Clean up crew: The best type of cleanser for every skin type

A great cleanser is the first, unskippable step toward complexion perfection. The secret is finding exactly the right type of cleanser for you. Check out our picks of the best cleansing oils, foams, gels, creams and cloths for every face and budget...

RELATED: 8 of the best cleansers for acne-prone skin

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Oil

Once you've made the switch to cleansing oil, you'll be addicted to the ultra clean-feeling finish. The laws of attraction mean there's nothing better than oil to draw out excess sebum and surface residue. Just apply it with dry hands to a dry face before washing away with water. Each of these oils suits all skin types but gives shine-prone skin a gorgeously oil-free feel.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil
Community Fair Trade camomile oil and a blend of softening oils make up this silky cleansing oil. So you can quickly take off your makeup without the tacky leftover residue!

Dermalogica PreCleanse
A gentle blend of plant oils that works to 'melt' sunscreen, make-up, skincare residue and excess sebum, emulsifying impurities in water and rinsing them clear away. Fantastic.

Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil
Enriched with vitamin A and E, this cleansing oil will gently rinse makeup and grease away while helping encourage skin regeneration. Plus, 100 per cent grapeseed oil can help provide a deep cleanse without leaving you feeling slick and greasy.

L’OCCITANE Shea Butter Cleansing Oil
Feels amazing. Is amazing. This cleansing oil eliminates make-up, grime and pore-clogging impurities. Plus, it contains five per cent shea oil to keep your skin extra silky and hydrated.

Foam

Foaming cleaners get a bad rap for stripping the skin, but if you choose a gentle formula, you can't beat bubbles for a deep down, zinging clean.

La Roche-Posay Micellar Foaming Cleanser
Not into nasties? Then this lathering formula is for you. It's free from fragrances, colourants, alcohol, parabens and soaps. The cleanser respects your skin's natural pH balance while also removing makeup and ridding your skin of impurities. 

NeoStrata Foaming Glycolic Wash (available at Priceline)
Formulated with glycolic acid to dissolve dead skin cells and impurities plus lactobionic acid, a conditioning agent that maximises moisture retention. It's a great everyday way for faces dealing with lines and wrinkles to come clean.

La Prairie Foam Cleanser (available at laprairie.com.au)
This poshly plush mousse dissolves makeup, pollution and surface impurities to leave the complexion feeling fresh, dewy and soft. Suited to all skin types (especially those with extra cash to splash), it features soothing plant extracts for lasting comfort.

Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser
Models get spots too, you know. Or they would if they didn't have this little baby on rotation. Cetaphil has been a backstage beauty secret forever and this low-foam formula gets rid of oil, build-up and heavy make-up residue faster than you can say 'I don't get out of bed for less than 10 grand, sweetie'.

Gel

With the intensely clean feel of a foam and the soft touch of a cream, a gel is a perfect compromise for normal to oily complexions.

Pevonia Botanica Phyto-Gel Cleanser (available at pevonia.com.au)
Including the purifying plant oils of rosemary, lemon and sage with burdock, pine and Saponaria, this naturally luxurious gel foams gently to free your skin from oil overload, makeup residue, dirt and surface debris.

Ultraceuticals Ultra Balancing Gel Cleanser
A wonder for oily and normal skin types, this revitalising gel features aloe vera, cucumber and oat kernel extracts to soothe skin while also ridding it of daily residue and oils. Not only will it give you a good cleanse, it'll keep your skin's natural moisture balance in check.

Kiehl's Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser
For acne-prone skins, this gel cleanser contains salicylic acid to decongest, ginger root extract to absorb excess oil and cinnamon bark extract for its antibacterial properties. You can blast blemishes away and remove dirt, residue and oil all with this one oil-free, non-drying formula!

Cream

The comforting luxury of a cream makes everyday cleansing a pleasure.

Clean & Clear Deep Action Cream Wash
Love that tingle that tells you every pore is spotlessly clean? Love this bargain buy because it reaches right down into the pore, removing blockages and stopping spots in their tracks.

Guinot Hydra Tendre Wash-off Cleansing Cream (available at guinot.com.au)
Goes on like silk and leaves your face feeling like satin. Perfect for dry and delicate types, this is how luxury skincare should feel.

Trilogy Cream Cleanser
Dripping with the antioxidant and nourishing benefits of rosehip oil plus carrot, evening primrose, and almond oils, this super creamy number is like a treatment that just happens to leave your skin crystal clear.
 
Natural Instinct Replenishing Cream Cleanser
Thanks to rosehip oil and Kakadu plum, this rich cleanser provides eight hours of hydration. The natural and sulphate-free formula is suitable for all skin types and will gently draw out impurities while also nourishing the skin.

Cloths & wipes

Quick. Convenient. Effective. Every girl needs an emergency stash of cleansing cloths in her bedside dresser/ bathroom cupboard/ travel bag…

NIVEA Gentle Facial Cleansing Wipes
Wipe on this alcohol-free tissue, wipe off makeup, bacteria and dead skin cells. Too easy. Cleansed, purified and toned all in one step!

Neutrogena Deep Cleansing Wipes
Infused with salicylic acid and chamomile to combat spots and inflammation in a single swipe.

Mary Kay Facial Cleansing Cloths
Cleanse, exfoliate and tone in one travel-friendly step. Just add water.

- Tracey Withers

Have you tried any of these cleansers? What type of cleanser do you use?