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Facial cleanser is a cosmetic product used to remove makeup, oil, dirt, dead skin cells and other pollutants from the skin of  the face. Ideally, a cleanser should be water soluble, so that it can be rinsed off easily and should not dry or irritate the skin. All makeup, including eye makeup can be removed by a cleanser without scrubbing. The pores will be unclogged to prevent skin conditions like acne.

A cleanser is preferred to most bar soaps for cleaning the face. Most bar soaps are alkaline having a pH of  between 9 to 10. The natural pH of the skin is about 5.5, so using a soap upsets the pH balance of the skin and could cause growth of certain bacteria, causing acne. Soap also removes oil from the skin which can leave the skin dehydrated. Most cleansers are specially formulated to match the pH of  the facial skin and contain a moisturizer to keep the skin hydrated.

Expensive facial cleansers which contain disinfectants and hydroxy acids may not be more effective than much cheaper basic gentle cleansers. This is because the cleansers are in contact with the skin for only a few minutes and are then washed away. Moisturizers which contain these additives are more effective. Also the amount of lather produced by a cleanser  is not an indication of  the effectiveness of  the cleanser. All cleanser contain the same basic ingredients, but products from large cosmetic companies may be more expensive due to packaging and marketing overheads.

Cleansers containing fragrances, perfumes and essential oils can cause an allergic reaction and irritate the skin. Similarly cleansers with natural ingredients like mint and menthol can cause inflammation. If the percentage of  lauryl sulphates in the cleanser is high, the skin may become irritated.