Skincare Products – Cleansers

Why it’s important

Cleansing is important as it helps to remove oil, sweat, dirt (and other remains of pollution), and dead skin cells from your face. They also help to unclog pores and exfoliate the skin, ideally without stripping the top layer. If you’re not face-washing, you might actually be hindering the absorption of your other skincare products.

How to use it

You should be cleansing your face twice a day – once in the morning and once at night. This ensures that the makeup and grime from your day are removed before bed, and the excess sweat and sebum developed overnight are removed before you apply any other products.

What to look for

There are a few cleanser formulations out there:

• Cleansing Lotions/Milks/Creams: Great for sensitive skin, these formulations are generally hydrating and gentle, and don’t need to be washed off (generally wiping them off with a warm, wet cloth is fine). The drier your skin, the thicker of a formulation you’d want to consider. They dissolve the dirt, oil and makeup from your face, and are generally a great “first pass”, but may leave a residue. This is why they’re generally the first step in a “double cleansing” routine.
• Micellar Water: Also rinseless, these are great formulations to use in the morning, but are limited in how effective they are against excess sebum and thick makeup.
• Face Washes: These are generally foaming cleansers, which go deeper into the pores for a deeper clean. However, these should be used after the makeup and grime have already been removed.

There are also some other tips and tricks based on your skin type:

• If you have dry skin, you want to avoid a high alcohol content, as this can dry you out even more. Cream formulations are also better for dryer skin types as foaming washes can be drying, however, you should still reach for a foaming wash at least once a week.
• Oily skin will do well with foaming formulations, as they’re better at getting into the pores and removing and build-up
• For after hard work-outs, look for a formulation focused on clearing out your pores (as that where the sweat can settle)
• If using a milk/cream cleanser, apply it to a DRY face. This dilutes the product, and just makes it less effective overall.
• Look for something that’s both oil-free (or noncomedogenic) and hydrating. On the hydrating side, some good ingredients to look for are ceramides and hyaluronic acid. On the cleansing side, you want to chose different ingredients based on your skin type. For acne-prone skin, look for exfoliating ingredients, but sensitive skinned individuals should look for calming agents.
• Try to limit your face washing to twice a day (adding an extra time if you’ve had a heavy work-out). Too much washing can over-dry your skin