Let’s talk about organic face cleansers and washes. Finding a natural, good-quality face cleanser is imperative for healthy skin. You wash your face at least once a day, and hopefully even twice (in the morning and at night). A face wash should cleanse, rehydrate, wash away dirt, oils, and impurities, and not be too harsh and dry out the skin.
The problem with most face cleansers is they contain a host of chemical and synthetic ingredients that are too drying, harsh on your skin, and can even make you break out and give you unpleasant and unsightly rashes. Therefore, it is important to ditch the chemical washes and opt for a healthy, natural, and organic option.
Skip the info, jump to our selection of the 5 best natural and organic face cleansers.
Toxic Ingredients in Face Cleansers
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is found in most traditional face cleansers and even some washes that claim they are natural and chemical-free. SLS can cause major skin irritations, canker sores, damage to the eyes, and can cause bad acne around the mouth and the chin.
If you find yourself breaking out in a red and/or bumpy, and painful rash around the mouth, chin, and eyes you may have an allergy to SLS. Typically this rash is very challenging to heal without proper treatment with medication from a dermatologist. The EWG Skin Deep website classifies SLS as “expected to be toxic or harmful” in organ system toxicity. SLS is a chemical surfactant that makes soapy products, like face wash, foam.
SLS can also be hidden in the ingredient list on a face cleanser as sodium coco sulfate, which is still equally as harmful despite the fact it is derived from coconuts and not made artificially in a lab. SLS strips your face of its natural oils, which can make your face produce even more oil to combat the issue. Therefore, your skin will be dry, irritated, and your acne will likely be much worse.
Fragrance is another ingredient that should be avoided at all costs – not just in face wash, but any personal care or makeup product as well. Fragrance is where many companies like to hide heaps of chemicals and artificial ingredients. Companies are not required to disclose what is included in the term “fragrance.”
Additionally, most fragrances are stabilized with phthalates, which are chemicals that are linked to reproductive issues and birth defects when tested on animals. Anything that has fragrance listed as one of the ingredients should be avoided and you should look for an option that either doesn’t list fragrance as an ingredient or that the fragrance is coming from essential oil blends.
Parabens are also extremely common and you can read all about the dangers of parabens in our post on foundations, here. Parabens are an extremely common ingredient in makeup and skincare products. If you are not buying natural and organic products, there is a high probability that parabens are lurking in your face cleanser.
How to Find a Natural Face Cleanser
There are a ton of organic and 100% natural face washes and cleansers on the market, so finding a healthy option does not have to be hard or intimidating. You can easily purchase great cleaners online or even in your local supermarket or drug store.
There are a few important tips to keep in mind when searching for your new chemical-free face cleanser. Many companies can claim they are natural or “uses natural ingredients.” However, that doesn’t mean they are actually natural – they could still be loaded with chemicals and toxic ingredients.
You should never trust a product that claims they are natural or use “organic ingredients.” This is often a red flag signal and you must read the ingredient list on the back of the product to make sure there is nothing of concern.
Since cosmetics are not fully regulated, personal care companies are not required to fully disclose what is in their products (aka what is in their fragrance) so it’s imperative you read the ingredient list. Keep a lookout for any red-flag ingredients, like those above, and any other ingredients that sound like a chemical formula. When in doubt about an ingredient, use the EWG Skin Deep database to check the ingredient’s toxicity level.
Look for a face wash that only has a small number of ingredients and ones that are naturally derived. You don’t need your face wash to have 30 different ingredients listed on the label. When it comes to skincare, less is always better.
The 10 Best Natural and Organic Face Cleansers:
With so much to keep in mind, here are the 10 best natural and organic face cleansers you can buy online.
1. Amala Nourishing Gentle Cleansing Balm
If you have never tried a cleansing balm before you are certainly going to want to get your hand on this
one! If you find your skin is dry r your face feels tight and dry after you wash it, a cleansing balm will
solve those issues.
There are no harsh soaps or drying ingredients in this balm. Instead, the balm is a
thick balm gel that instantly hydrates the skin. It can also help skin that is red, irritated in any way or
comes into contact with harsh weather conditions such as extreme heat, cold, wind, sun, pollutants, etc.
2. Christina Moss Natural’s Original Face Wash with Rosemary
In this face was, you are never going to find any of the following ingredients that are harmful and toxic to your body and skin: chemical preservatives, SLS, SLES, Propylene Glycol, PG derivatives, parabens, sulfates, dyes, or synthetic fragrance. It is designed to gently and thoroughly cleanse your face while giving your skin a serious boost of nutrients. Ingredients like aloe vera, rosemary flower extract, rosemary essential oil, olive fruit oil, and coconut oil cleanse and hydrate your skin and leave it looking and feeling fresh and glowing.
3. Farmacy Clean Bee Gentle Facial Cleanser
This is a gentle face wash that is made from healthy and natural ingredients that are safe for both your skin and body as a whole. One of the special ingredients they use to help hydrate the skin and make your skin the best version it can be is honey. Honey is packed with a natural face cleanser, makeup remover, and moisturizer.
4. Ktchn Apothecary Hydrating Natural Face Wash
This is a super hydrating face wash is made with natural and organic ingredients like aloe vera, sweet almond oil, sage essential oil, and loads of other essential oils and extracts. It is made for all skin types that range from oily to sensitive to combination and normal skin. It gently foams into a rich and creamy lather that removes makeup and impurities from your face and leaves you feeling fresh and clean. The rich and creaminess of the wash doesn’t dry out your skin or leave it feeling tight and irritated after rinsing.
5. Just the Goods Vegan Face Wash
This face wash is great for those of you who have normal and sensitive skin. The face wash is all handmade and affordably priced, which can be challenging to find when a product is vegan, handmade, and healthy. It’s formulated with pure organic castile soap and kaolin clay, which is fantastic for quickly drawing out impurities. They also put in Palmarosa essential oil for antiseptic and bactericide properties that help to hydrate super sensitive skin in the gentlest way possible.
Since this face wash is always handmade, you can even customize your own wash! You can choose to remove the Palmarosa essential oil or add/remove exfoliating jojoba beads.
Not only is it fun to customize your own face wash specifically to your needs, but you can also make sure you are getting a healthy and natural product that is exactly what you want and need for your skin. This wash is also EWG Verified so you can feel 100% confident you are purchasing a safe face cleanser.
6. Be Green Gentle Facial Cleanser
This is a great all-around cleanser for all face types. It is a gentle formula that still removes debris and makeup from your face and pores. Coconut oil, olive oil, and jojoba oil provide nourishing and light hydrating properties without weighing down skin. It has a gel-like consistency, has no added fragrances, and has no harsh chemicals or synthetic cleansers.
Sometimes the skin can still be sensitive to fragrance even if it is from natural and pure essential oils. If you find you are one of those people, these Be Green face cleaners could be your perfect solution. Fragrance-free formulas always tend to be a bit gentler on the skin as well. So if fragrances of any kind are a concern for you, check out this wonderful product.
7. 100% Pure Organic Rose Water Sensitive Skin: Cleansing Foam
There is nothing weird, harsh, or unnatural in this rose-scented face wash! This face wash is extra gentle for people who have very sensitive skin. It cleans away debris and makeup, leaving your skin fresh and squeaky-clean, but without any harshness or irritation.
According to the description, “licorice and uva ursi brighten; coffee cherry and green coffee revitalize; yellow dock calms redness while anti-inflammatory chamomile, calendula, and aloe deeply soothe.” There are absolutely no harsh chemicals, synthetic cleansers, or toxic ingredients. This brand creates wonderful products and you really cannot go wrong with any of the makeups or skincare products.
8. Nourish Organic Moisturizing Face Cleanser
This is a super gentle, nourishing, and moisturizing face wash. It will not dry out your skin, cause irritation, or any redness. The cucumber is soothing and hydrating, watercress is rich in antioxidants and helps prevents skin from harmful free radical damage.
This face wash is also fragrance-free, gluten-free, and vegan. It is only made from simple, pure ingredients that are USDA Certified Organic. It has a creamy texture and consistency that feels soft and silky on your skin. When you wash away with water it leaves your skin soft and not dry or tight like many face cleaners leave skin once it is rinsed off.
9. Alteya USDA Organic Face Wash “BioDamascena”
An award-winning face cleanser, Alteya is USDA-certified organic, has an extra-gentle formula, and has the loveliest rose scent from rose damascene essential oil. This is the key ingredient in their face wash that makes it so special and effective. Organic Bulgarian rose oil and rose water are some of the most precious and sought-after extracts in the entire world and it extremely rare. It is known for its ability to remove impurities from the skin, oil, makeup, leaves your skin feeling softer than ever, and balances your skin perfectly.
10. Foaming Face Wash with Rose & Linden Flower
This foaming face wash with rose and linden flower is super mild and perfect for all skin types, so it is great for multiple people in a household to use. It is packed with natural ingredients and the texture of this wash is rich and foamy. It will effortlessly remove oil, dirt, and makeup from your skin without drying out your skin or leaving it feeling painful or sensitive.
Conclusion
All of our top 10 face cleansers are sure to make your skin healthier and more radiant than it has ever been. When you choose a face cleanser without any harsh chemicals and artificial ingredients, your skin will thank you!
This article was last updated on May 16, 2024 .
I’ve had a troubled skin all my life, and finding the right cleanser was always a problem. A cleanser should be light in consistency, exfoliate, remove impurities and moisturize. I’m very happy since I use the Beta enzyme cleanser with papaya, it really helps my blemishes and never drys my skin.
Love everything about this facial Wash!
Love there’s organic ingredients, it’s non drying, leaving my face feeling clean and fresh and the price is a fraction of other products out there. It’s a must try for combination/oily skin!