Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant is a gentle-yet-powerful cleanser that uses a blend of salicylic acid and rice enzymes to exfoliate. We love that this classic exfoliating powder boasts a combo of skin-sloughing and skin-soothing ingredients (think: green tea and colloidal oatmeal) that keep it from being too harsh for everyday use.
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Memoirs of a Geisha
Tatcha combines the centuries-old cleansing rituals of geishas with modern science to produce luxe skin care products. Their Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder uses antioxidant-rich Japanese rice bran to smooth skin without being abrasive. Papaya extract exfoliates and leaves skin super soft and matte. Legend has it geishas noticed how smooth sake masters' hands were after constantly putting them in rice bran to make the alcohol, and began using it themselves daily.
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Double Your Investment
Sometimes you want a deep cleansing, and BareMinerals Exfoliating Treatment Cleanser delivers just that. When mixed with water, it turns into a frothy cleanser that you can feel getting your face squeaky-clean. The sulfate-free formula also contains soothing collodial oatmeal and rice powder, but gets its deep cleansing power from saponins from the Chilean Soap Bark Tree. Because it's in powder form, it can deliver more concentrated ingredients, but won't leave your face feeling over-scrubbed afterwards. Mix it with a little less water so it forms a paste and, voila, you've got a weekly mask.
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Undercover Exfoliator
Amarte Daily Exfolipowder is a gentle cleanser that uses a plant seed-based formula to buff skin into flake-free submission. Sprinkle the refreshing, fruity-scented powder into wet hands (one tip of the container will do) and rub together to get a creamy cleanser that doesn't feel abrasive or rough, at all. In fact, it's so gentle that it almost tricks you into thinking you're using a regular cleanser ... until you see the super-smooth, soft results. The teeny granules are given a boost with willow bark extract, a natural dead skin-zapper.
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Bonjour, Glowing Skin
You may know Diptyque for their chic, upscale fragrances and candles, so it's no surprise that their foray into skin care produced some ah-mazingly scented products that feel oh-so-luxe. The Poudre Pureté Radiance Boosting Powder manages to smell both fresh and floral, thanks to the combo of verbena and neroli, and the white clay powder-based formula turns into a creamy-yet-foamy cleanser that gently removes makeup and excess oil.
Some powders, like those found in envelopes circa 2001, make us want to run in the other direction. Others, like the new class of exfoliating face cleansers, make us want to dive into a vat of it, face-first (and emerge softer, smoother and glowier than ever).
Powdered face cleansers are our latest skin care fixation. These formulas, which foam up when you add water, are made from pulverized minerals, plant-based exfoliators and botanical enzymes that gently polish the skin -- perfect for sensitive complexions.
