I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my skin care routine, but if there’s one product I’m down to experiment with, it has to be face cleansers. Cleansing is my top priority. As someone who has struggled with acne from a young age, I take as many preventive steps as possible to keep my skin clear. This means being diligent with washing my face at the end of the day to get rid of every last bit of dirt and makeup, along with potential acne-causing oils and bacteria.
I’ve tried every kind of formula and texture, from powders and gels to exfoliating washes and creams, but I’ve avoided foam cleansers. It’s no secret that foaming cleansers have a bad reputation—most millennials will probably have flashbacks to using extra-foamy cleansers with harsh exfoliating beads that completely strip skin of moisture. My skin was always left feeling tight, itchy, and irritated, which led to even more breakouts and redness.
Of course, skin care has evolved since the early aughts. Foaming cleansers have slowly but surely made their way back into our skin care routines, with brands creating sudsy formulas that clean skin without depleting it. In fact, a foaming cleanser took home the Glamour Beauty Award for best cleanser last year.
The comeback of foaming cleansers was further cemented when Augustinus Bader launched its very own formula, The Foaming Cleanser, in March 2023. As one of the buzziest, most celeb-loved skin care brands, Augustinus Bader is known for gentle but effective products with luxe price tags to match. The brand already has The Cream Cleansing Gel and The Cleansing Balm, so I was surprised to see the launch of The Foaming Cleanser and was instantly intrigued.
In the past, I’ve typically used gel formulas since they tend to be the most gentle and hydrating, but they sometimes lack the cleansing power I need for a deep cleanse after a day of wearing full makeup. In my experience, I have to double-cleanse or use micellar water before using my gel cleanser to ensure all makeup and dirt is washed off. Foaming cleansers create creamy suds that you can work deep into pores to cut through makeup and debris.
I decided to put The Foaming Cleanser to the test after a full day of wearing makeup. Instead of wiping my face down with micellar water, I went straight into cleansing by wetting my face and applying a dime-size amount of product with circular motions. The formula quickly worked into a creamy foam, cutting through my foundation. It’s completely unscented, so I wasn’t afraid to carefully wash around my eyes and lips.
After rinsing off and patting my face dry, I let my skin settle before applying any moisturizer. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my face felt plump and hydrated. I didn’t experience any of the telltale dryness or tightness that comes with using a foam cleanser—instead, my skin felt clean and soft. The formula is fortified with the brand’s signature TFC8, a proprietary blend of amino acids, high-grade vitamins, and peptides to help promote skin cell renewal and reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, redness, and hyperpigmentation. Other hero ingredients like Chilean soapbark extract and moringa oil help retain moisture, while langsat leaf extract and orobanche rapum extract smooth skin and even tone.
