Last Updated on January 25, 2026 by Giorgia Guazzarotti
Feel Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser’s got fruit enzymes in it. Papain, bromelain, all that good stuff. Sounds fancy, right? But here’s what nobody tells you: enzymes need time to work. Like, actual minutes sitting on your face. And this is a cleanser. You slap it on, rub it around for maybe a minute, rinse. So do those enzymes actually provide gentle exfoliation? Or are they just sitting there looking pretty on the ingredient list? If you’ve been looking through feel enzymatic exfoliating cleanser reviews to answer this question (and more), I’ve got you covered. Here, you’ll learn whether this cleanser can genuinely exfoliate or if you’re basically just washing your face with expensive hopes and dreams.
Key Ingredients in Feel Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser: What Makes It Work?
SODIUM C 14-16 OLEFIN SULFONATE
This is what’s actually cleaning your face. It’s a surfactant, a fancy word to call ingredients that allow water to mix with oils. Why this matters? If you’ve ever washed a greasy pan, you know that water alone doesn’t do the job. You need something to break down the grease. Makeup and sunscreen are that grease here. This breaks them, so water can then rinse them off your skin and leave you with a clean complexion. While it’s at it, it makes bubbles too.
FRUIT ENZYMES
Papain and Bromelain are the fruit enzymes here. Papain’s from papaya, bromelain’s from pineapple. They’re both enzymes that break down proteins. On your face, that means they act like chemical exfoliants, breaking down the glue holding dead skin cells together, which = brighter and smoother skin texture. Except enzymes are slow. They need time. Like 10-15 minutes minimum. There’s a study that showed papain worked when it was left on skin for 15 minutes (the researchers specifically said the enzymes need “sufficient contact time” to actually break down those protein bonds). And you’re using this for what, 60 seconds? Maybe two minutes if you’re really going for it? The enzymes barely touch your skin before they’re swirling down the drain. They’re basically decorative at that point. If you want enzymes to actually exfoliate, you need them in something that stays on your face. A mask. A serum. Something. Not a cleanser you rinse off immediately.
Related: Everything You Need To Know About Enzyme Exfoliants In Skincare
Texture
Thick and creamy with little scrubby bits you can actually see in it (that’s what does the physical exfoliation – and why you’re getting any exfoliation at all from this). When you squeeze it out it’s pretty dense, not runny at all. You can see the particles just hanging out in there. Rub it on wet skin and it doesn’t really foam. Like barely any bubbles, just stays creamy and thick while you’re massaging it around. And yeah, you feel those scrubby bits. They’re scratchy in a way that’s fine if you’re gentle but can get rough real fast if you press too hard.
Related: Chemical VS Physical Exfoliants: Which Type Is Better?
Fragrance
Smells fruity. Think apple with some tropical vibes. Kind of artificial but not in an offensive way Sticks around for a minute after you rinse then disappears pretty quick. Do I want fragrance in my cleanser (or skincare products, for that matter)? No. It’s pointless and it’s an irritant. If you’re sensitive to scents this could be a problem. Even if you’re not, why risk it just so your face wash smells like fruit?
How To Use It
This is the first step of your skincare routine (duh!). Wet your face first with warm water. Squeeze out a small amount of product (seriously you don’t need much, maybe like a nickel size). Massage it using circular motions and be gentle about it. This thing’s got scrubby particles and a harsh cleanser in it so if you go hard you’re gonna irritate yourself. Keep it light, work it around for like a minute, maybe two if you’re trying to let those enzymes do something (spoiler: they still won’t have enough time). Rinse really well with lukewarm water. Make sure you get all of it because it leaves a film if you don’t. Don’t use this on a daily basis (no skin type needs daily exfoliation). Follow up with moisturizer to avoid dryness.
Packaging
The 15ml version comes in a small bottle with a pump applicator. The 120ml in a standard squeeze tube. I’m not a fan of squeeze tubes for this type of exfoliant because it’s so hard to get everything last bit of it out of the tube. But it’s handy for travelling.
Performance & Personal Opinion
Does it clean? Oh yeah. Like really cleans. Your face feels squeaky clean after, sometimes too clean-that tight stripped feeling where you know all your natural oils just got nuked. If you have super oily skin, you might love that feeling. I found it uncomfortable. The physical exfoliation works for sure. Those little scrubby bits slough off dead skin, face feels smoother right after. No question there.
The enzymatic exfoliation though? Not buying it. I didn’t notice anything different between this and any other scrub. No special glow, no magic enzyme moment, just scrubbing doing what scrubbing does. My skin felt nice immediately after but then within an hour or two I could feel it getting tight, especially if I’d used it more than twice that week. Even after moisturizing, my skin felt drier than normal. And I’m combination/normal – if I were actually dry this would wreck me.
Here’s the thing: this is sold as an enzymatic exfoliating cleanser but it’s really just a scrub with some enzymes thrown in so they can say that. The scrubbing works if that’s what you want and your skin can take it. But you’re paying for enzymatic exfoliation that isn’t happening because you rinse it off too fast. Want actual enzymatic exfoliation? Get a mask. Want a scrub? This works but there are gentler cheaper ones. Have dry or sensitive skin? Run away from this.
What I Like About Feel Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser
- Physical exfoliation genuinely work: those scrubby bits slough off dead cells and your face feels smoother right after
- It does give you a brighter complexion
- Actually cleans really well, gets makeup and oil off no problem if that’s what you need
- Texture’s nice to use: creamy, spreads easy, doesn’t feel like rubbing gravel on your face if you’re gentle
- Little bit goes a long way so the tube lasts
What I DON’T Like About Feel Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser
- Enzymes are basically decorative: they need 10-15 minutes to work, you’re rinsing this off in under two minutes, the whole enzymatic claim is bullshit
- So drying – that main cleanser strips everything, leaves your skin tight and parched especially if you use it more than twice a week
- Has fragrance for no reason – it’s an irritant, does nothing useful, just there to smell nice
- Way too harsh for sensitive or dry skin
- Can be scratchy and rough if you’re not super careful with pressure
- Not suitable for daily use
- It doesn’t do anything for fine lines and dark spots
Who Should Use This?
People with oily tough skin who want a physical scrub and don’t mind harsh cleansers. If you love that squeaky clean feeling and your skin doesn’t freak out easily, maybe you’ll like this.
Could work for combination skin if you only use it on oily areas and avoid the dry spots. But still only a few times a week. And even then, why not pick something gentler? Just because your skin can handle it, doesn’t mean you should mistreat it.
Don’t touch this if:
- You’re sensitive: the cleanser, fragrance, scrubbing, all of it may irritate you
- You’re dry: it’ll make it so much worse
- You have rosacea, eczema, any inflammatory stuff
- You have acne-prone skin.
- You actually want enzymatic exfoliation
- Your skin barrier’s compromised or you have active breakouts
Does Feel Enzymatic Exfoliating Cleanser Live Up To Its Claims?
| CLAIM | TRUE? |
|---|---|
| This cleanser moisturizes, exfoliates, and cleanses skin all at the same time. | It cleanses and exfoliates, but it doesn’t moisturise. |
| 1% Fruit Enzymes. | True. |
Price & Availability
15ml, £6; 120ml, £21 at This Is Feel
The Verdict: Should You Buy It?
Probably not unless you’re very specific about what you want. Got super oily tough skin and you specifically want a physical scrub with aggressive cleansing and you’re fine using it sparingly? Sure, could work for you. It does physically exfoliate and it cleans hard. But for most people this isn’t it. The main thing it’s selling – enzymatic exfoliator – doesn’t work because it can’t work in a cleanser you rinse off in 60 seconds. Plus it’s drying and potentially irritating. The idea’s fine but the reality doesn’t match.
Aqua, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Polylactic Acid, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol, Papain, Bromelain, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Cucurbita Pepo (Pumpkin) Seed Oil, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Powder, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Isopropyl alcohol, Eugenol, Limonene.
