), but this section is dedicated to the chemical exfoliant, the multi-tasking cleanser that uses a gentle exfoliating acid to wash away dead skin and help reveal a brighter-looking complexion underneath.

Benefits:

  • Exfoliates congested skin for a smoother-looking complexion
  • Helps restore and balance skin by removing excess oil and shine
  • Skin is left feeling rejuvenated and refreshed

Skin Type: Exfoliating cleansers can be a helpful addition to many skincare routines, but is especially beneficial for those with oily skin.

TRY: Purity Clean Exfoliating Cleanser

Cream Cleanser

What it is: A cream-based cleanser is often geared towards hydrating and conditioning the skin, containing emollients and antioxidants that help remove impurities from the skin while providing a moisture boost to help create a more refined-looking complexion.

Benefits:

  • Rich lather cleanses away makeup and other pore-clogging impurities
  • Boosts skin hydration to dry skin for a softer, fresher-looking complexion
  • Creamy formula helps deliver moisture deep within the skin

Skin Type: While gentle enough for use by all skin types, a cream cleanser is an ideal choice for those with mature skin, as they help boost hydration to deeply condition the skin.

TRY: Crystal Cleanse Hydrating Liquid Crystal Cleansing Cream

Foaming Cleanser

What it is: Our skin feels so renewed after washing with the air-light, frothy lather of a foaming cleanser. Usually formulated with skincare superstars like Salicylic Acid to help those with acne-prone skin, foaming cleansers help remove makeup, excess oil, sweat and other daily impurities without stripping the skin of its natural moisture barrier.

Benefits:

  • Foamy lather helps gently lift off daily impurities for a clearer-looking complexion
  • Ingredients like Salicylic Acid exfoliate the skin for smoother-looking skin
  • Helps soothe and comfort skin

Skin Type: A foaming cleanser is a great choice for those with acne-prone skin, teenagers or those with oily skin.

TRY: Clarify Salicylic Acid Foaming Cleanser

Oil Cleanser

What it is: It might seem counterintuitive to cleanse your face with oil, but an oil cleanser and its unique composition can actually help purify the skin and balance out oil production. Sometimes, when skin gets moisture-deprived, it tricks itself into thinking it’s not producing enough oil, so it produces even more. An oil cleanser is designed to use good-for-your-skin, conditioning oils as a method of removing daily pore-clogging impurities for a smoother-looking complexion.

Benefits:

  • Helps remove makeup and other impurities while helping maintain the skin’s natural moisture levels
  • Helps purify the appearance of skin for a clearer-looking complexion
  • Conditioning oils help provide the skin with radiance-boosting ingredients

Skin Type: An oil cleanser can be especially beneficial for those with dry skin.

TRY: Purity Solution Deep Cleansing Oil

Want to double up? Try Clean & Condition, our 2-Step Double Cleanse Duo that features our top-rated Gentle Cleanser Benefit Clean along with hydrating Purity Solution Nourishing Deep Cleansing Oil for cleaner skin that’s also deeply conditioned.

Powdered Exfoliating Cleanser

What it is: An alternative to chemical exfoliation, a scrub cleanser utilizes physical exfoliation to gently polish away dead skin, makeup and other buildup for a smoother-looking complexion. Whether you opt for a liquid scrub cleanser or a loose scrub that you combine with water or another cleanser, this face cleanser category helps restore a natural-looking glow to the skin.

Benefits:

  • Deeply cleanses skin to aid in removal of makeup, dead skin and other daily impurities for a brighter-looking complexion
  • Helps reduce the appearance of skin concerns like dark spots
  • Helps smooth and even the appearance of skin tone and texture

Skin Type: The scrub cleanser is a renewing must for your skincare routine, and is ideal for those with normal, combination and oily skin types.

TRY: Purity Detox Scrub