How to Choose the Right Cleanser for Your Skin Type
A cleanser is the vital first step in any skincare routine. Because you’re using it day, night, and after a gym session, it’s crucial to use the right formula for your skin type. You may not think choosing a cleanser is as complicated as picking out results-driven products like a serum or moisturizer, but make the incorrect choice, and you could wind up with breakouts, excessive oiliness, or even dryness because the skin has been stripped of its natural oils.
Cleansers have come a long way over the years, and you can find many formulas with active ingredients that help tackle skin concerns ranging from acne and oiliness to dryness and sensitivity. There are also different consistencies, some of which are better for some skin types than others. Don’t just grab the first cleanser you see on the shelf. Read on to find out how to choose the right formula for your skin type so you can lay the groundwork for an effective skincare regimen.
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What are Cleansers, Anyway?
As the name suggests, cleansers remove makeup, oil, dirt, and pollution from the skin. Since most impurities are not water-soluble, cleansing the skin with water alone is not enough, so most cleansers contain chemical or natural surfactants to dissolve dirt and grime. However, we’re not talking about harsh soap here. Face cleansers are formulated explicitly with facial-friendly ingredients.
That said, a cleanser is slightly different from a face wash. While the names are often used interchangeably, a cleanser is gentler and can be used daily — there are also formulas for all skin types. A face wash typically contains harsher ingredients that cater more to oily or acneic skin.
Several face cleansers exist, including gels, foams, creams, balms, oils, powders, wipes, clays, and micellar waters. Which one you need largely depends upon your skin type, which we’ll get to in a sec. Regardless of your choice, a good cleanser should:
- Balance the skin’s natural pH levels
- Effectively remove makeup, dirt, dead skin cells, and other impurities
- Not strip the skin of its natural oils
- Leave no film behind after rinsing
- Be void of harsh ingredients such as parabens, phthalates, sulfates, and fragrance ( consider going the vegan skincare route)
Dry Skin
Dry skin produces fewer natural oils than usual, so there aren’t as many hydrating lipids to protect against external stressors such as pollution, the environment, and UVA rays. The skin appears dull, flaky, and scaly and can feel rough, itchy, and tight. While there’s the bonus of pores being less visible, fine lines and wrinkles are more apparent. You can naturally have dry skin or develop it with age.
Cleansers for Dry Skin
The best cleansers for dry skin are creams, cream gels, balms, oils, and micellar waters. They effectively cleanse without removing any vital oils your skin desperately needs. When shopping for skincare for dry skin, look for products formulated with hydrating, nourishing, and protecting ingredients like ceramides, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, shea butter, jojoba oil, and coconut milk, to name a few. Avoid acids, clays, surfactants, and mechanical exfoliating elements that can rob your skin of vital moisture and potentially create more irritation.
Pro Tips
- Always wash your face with tepid — not hot — water to prevent moisture loss.
- Consider mixing things up by using micellar water in the morning (unless you slept with makeup on, there should be fewer impurities to remove) and double cleansing at night with a cleansing oil or balm followed by a cream or gel-cream cleanser.
Oily Skin
Does your skin get shiny in the T-zone (forehead, nose, cheeks) by mid-afternoon? Are pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and enlarged pores of concern? Is it challenging to maintain a makeup application? It sounds like you have oily skin, which produces more sebum (oil) than other skin types.
