Funmi Monet's Top 10 Favorite Cleansers

Funmi Monet's Top 10 Favorite Cleansers

Funmi Monet is a popular skincare, beauty influencer, and licensed therapist who loves to share her tips on self-care. Her Instagram is full of easily-accessible information on her favorite skincare and makeup products. After seeing her helpful tips, reviews, and passion for self-care, we just knew we had to get in touch with her!

After contacting Funmi, she prepared a great list of her favorite cleansers that we'd like to share here. She says about the list, "These are all tried, tested, and Funmi approved. I have oily and dehydrated skin, so it's important to use cleansers that won't further exacerbate my skin issues." If you're aligned with her skin type, these products could have amazing effects on you too!
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Funmi Monet
Beauty + Skincare Content Creator

"My name is Funmi Monet and I'm a licensed professional counselor as well as a beauty + lifestyle content creator on social media. Self-care is an important ... See More

  • Allies of Skin Molecular Silk Hydrating Cleanser Image 1
    Source：beautylish.com

    Allies of Skin
    Molecular Silk Hydrating Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    This gentle and nourishing formula consistently leaves your skin feeling silky and soft after washing. It has a minimal lather, no noticeable fragrance, and feels very luxurious. 

    With a pH level of 5.5, it also boasts a hydrating blend of antioxidants and phospholipids. The addition of lactic acid in the formula helps to exfoliate and brighten skin, too. If you want your skin to feel even softer, you can leave this cleanser on for and additional 1 to 2 minutes.

    If you have dry skin, you can use Allies of Skin to remove sunscreen and makeup. I personally always use this as my second cleanse in the evenings but also find myself frequently reaching for it as my morning cleanser as well!
    $38.00
  • iS CLINICAL Cleansing Complex Image 1
    Source：amazon.com

    iS CLINICAL
    Cleansing Complex

    Funmi Monet

    This is a great, light feeling cleanser that has no noticeable fragrance, a great slip (as in, it spreads easily on skin), and minimal lather. It’s very concentrated, so you only need a small amount, which helps the bottle last a decent amount of time. 

    IS Clinical cleanses the skin and uses mild AHAs (alpha hydroxy acid) and BHAs (beta hydroxy acid) to provide gentle exfoliation. Both AHAs and BHAs help to peel away the dead layer of skin on top to reveal the smoother, younger-looking skin below. 

    Furthermore, the cleanser removes sunscreen and light makeup without drying out your face. Personally, my face always feels soft and balanced after using this. I would recommend this for all skin types.
    $44.00
  • Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser Image 1
    Source：amazon.com
    Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser Image 2
    Source：amazon.com

    Sunday Riley
    Ceramic Slip Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    I love this cleanser! It’s very gentle but super effective. The formula is a combination of plant-based soaps, clay, and rice oil esters, with each working on your skin in different ways. The clay helps to take out impurities, while the rice oil ester keeps your skin hydrated.

    It has a runny texture and minimal foam, which is fantastic when your skin feels sensitive from over-exfoliating. In fact, it is specifically made with sensitive skin in mind!

    You can use this as a second cleanse following an oil-based cleanser on days where you wear a full face of makeup. It does a great job of cleansing skin deeply without stripping it.
    $35.00
  • Jordan Samuel Skin Matinee Gel Cleanser Image 1
    Source：jordansamuelskin.com

    Jordan Samuel Skin
    Matinee Gel Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    This is a non-foaming, water-soluble gel cleanser that doesn't create any lather and is great for all skin types. It doesn’t contain any harsh surfactants which makes it fantastic for daily use, too. Soothing ingredients like chamomile, aloe, and glycerin are mixed in the formula to help keep skin hydrated and balanced after washing.

    This works great as a second cleanse following an oil-based cleansing oil or balm. I prefer to use this as my morning cleanser because it gently cleanses my face and removes any oil or skin products I used the night before. 
    $28.00
  • Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser Image 1
    Source：amazon.com
    Krave Beauty Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser Image 2
    Source：amazon.com

    Krave Beauty
    Matcha Hemp Hydrating Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    This Matcha Cleanser is another great option for those who prefer a low-foaming cleansing option. It has a thick, jelly-like consistency that focuses on deep cleansing while still leaving your skin hydrated. Featured ingredients in this product include Green Tea Leaf Water, Green Tea Leaf Powder, Hemp Seed Oil, and Sweet Almond Oil. 

    This is capable of thoroughly cleansing skin on days when you wear light makeup, but using this as a second cleanser following an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm works best for me. During the warmer months, when your skin is on the oilier side, reaching for this cleanser is a good idea.
    $36.90
  • CeraVe Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser Image 1
    Source：amazon.com

    CeraVe
    Hydrating Cream-to-Foam Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    This cleanser is one of the best wallet-friendly cleansing options that are easily accessible for most people. Unfortunately, it isn’t enough to remove a day’s worth of sunscreen or makeup, so using this following an oil-based cleanser or cleansing balm is best. 

    It is gentle, low pH, has a milky gel-texture that doesn’t foam up, has great slip, and rinses off easily. Hyaluronic acid and ceramides are the star ingredients in the formula, so it helps to prevent further moisture-barrier damage as well as retain moisture in the skin. 
    $14.63
  • Kinship Naked Papaya Face Cleanser Image 1
    Source：lovekinship.com

    Kinship
    Naked Papaya Face Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    This cleanser has a milky and creamy texture that feels like lotion when applied to your face, and it doesn’t foam. This works best as a second cleanser on days where you wear a full face of makeup, but it does do an adequate job of removing sunscreen or a light application of makeup.

    It has a fantastic ingredient list that contains aloe leaf juice, jojoba oil, papaya extract, and more. The papaya enzyme is the star ingredient in this product because it helps to gently exfoliate the skin with each use. It has a light fresh and fruity fragrance and leaves your skin feeling soft and moisturized after washing. 
    $29.00
  • Then I Met You Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel Image 1
    Source：thenimetyou.com

    Then I Met You
    Soothing Tea Cleansing Gel

    Funmi Monet

    This product is formulated without alcohol, mineral oil, alcohol, artificial coloring, or synthetic fragrances. It does, however, include sake and licorice root, which help brighten and even-out your skin tone. Because it doesn’t contain any sulfates, it has minimal lather and is suitable for all skin types. 

    A little goes a long way with this product! Just a pea-sized amount is more than enough to adequately cleanse your skin. This cleanser works best on damp skin, preferably following the use of an oil-based cleanser or balm.
    $36.00
  • Dr. Loretta Micro-Exfoliating Cleanser Image 1
    Source：amazon.com
    Dr. Loretta Micro-Exfoliating Cleanser Image 2
    Source：amazon.com

    Dr. Loretta
    Micro-Exfoliating Cleanser

    Funmi Monet

    This is a gel-based mildly exfoliating cleanser that boasts 2% Salicylic Acid as its star ingredient. Salicylic acid helps to promote smooth skin and refine pores. The texture of the product provides minimal lather but has great slip and rinses off easily without leaving residue behind. 

    Like with Then I Met You's gel cleanser, Dr. Loretta also lasts a substantial amount of time. Using just a dime-sized amount per wash is enough. Overall, this Micro-Exfoliating Cleanser works best as a second cleanser, following an oil-based one or a balm.
    $49.95
  • Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk Image 1
    Source：stratiaskin.com
    Stratia Velvet Cleansing Milk Image 2
    Source：stratiaskin.com

    Stratia
    Velvet Cleansing Milk

    Funmi Monet

    This cleansing milk has a luxurious and velvety texture which spreads easily and leaves skin feeling moisturized and balanced. This product does not remove a full face of makeup but performs adequately at removing sweat and other product buildups on non-makeup days.

    It feels soothing and leaves skin feeling clean without being stripped of moisture. Additionally, it does not contain any discernible fragrance! It works wonderfully on my sensitive skin even when I’ve over-exfoliated. 
    $15.00