Why aren't there more cleansing milks?

I was thinking about this quick little tidbit the other day while washing my face: most of us could really use a cleansing milk, especially those of us with sensitive or delicate skin.

But, while pretty much every other type of cleanser I covered in this “How to Wash Your Face” post—oils, balms, creams, gels, and foams—crowds the shelves of whatever store you might shop from, milks are dramatically less abundant.

A true cleansing milk, in my view, is genuinely milky. It has a pleasantly runny texture that’s thinner than that of a cleansing cream: it feels smooth with a good amount of slip, it’s gentle and cooling, and it leaves skin feeling utterly clean upon rinse-off.

In my opinion, a good number of “cleansing milks” are really cleansing creams masquerading as milks. Cleansing creams tend to be a little thicker and a little richer, and they leave skin feeling a little more moisturized as a result.

A lot of people really just want one great cleanser on their bathroom sink. So, generally speaking, when a company develops a cleanser, the objective is to have that cleanser cover as many needs as possible.

Typically, they’ll want the cleanser to remove makeup, sunscreen, and whatever debris might have accumulated during the day; feel nice upon application; and provide a rinse-off that suits a certain set of skin types and conditions. It’s a perfectly reasonable set of wishes.

But the “it must remove makeup” wish is usually the one that kicks milky textures into the product-development graveyard. It can be pretty hard to remove makeup (and sunscreen); since true milky formulas typically lean on lighter-weight oils, and they contain less oil overall than a cream or a balm, they don’t remove makeup quite as adeptly.

If you don’t wear a ton of makeup, of course, this isn’t such a big deal. And if you’re washing your face in the morning, it’s a non-issue entirely. Still, many cleansers are designed to be that one do-it-all formula. There are very few shoppers who stride into a store, thinking, “Hmm, I need a fourth cleanser to round out my cleansing wardrobe.” (I’m not making fun; I am one of those oddballs.)

If you wear a lot of makeup and you want to buy just one cleanser, then cleansing milks probably aren’t for you (Dara’s Water might be, though).

Otherwise, the magic of the milk, in my view, is this: it is absolutely divine for facial massage. Cleansing balms and oils are wonderful for massage, too, but you get less drag on the skin with a cleansing milk, which makes it feel very light and soothing. It’s similar to the difference between using a gua sha tool and a lymphatic brush: with gua sha, you can feel yourself working into your muscles, but the lymphatic brush works on a lighter level. Both are beneficial; hence my love of a cleansing wardrobe.

Cleansing milks also feel just right this time of year, while being light enough to carry you through the summer and non-sensitizing enough to take you all the way through so-dry-it-hurts February. And if you struggle with sensitive skin, you’ll love that nice, silky, cooling texture. It’s just perfect.

My #1 favorite: Ursa Major Making Moves Milky Cleanser

Ursa Major’s co-founder, Emily, is also a milky-cleanser fan, which becomes obvious when you try this one because it is spectacular. The texture is super milky. It has the perfect amount of slip, whether you’re massaging with your fingers for a lighter lymphatic-massage effect or you’re using it with your gua sha tool (I do both, following this routine for lymphatic massage).
And it rinses off beautifully, even if you use a little more of it than noted in the usage instructions. I do, because given its milkiness, I find that I just need a little more to work with. But I adore that texture.

A solid #2: Biologique Recherche Lait VIP O2

I don’t use a ton of Biologique Recherche’s products, but this is one I’ve come back to over and over. It’s wildly popular for good reason: it feels elegant, luxurious, and gentle, and it has a great rinse-off that doesn’t leave skin feeling as though it’s coated with something less than ideal. Lait VIP O2 was recently reformulated, and although it feels a liiiiittle thicker than the original, it’s still absolutely lovely—and I think the formula changes with this one were very smart.

I hope you found this helpful! (Do you like shorter posts like this one sprinkled in for variety? Please let me know what you think in the comments.)