Paula Begoun self-published a book called Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal in 1985, became known as the Cosmetics Cop, and started Paula's Choice with 10 products in 1995; the Resist foaming cleanser adds hyaluronic acid. Dr. Jart+ was formed in Seoul in 2004 by a dermatologist and an entrepreneur, launched first in clinics, and its name stands for Doctor Joins Art; the Cicapair foam is the gentle one. Sulwhasoo traces its story to 1932, when the mother of Amorepacific's founder sold camellia oil in Kaesong, and Innisfree, named for the Yeats poem, draws its green tea from Jeju Island. Korean foams tend to feel softer than the squeaky kind, which is why I reach for them in winter.

Clinique launched at Saks in 1968 as the first allergy-tested, fragrance-free, dermatologist-developed beauty brand, and its rinse-off foam is a cream-mousse that also takes off makeup. Sofie Pavitt designed handbags for years before training as an esthetician and opening an acne-focused studio in New York, and her gel-to-foam cleanser is made with gentle ingredients. Sincerely Yours, co-founded by the teen creator Salish Matter and developed with two dermatologists, launched at Sephora in 2025, and Laneige, named for the French word for snow, makes a rice foaming gel with glycolic acid. What I would skip is using a foaming cleanser twice a day if your skin is dry. Use it in the evening, or as the second step in a double cleanse, and rinse with water in the morning.

Acne-prone skin usually does well with a gel foam. Combination skin can use a foam at night and something creamier in the morning. Sensitive skin should look for short ingredient lists. Wash for about 30 seconds with lukewarm water, never hot. If you have eczema or another skin condition, ask a dermatologist which cleanser suits you. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser and CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion, the Night Version.