11 Best Natural Face Washes for Healthy, Glowing Skin
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Here’s a hot tip I just learned 15 years late: wash your face for a full minute to reap the greatest cleaning benefits. It’s transformative and will leave your face looking and feeling actually clean. Imagine! Now let’s find the perfect, highly-reviewed, cruelty-free, natural face wash for the job. But first…
What is Natural Face Wash?
“Natural” is a pretty vague term when it comes to beauty products. It’s like “clean beauty,” which is unregulated and prone to being exploited as an empty marketing term. (More on that complex topic here.)
But I think at a high level we’re all seeking the same thing from “natural” products: healthier options for us and the planet that avoid icky ingredients and practices. To that end, all of the natural face wash picks in this post are:
1. Cruelty-free and vegan
2. Rated 3 or better on EWG’s Skin Deep database, a great resource that follows a rigorous rating system. (Brands like Blue Beautifly, whose products aren’t on EWG but whose ingredients speak for themselves, are still included.)
3. Made by transparent brands with their hearts in the right place. This one is subjective, but the goal is to make sure that brands are up front and open about their ingredients, philosophies, environmental efforts, etc.
While this doesn’t constitute a perfect or scientific method, I think it does a meaningfully good job identifying exceptional options. In addition to these parameters, all natural face wash options in this post are loved by reviewers. As always, all brands on Florah are cruelty-free, and those that are fully vegan are marked with a (V). And with that…
The Best Natural Face Wash Options
Kale + Antioxidant Superfood Cleanser | $39
Youth to the People (V)
A beloved gentle cleanser with antioxidant-packed ingredients
Skin Type: Normal, dry, combination, oily
Targets: Pores, dullness, blemishes
Cleanser Type: Gel || Size: 8 oz
Hero Ingredients: Kale, Spinach, Green Tea, Alfalfa, Vitamin C, Vitamin E
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5
Reviewers Love: Gentle; doesn’t strip or dry skin; leaves skin feeling soft, silky, and clean; comes in refillable glass container
Aquarius BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser | $26
Herbivore (V)
A deep-cleaning, skin-firming, display-worthy cleanser
Skin Type: Oily, acne-prone, combination
Targets: Pores, acne/blemishes, oiliness
Cleanser Type: Gel-to-foam || Size: 4 oz
Hero Ingredients: Willow Bark BHA, Blue Tansy Oil, Zinc PCA
Amazon Rating: 4.5 / 5
Reviewers Love: Truly deep cleans; lathers nicely and rinses off easily; doesn’t strip or dry skin; beautiful glass bottle
Sunshine Dew Antioxidant Cleansing Oil | $24
Earth Harbor (V)
A deep cleanser + makeup remover that offers moisture, softness, and glow
Skin Type: All
Targets: Buildup, lack of vitamins/nutrients, dull skin
Cleanser Type: Oil || Size: 2 oz
Hero Ingredients: Sea Kelp, Papaya Enzymes
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5
Reviewers Love: Leaves skin feel soft, clean and glowing; no oily or greasy feel; beautiful packaging
Stem Cellular 2-in-1 Cleanser | $34
Juice Beauty (V)
An unscented, gentle, natural facial cleanser with organic ingredients
Skin Type: All (especially aging, oily, dry)
Supports: Hydration, soothing, toning, revitalizing
Cleanser Type: Gel-to-foam || Size: 4.5 oz [image is of sample]
Hero Ingredients: SuperJuice Complex™, Plant Stem Cells, Vitamin E
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5
Reviewers Love: Gentle but effective, great for sensitive skin, removes all makeup,
Cream Cleanser | $17
Mad Hippie (V)
A gentle, effective, natural face wash loved by those with sensitive skin
Skin Type: All
Targets: Pores, acne/blemishes, oiliness
Cleanser Type: Cream || Size: 4 oz
Hero Ingredients: Jojoba, Green Tea, Macadamia Oil and Orchid Extract
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5
Reviewers Love: Excellent for sensitive skin; very moisturizing and soothing; perfect for part 2 of a double cleanse routine
Grapefruit Cleanser | $29
Blue Beautifly (V)
A super-clean organic cleanser from a fan-favorite brand
Skin Type: Oily, combination
Supports: Balanced pH, clarifies, hydrates
Cleanser Type: Not specified || Size: 4 oz
Hero Ingredients: Organic Grapefruit Peel, Organic Castor Oil, Organic Aloe Vera, Organic Grapefruit Essential Oil
Amazon Rating: 4.6 / 5
Reviewers Love: Gentle and non-drying; feels invigorating and refreshing; standout, clean ingredients; great smell
So Clean! Facial Cleanser | $17
Fleur & Bee (V)
A little-goes-a-long-way, refreshing vegan face cleanser at a good price
Skin Type: All [not specified]
Supports: Softness, smoothness
Cleanser Type: Lightly foaming gel || Size: 3.7 oz
Hero Ingredients: Rosemary Extract, Organic Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Organic Gotu Kola
Amazon Rating: 4.5 / 5
Reviewers Love: Gentle and moisturizing; refreshing; love the company (clean, vegan, gives to charity)
Refresh Papaya + Salicylic Acid Cleanser | $22
Three Ships (V)
A gentle but effective salicylic acid cleanser for acne-prone skin
Skin Type: Oily, combination
Targets: Pigmentation, uneven skin tone, clogged pores
Cleanser Type: Foaming || Size: 3.4 oz
Hero Ingredients: Aspen Bark Extract, Aloe Vera Juice, Papaya Extract
Amazon Rating: 4.5 / 5
Reviewers Love: Brightening and hydrating; not drying or stripping; bubbles/foams nicely; great for those with acne
Ocean Cleanser | $48
OSEA (V)
A seaweed-infused, mineral-rich gel cleanser offering serious hydration
Skin Type: Normal, combination
Benefits: Clarifies, exfoliates, purifies
Cleanser Type: Gel || Size: 5 oz
Hero Ingredients: Undaria Seaweed, Bentonite, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Nourishing Oil Blend
Amazon Rating: 4.7 / 5
Reviewers Love: Leaves skin feeling super soft, smooth, and hydrated; excellent for removing makeup
Oil to Milk Cleanser | $18
Cocokind
A sensitive-skin-friendly milky cleanser
Skin Type: All [though reviewers say it’s not good for oily skin]
Supports: Healthy skin microbiome and moisture
Cleanser Type: Oil-to-milk || Size: 2.9 oz
Hero Ingredients: Fermented Oat and Oat Lipid Complex, Organic Oil Blend
Amazon Rating: 4.3 / 5
Reviewers Love: Hydrating, light, and creamy; leaves skin soft; shrinks pores. [Note that it leaves an oily finish; some reviewers suggest using it for part 1 of a double cleanse.]
Green Tea Foaming Facial Cleanser | $26
Be Green
An organic, green tea-infused, super foamy cleanser
Skin Type: Normal, oily, combination
Supports: Soothed and nourished skin
Cleanser Type: Foaming || Size: 8 oz
Hero Ingredients: Organic Saponified Coconut Oil, Organic Witch Hazel, Organic Aloe, Organic Green Tea
Rating [Brand Site]: 4.8 / 5
Reviewers Love: Foams nicely; cleans effectively without drying or irritating; super clean ingredients
Turmeric Glow Foaming Cleanser | $46
KORA (V)
An invigorating, deep-cleaning, turmeric-infused cleanser
Skin Type: All
Supports: Deep clean and glow
Cleanser Type: Gel || Size: 5 oz
Hero Ingredients: Turmeric, Aloe, and Natural Sugar Complex
Amazon Rating: 4.3 / 5
Reviewers Love: Skin feels clean and refreshed; high quality ingredients and EWG Verified; amazing smell; beautiful glass bottle
Natural Face Washes By Price
For ease of comparison, here’s a breakdown of the above options by price per ounce:
- Green Tea Foaming Facial Cleanser [Be Green]: $3.25 / oz
- Cream Cleanser [Mad Hippie]: $4.25 / oz
- So Clean! Facial Cleanser [Fleur & Bee]: $4.59 / oz
- Kale + Antioxidant Superfood Cleanser [Youth to the People]: $4.88 / oz
- Oil to Milk Cleanser [Cocokind]: $6.20 / oz
- Refresh Papaya + Salicylic Acid Cleanser [Three Ships]: $6.47 / oz
- AQUARIUS BHA + Blue Tansy Clarity Cleanser [Herbivore]: $6.50 / oz
- Grapefruit Cleanser [Blue Beautifly]: $7.25
- Stem Cellular 2-in-1 Cleanser [Juice Beauty]: $7.56
- Turmeric Glow Foaming Cleanser [KORA]: $9.20
- Ocean Cleanser [OSEA]: $9.60
- SUNSHINE DEW Antioxidant Cleansing Oil [Earth Harbor]: $12.00
