Routinely: Let's Start at the Beginning
Start your morning with me!
Welcome to the latest edition of myMusings, a meticulously curated newsletter about skincare, beauty and everything in-between. Today is all about one of my favorite steps in my morning skincare routine: my morning cleanse. There’s nothing I love more than starting my day with a refreshing and hydrating cleanser that helps me wake up (to the degree anything can make me feel awake before noon) and primes my skin for the rest of my skincare ritual. The short and sweet roundup below highlights a few of my favorites from the cleanser that literally ignited my love of skincare to newer finds I use until the very last drop.
Even if you don’t wash your face every morning, you can always incorporate any of the succulent cleansers below into your nighttime skincare routine. While this is by no means a comprehensive review of all of my favorite cleansers, it is a place for you to refer back to when you want a recommendation for a new face wash from someone who has tried a lot of them. Why waste your time searching for a product for hours on various websites when you don’t have to? Let’s dive in.
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The Best Way to Start the Day
Everyone is different. Although some people don’t like to wash their face every morning, I am not one of those people. Between sweat, cat hair, drool, midnight snacks, more cat hair and all the rest — by the time I wake up in the morning, I absolutely need to wash my face. While I have several favorite cleansers I rotate through and often feature on my Instagram stories, I particularly love waking up with any of the products below. I prefer to use a gentle water-based cleanser in the morning (think gel cleansers, foaming cleansers, etc.) and I also use one as my third cleanse in my nighttime routine — yes, you read that right, third.
As always, I’m a strong believer that if you don’t love your cleanser (or any product in your routine for that matter), you should move on and find something you’ll actually enjoy using. I’m always happy to try and help you discover your new holy grail.
Whenever I look back on my favorite launches from 2023, this cleanser always makes the list. It’s a lovely, bubbly cleanser that is filled with glycerin, friendly to dry and sensitive skin, hydrating and fragrance-free (if that’s something you care about). My skin always feels great after I use this — which is no small feat — and there’s something about the vibrant packaging that makes mornings a little more fun.
If you haven’t tried this cleanser yet, I highly recommend giving it a go as soon as possible (save w/ myskinterest). Despite the name, this gentle, antioxidant-rich cleanser feels like a creamy gel with a light, luscious lather and a refreshing fragrance that I really like (and I don’t normally gravitate toward scented products). When I run out of this, I will undoubtedly purchase a new bottle because even though I have other cleansers, I want to use this one.
I wish it was possible to have a lifetime supply of this cleanser (and it just came back in stock this week!). It’s currently my shower cleanser and it may be the most perfect shower cleanser ever. The packaging is durable and the large pump makes it easy to use when you have shampoo in one eye and conditioner in the other. Not only is it lavishly abundant but it’s filled to the brim with glycerin (my personal version of catnip), it’s gentle, kind to dry and sensitive skin, hydrating and sits at a price point that’s hard to beat — almost. Oh, and it’s also fragrance-free.
Nat Note: I also recently started using it on my eczema-prone, easily irritated legs when I shave and not to be dramatic but it’s been life changing.
Pictured: Me embarrassing myself I recently shared this cleanser in a post with fifty of my favorite products under $50 (save w/ myskinterest). Despite being the cheapest option on the list, this cleanser is wonderfully abundant, kind to dry and sensitive skin, fragrance-free (again, if you’re looking for) and seriously deserves more love! While it has its fair share of bubbles, I never feel like my face is taking a bubble bath when I use this. It’s one of those products I would reach for if I really compromised my skin barrier and always recommend.
While this cleanser is the most expensive option included on this list, it’s easily one of my favorites of all time (save w/ myskinterest). This deliciously creamy cleanser checks all the boxes: the packaging is minimal, effective and luxe, the subtle citrus smell enhances the user experience, it’s incredibly hydrating and emulsifies like a dream. It’s truly one of the few cleansers that makes me excited to wash my face in the morning and I love to spend a little extra time massaging it on my face to help me wake up.
I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t include my favorite cleanser of all time in this list (save w/ myskinterest). It’s the product that started my love of skincare (true story!) and is the one cleanser I’ve always had on tap since I first tried it nearly a decade ago. I could go on and on for hours, so you’ll trust me when I say that this is one you should absolutely add to your routine.
Also, this cleanser just launched and while I haven’t tried it yet — I’m sure many of you will be interested in picking it up before it (inevitably) sells out.
I hope you enjoyed this roundup of some of my favorite cleansers to start the day with. If you’re looking for more options, you can find all my favorites here. Let me know below if you want to see more posts like this that highlight a few of my favorite products in a given category. If there’s anything else you want to see here, you know how to reach me!
I have some really exciting content planned for the weeks ahead. From guest contributors (!!!) to my monthly favorites, in-depth reviews, an updated list of hidden gems I’m finally ready to share and a few other surprises I’ve been working on for a while now.
Until next time, follow along on Instagram and browse all of my favorite things. Don’t forget to click the 🤍 before you go! Thank you for being here. Talk soon.
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Love the UBeauty cleanser you recommended for me. It's so creamy and gentle!