We all dream of having flawless, blemish-free skin, yet unfortunately, it’s not the case for most of us. Instead, achieving a glowing complexion requires a carefully tailored skincare routine. While cleansing might seem like the most basic step before moisturizing and toning, it’s an important one that you need to pay special care and attention to. Your cleanser is the base of your routine and needs to be chosen specifically based on your skin type and texture.
Remember that skincare is no “one size fits all” process, and you want to find the best product for your skin. Here we take a look at how to choose the perfect face cleanser.
Why Is Cleansing Your Face Important?
Whether running errands, at work, or just chilling at home, your skin builds up a combination of dirt, bacteria, sebum, sweat, and makeup that can clog your pores. A face cleanser is designed to remove dirt from the face while improving your complexion and skin health. External factors such as the time of year, climate, and environment can all wreak havoc on your skin. A good cleanser will help keep it under control.
Cleansers come in various forms, from cream cleansers and bars to gels, foams, and balms. You need to focus on the cleanser tailored to your skin type first. This helps eliminate any irrelevant options and makes choosing the best one for you less overwhelming!
Choosing a Face Cleanser – Identify Your Skin Type
When choosing the best face cleanser, you must consider your skin type. Identifying this is the first step to whittling down the products on the market. You can then choose the best product for you.
To find your skin type, look in the mirror without any makeup or product on. Does it look shiny? Dry? Textured? When you touch it, how does it feel against your fingers? Rough or smooth? If it’s shiny, where about is the shine? All over, or only in one spot? You could also try using blotting paper to see how much oil comes off or consider how sensitive it has been to products in the past. By identifying your skin type, you can find the right products to treat it.
Dry Skin
If you suffer from dry skin, finding a cleanser to gently rid your face of dirt and grime without stripping away its essential oils is important. A good cleanser for dry skin tends to be gentle and soothing, replenishing lost moisture and leaving it hydrated, not greasy. When checking out the ingredients, avoid sulfates, alcohol, salicylic acid, and fragrances. These can often be too harsh and cause irritation.
Oily Skin
If you have oily skin, you want a cleanser that will remove makeup and debris from your face, unclog your pores and reduce excess shine. Cleansers for oily skin are all about controlling your oil balance by keeping your skin’s sebum levels under control. If you use a harsh cleanser, it can strip your skin of the good and the bad oils. This can irritate it and cause it to go into overdrive to replace what’s lost, resulting in an even greasier appearance. Too gentle a cleanser won’t make enough of an impact, so you want something that balances in the middle.
Look for cleansers that can easily remove excess oil without drying the skin. Ingredients should include:
- Retinol accelerates cell turnover and unclogs pores
- Niacinamide boosts collagen production and decreases oiliness
- Salicylic acid — a lipophilic that removes oil from your pores
Combination Skin
If you have combination skin – skin that’s both oily and dry – you want to find something that balances them both. Combination skin is the most common skincare type, but finding the right product to target all areas of concern can be a bit of a struggle.
Cleansers for dry skin can cause the oily parts to be greasier, while those made for oily skin can dry out other areas. When shopping for a cleanser for combination skin, you want something hydrating but not too harsh.
Look for those which target specific skincare concerns you might have, such as acne or flakiness. Steer clear of alcohol-based ingredients and instead opt for superoxide dismutase, lactic acid, and squalane. These are great for combination skin as they are lightweight, hydrating, and not harsh.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is one you need to be particularly careful with. This is because many ingredients can cause your skin to become irritated and flare up. Many cleansers are harsh, particularly for sensitive skin. They can strip away essential oils or layer your face with unnecessary chemicals. This can result in redness, flaking, and itching.
You want to look for products that don’t contain artificial fragrances, phthalates, and parabens, as these can all be too harsh on your skin and cause it to react. Instead, find hypoallergenic, paraben-free cleansers with minimal ingredients.
Consider the Different Cleanser Types
Once you’ve established your skin type, you need to decide which type of cleanser you prefer. With so many on the market, the one you settle on is down to your preference. Below we explore the differences between them.
Gel Cleanser
Gel cleansers are a gentle and lightweight option, ideal for oily, acne-prone, or sensitive skin. With a similar consistency to hair gel, they tend to be translucent, and once they come into contact with the skin, they melt down to a finer liquid. Gel cleansers tend to be water-based with natural and mild ingredients. This includes essential oils and flowers and is great for unclogging pores without causing irritation.
Cream Cleanser
Cream-based cleansers are one of the most popular choices on the market, favored for their cleansing and moisturizing properties. Cream cleansers tend to be created from oil and water emulsions formulated with waxes, mineral oils, and water. They tend to be thicker than gel cleansers yet still offer a gentle way to remove dirt, sweat, and makeup from your skin without stripping away natural oils.
Foam Cleanser
A foam cleanser is an easy choice when looking for a cleanser that can give your skin more of a deep clean. The foaming particles are ideal for digging a bit deeper into your pores and can easily lift out makeup and other dirt. Foam cleansers are suited for those with acne-prone and oily skin due to their deep cleaning properties. Those with sensitive or dry skin might find this cleanser a bit harsh, but some are specially formulated for specific skin types.
Bar Cleanser
Bar cleansers are slowly becoming more popular. This is largely thanks to their environment as well as physical benefits. They tend to have a longer shelf-life than other products, don’t require plastic packaging, and are free of chemicals such as parabens that are used as a preservative.
Bar cleansers tend to be made from natural ingredients such as butters and vegetable oils. With natural properties, they’re a great way to cleanse and also moisturize. They are particularly favored by those with dry or sensitive skin as they don’t tend to cause irritation.
What Is the Best Way to Cleanse Your Face?
Once you’ve found the best cleanser for your skin, you must consider how to use it. How you wash your face can make a difference in how effective your cleanser is and the appearance of your skin.
- Use a cleanser that’s tailored to your skin type
- Wash your face with water that’s lukewarm. Too cold and it can shrink your pores trapping dirt in — too hot, and it can strip the skin, causing irritation
- Massage the cleanser in gentle circular motions with your fingertips, avoiding rubbing too hard
- Exfoliate no more than twice a week
- Rinse off with lukewarm water and pat your face dry with a towel
- Follow up with the rest of your skincare routine, such as a toner and moisturizer
Be sure to cleanse your skin in the morning and the evening to keep it in the best condition. Your morning cleansing routine will remove sweat built up over the night, whereas your evening cleanses will remove makeup and other dirt and debris accumulated during the day.
To Conclude
Whether you already have a regimented skincare routine but are looking to tailor your cleanser, or if you’re looking to start improving how you look after your skin, these top tips are a great place to start. Consider your cleanser as the foundation of your routine and one of the most fundamental parts to get right for your skin to look and be as healthy as possible. Feel free to try a couple of different cleansers until you find the best one for you.
Here at Beauty Society, we have a range of different cleansers for all types of skin. Be sure to check out our range of face cleansers, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!