I have used the Superfade Original Cream without the cleanser before and I did find the creams till worked. But the cleanser made the Superfade Original Cream work faster. I have tended to cleanse twice - once with my normal foaming cleanser and then with the Superfade. The cleanser is not overly foaming and feels a little heavy on the skin, but it has an exfoliating action which seems to work well with the Superfade Original Cream. I wouldn't use this as my everyday cleanser but would recommend it if you wish to use it in conjunction with the cream.