Have you ever used powder laundry detergent or powder dish detergent?

Same principle, just formulated for your face. Powder cleansers are cleansers which come as a dry powder, which you dispense into your hand (or onto your cleansing tool) and add water before agitating into a lather.

They tend to be low-foaming compared to regular cleansers, but since they're not dependent on traditional surfactants and foaming agents, they're more easily formulated to be low-pH.

Cosmetic chemist Stephen Alain explained to me that one the reasons that there are not that many low-pH cleansers out there, or that they are expensive and/or not as pleasant to use, is that formulating low-pH cleansers can be a challenge and therefore can be expensive to make, but the mechanism of a powder cleanser isn't relying on typical emulsifiers and stabilizers since it's well ... a powder, not an already-mixed emulsion.

That's partly why they're so fun to use! It's like alchemy to see it turn into lather in your hands, and it also makes a great travel cleanser option since it's not liquid and doesn't count toward your liquids restrictions.

A way to combat the low-foam of powder cleansers is to use either a konjac sponge or foaming net (both pictured above) by sprinkling the powder onto sponge or net after they've been wetted.

There is a bit of a learning curve on how to agitate the foam without the powder going everywhere, but it's not difficult. You still won't get 'normal' levels of lather, but it definitely helps!

Make room for a new cleanser because this enzyme powder wash is a total must-have! We love this powder room essential for its gentle pH of 5.5 and powerful ability to soak up sebum.

A powerful powder-to-foaming cleanser that washes away deep-seated dirt and impurities, revealing clearer, more moisturized skin. Enriched with Vitamin E, it also leaves skin feeling soft and fresh with a flawless finish.