Before actually reviewing the top options for the best cleansing milk for face, let’s establish what a milk cleanser for face is and what it does and how it can benefit certain skin types or maybe even all skin types.
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What Is a Milk Cleanser for Face?
Milk cleansers are exactly what their name suggests: cleansers (face washes) that have a milk-like texture. That’s what they all have in common and that’s where they get their name from.
Cleansing milks are actually rich in emollients, it’s what confers them that milky-texture.
When we’re saying emollients we’re referring to glycerin or oils like squalane or jojoba. Those are rich in fatty-acids and are essential for a healthy skin barrier.
Some contain coconut milk or even goat milk but containing some sort of milk is not a prerequisite for qualifying as a cleansing milk for face.
It’s about the texture.
As any facial cleanser, they help us remove makeup, dirt, impurities, and excess oil, which can clog our pores, without also removing the crucial oils that help us maintain a healthy skin and a strong skin barrier.
If the skin is stripped off of good oils it can produce excess oil, which in turn will clog up the pores and can lead to breakouts (both whiteheads and blackheads).
A milk cleanser for face leaves the skin feeling clean, refreshed, smooth, and nourished.
Milk Cleanser for Face: Build a Strong Skin Barrier
Most are also known for strengthening the skin barrier, which is important for everything from locking the moisture into the skin to preventing wrinkles to preventing breakouts.
For example, if you have a strong skin barrier, the skin will be able to adapt to ingredients with side-effects, like retinol.
This ability of strengthening the skin barrier is one of their top features and why they’re so good.
Plus,
Due to their moisturizing properties, they can help in the struggle against fine lines. A properly moisturized skin looks smoother and more plump.
Milk Cleanser for Face: Which Skin Type Should Use It?
I am pretty sure that the word milk gives it away.
Those who have sensitive skin are the main beneficiaries of the benefits of a milk cleanser for face.
It’s also very good for those suffering from dry skin and can provide great relief during the colder months.
However,
Most milk cleansers for face state that they work for all skin types, just make sure to check that out before buying.
Milk Cleansers for Acne-Prone Skin?
Can those who have acne-prone skin use a milk cleanser?
Most of us know that dairies often increase our number of breakouts so the idea of a cleansing milk for acne is a bit hard to comprehend.
But once you understand that milk cleansers get their name from their milk-like silky white texture and that not many actually incorporate some sort of milk in their ingredients, you can see the difference.
Cleansing milks can be good for acne-prone skin due to their gentleness, they won’t irritate an already irritated skin even more, and that’s the characteristic that can make them efficient cleansers for basically all skin types.
Due to the fact that they’re good at keeping the skin calm and because they strengthen the skin barrier, a milk cleanser for face can protect against inflammation. Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder.
But for some they might be too heavy and cause even more breakouts. Everyone reacts differently, sometimes it’s a matter of testing it out.
Frankly, I have acne-prone skin and I prefer cleansers with salicylic acid that also hydrated and strengthen the skin barrier at the same time. My other preference is for those with benzoyl peroxide.
I prefer those who exfoliate the skin at the same time, while still managing not to be too harsh. And I counter their harshness with a nourishing moisturizer.
Top 10 Best Cleansing Milks for Face
There are a lot of options to choose from if what you’re looking for is an awesome milk cleanser for face, some are pretty affordable, as well.
As always, they’re going to be ones that might exceed your budget but you have many cleansers to choose from, we’re not limited to picking out only the priciest ones.
Overall, the rapport between price, quantity, and quality is pretty great. You’re not going to be disappointed and you’ll find a lot of famous names on my list of recommendations.
1. Georgette Klinger Coconut Facial Cleansing Milk, 6.7 oz – Affordable & For All Skin Types
This is actually a fantastic choice for the best cleansing milk for face because it works for all skin types.
It’s not something that we encounter that often and those with combination skin and oily skin are impressed with it.
Furthermore, their rapport price-quality-quantity is just what I want to see from skincare products. The 6.7 oz quantity is quite good, it will probably last for at least 4 months.
It also promises some impressive things: makeup removal, removal of dirt and traces that pollution leaves on our skin, fight against acne, blackheads, dark spots, and fine lines.
The manufacturer also recommends it as a great choice for fighting cystic acne, it’s quite impressive and it does prove that milk cleansers work for acne-prone skin, although I will still warn you that everyone’s skin reacts differently.
These are the ingredients with which it plans to keep all those promises:
- coconut oil and coconut extract – the main two ingredients but you must be aware that coconut oil can clog pores, although there weren’t any complaints from users about that
- grape and cucumber extracts for soothing and rejuvenating the skin
It does contain fragrance but users love the smell.
The Georgette Klinger Coconut Facial Cleansing Milk is nourishing and moisturizing and it cleanses the skin really well, it does exactly what it should and it’s my first recommendation for a milk cleanser for face.
2. Embryolisse Foaming Cream Milk, 6.76 oz – Cheap Price Great Quality for All Skin Types
Another fantastic choice comes from Embryolisse. I’ve loved plenty of their products and they’re quite famous.
It’s another milk cleanser that works for all skin types.
Embryolisse Foaming Cream Milk contains extract of prickly pear (moisturizes, protects the epidermis), a bio-lipid complex, which means vitamins, essential fatty-acids and phytosterol (anti-aging) to restore and protect the skin barrier.
Those with combination and oily skin will also love it and it should not make your skin breakout.
3. Andalou Naturals Apricot Probiotic Cleansing Milk, 6 oz – Cheapest Milk Cleanser
When it comes to getting a cheap milk cleanser for face, this might be what you are looking for. It says that it will gently remove makeup and impurities.
They are describing it as an age defying, nature inspired cleanser. You’ll see that they incorporated a lot of antioxidants to sustain that claim.
The Andalou Naturals has some very nice ingredients, some are even organic:
- aloe vera juice
- sunflower seed oil, which is non-comedogenic (it won’t clog pores)
- apricot kernel oil
- borage seed oil
- BioActive Berry Complex – it sounds like a collection of natural antioxidants
- resveratrol, which is an impressive antioxidant
- CoQ10 – another antioxidant
- vitamin C derivative (magnesium ascorbyl phosphate)
- vitamin B5
- vitamin E
- sweet almond oil
It’s a cleansing milk for face that contains quite a large number of oils but the good news is that they’re pretty much non-comedogenic.
The wide array of antioxidants is a very nice surprise. They’re great for protecting us against environmental factors and for fighting off wrinkles.
Still, it’s recommended just for dry skin and all that concentration of oils will feel amazing.
4. Moon Juice Milk Cleanse, 4 oz – Pricey, Impressive Ingredients for Dry Skin
First of all, it seems that Moon Juice has decided to go with the smallest quantity, the 4 oz is quite tiny and the price is quite high compared to that.
What might justify the price?
Well, some unusual ingredients might do it:
- adaptogenic supermushrooms – that’s not something you encounter often, they’re beneficial for protecting skin against stressors, reducing inflammation, and improving the resilience of the skin’s barrier
- coconut ferment is responsible for the milky bubbles
- tocotrienols (a super vitamin E) – a great hydrating antioxidant that also protects the skin against oxidative stress
Moon Juice represents a holistic lifestyle and the presence of supermushrooms certainly seems to fit.
Well, you don’t necessarily have to be into a holistic lifestyle in order to use this cleansing milk for face, you just need a generous budget. It will work great for dry skin, it’s not one of those good for all skin types.
5. TULA Probiotic Skin Care Milk Cleanser, 5 oz – Very Soothing & a bit Expensive
TULA is well known for their probiotics and how they incorporate them into their skincare products from cleansers to scrubs to eye creams to moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens.
They are the leader in probiotic skincare and highly praised for that.
Probiotics are not only good for our body, they’re a pivotal point in skincare, too. They help contribute to a healthy, balanced, and glowing skin. I think that maybe a lot more skincare creators will focus on them from now on.
What does this milk cleanser have going for it, besides the world-famous probiotics? It will provide a smooth clean skin with the help of colloidal oatmeal (used for soothing dry itchy skin), aloe, cucumber, and ginger. All are soothing refreshing ingredients, one of the best.
It’s recommended to apply 2-4 pumps, being capable of removing makeup and purifying the skin. It’s good for all skin types.
6. Clarins Cleansing Milk, 6.9 oz – Nourishing for Normal/Dry Skin
This one has a pretty normal price, not exactly affordable but still good.
And it’s quite popular. Why is that?
Because it works as both a makeup remover, including the eyes and lips, and face wash for removing pollutants, grim, and dirt.
It’s formulated with Alpine herbs (gentian and lemon balm), I’m not sure I’ve encountered these types of ingredients before. They’re meant to preserve the skin’s microbiota, soothing and softening the skin, and are even sourced from a farm located in the French Alps.
Moringa extract contributes to detoxifying the skin, eliminating pollutants. It also helps dissolve makeup.
Clarins always impresses me with their dedication to plants and they didn’t disappoint this time either.
7. L’Occitane Oil-to-Milk Facial Makeup Remover, 6.7 oz – Cleanser & Makeup Remover for All Skin Types
This can be a solution for those who wear makeup and need to double cleanse in order to get their faces all cleaned up.
L’Occitane Oil-to-Milk Facial Makeup Remover can do both: remove the makeup and provide the nice gentle cleansing that a cleansing milk does.
It’s quite the interesting product, the quantity is considerable to last for more than a few months, and the price is pretty good.
Someone commented that it works great a sunscreen remover, as well, in case you were wondering.
How does an oil to milk makeup remover work?
It is applied to dry skin, unlike the others who are applied to wet skin.
Once you’ve applied it to dry skin, wet your fingers in order to transform the oil into a milky emulsion. That’s why it’s called oil-to-milk.
After a minute or so, rinse with lukewarm water.
The star of the show is calendula flower extract, which has antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. It seems like it would be a good ingredient for those with acne-prone skin, as well.
I now understand why L’Occitane says that it’s for all skin types.
They say that it’s ideal for healthy-looking glow and softens the skin. It works for removing waterproof makeup from the entire face, including the eyes and lips.
8. Onsen Milk Lotion Cleanser, 5.6 oz – Highly Hydrating Face Wash, Mask, Makeup Remover for All Skin Types
This is definitely one that will work perfectly for those with sensitive skin or those who suffer from dry skin. But it works for all skin types, as well.
It will leave a truly hydrating feeling behind after rinsing.
We have another face wash and makeup remover.
But in this case, you can actually squeeze the pump once onto a cotton ball and wipe the makeup off from face and eyes. After, rinse with lukewarm water.
Moreover,
It also works as a mask. You can leave it on the face for 10 minutes before rinsing.
Onsen Milk Lotion Cleanser is based on their Micro Water Complex, a patented formula that delivers the Japanese hot spring water in a bottle. It sounds like an inspiration from the thermal water that some manufacturers like Avene and La Roche Posay are known for.
9. Osea Ocean Cleansing Milk, 5 oz – My Most Expensive Pick
I guess if we can’t go and see the ocean we buy this milk cleanser for face and imagine that we’re there? I’m joking, I just like their name, it sounds refreshing and adventurous.
Well, the price is an adventure in and of itself. This is most expensive best facial cleansing milk on my list of recommendations.
And it’s only for normal or dry skin. The Osea Ocean is targeted towards reducing the appearance of redness.
It’s also pH balanced and fragrance-free, working as both a face wash and a makeup remover.
10. Kate Somerville Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser, 4 oz – Expensive & Light
There’s one major reason for leaving this best cleansing milk for face for last.
The manufacturer states that you can use this as a face wash alone in the AM but it recommends using this with another cleanser in the PM.
I’m guessing that they mean that, at night, people should use a makeup remover and then cleanse with the Kate Somerville.
It’s called a double cleanse and it’s something that those who wear makeup during the day already do and are very familiar with.
That’s not the surprising part.
The surprising part is that this is a pretty expensive milk cleanser, given its rather small quantity. To add to this already high price the price of another makeup remover (meltaway cleansing balms or face wipes), well it can turn out to be a pretty expensive pairing.
I think that it’s best to consider this one if you weren’t satisfied with any of the above recommendations and maybe if you don’t wear makeup at all.
In the end it’s a great nourishing milk cleanser for people with dry sensitive skin with some nice ingredients, like goat milk (soothes dry sensitive skin), manuka honey (nourishes skin), and jojoba and avocado oils.
How to Use a Milk Cleanser for Face
I’ve talked all about how to wash your face properly but do the same steps apply when it comes to using a milk cleanser for face?
Let’s see how it goes when using a best cleansing milk for face:
- wash your hands really well – you’ll massage your skin with those fingers
- dampen the skin with lukewarm water
- apply a small quantity of cleanser – milk cleansers are used in smaller quantities
- move the tips of your fingers in gentle circular motions, while making sure to cover all areas of the face
- milk cleansers are quite nice and easy to use because they can be used on the eyes, as well, some remove mascara and makeup quite well
- wash your face for at least 30 seconds although I recommend massaging the skin for a minute
- rinse with lukewarm water
- pat dry, don’t rub, with a soft towel, preferably one that is used just for face drying
Also, read the instructions for each skin care product that you buy, don’t just assume that it’s used a certain way.
I just want to remind you that those wearing makeup would probably need to do a double cleanse. Meaning, using a makeup remover first and then cleansing their face if you want to achieve that squeaky clean feel.
When you double cleanse you can also use an oil-based cleanser and then a water-based cleanser. A milk cleanser for face can be that second face wash.
Double cleansing works for all skin types.
Milk Cleanser vs Oil Cleanser
Both milk cleansers and oil cleansers have quite a lot in common.
Their textures differ but they’re both gentle cleansers that don’t strip the skin of its good oils. Both will leave you with a soft feeling, a nourished soothed skin. And oil cleansers work for oily skin, too.
All in all,
Using a milk cleanser for face can be quite beneficial for all skin types and some best cleansing milks for face work as makeup removers, as well, they definitely deserve more acknowledgment.
