What is a cleanser?
A cleanser is a gel, cream or lotion that is used to clean the face in the morning and before bed.
What is a cleanser supposed to do?
Cleansers are designed to remove dirt, germs, bacteria, dead skin cells, impurities and oil from the top layer of skin. Some cleansers have active ingredients and can penetrate deeper into the epidermis to give your skin a really deep clean.
How should I apply cleanser?
The most common way is to apply a small amount of cleanser to the fingers and very gently rub the cleanser all over the face and neck in circular motions. Depending on what cleanser you are using it may be advised to avoid the eye area so be sure to read the box before use.
There are also various cleansing tools like the Konjac sponge, Clarisonic and the Foreo Luna which will help you to get a deeper clean.
When to use a cleanser
You should cleanse your face in the morning and before bed to remove makeup and any dirt that has stuck to the face during the day. The nighttime cleanses should take you 2 minutes, just like brushing your teeth, so you remove everything thoroughly.
What cleanser do I need for my skin type?
The skin’s PH can range from 4.5- 6.3. A healthy skin will have a PH of 5.5, which is slightly acidic. If the PH is at 7 or above, bacteria can thrive on the skin and lead to breakouts.
Normal/ Combination skin– You want to pick for a hydrating, brightening cleanser that could come in the form of a cream, lotion or an oil cleanser. Using an oil-based cleanser can be great because makeup and SPF’s contain oil, and nothing removes oil as well as oil. Ingredients to look out for in your cleansers would be vitamin C, vitamin E, oils and Hyaluronic acid.
Oily skin– It’s best to use cleanser’s that are of a low PH and these normally come in Gel formulas. However stay away from anything that lathers up as this will strip the skin barrier that protects our skin so will lead to dehydration. Ingredients to look out for in your cleansers are Salicylic acid, tee tree, and antioxidants.
Dry skin– Cream and oil formulas are great for dry skin as they add moisture and rehydrate the skin. Ingredients to look out for in your cleansers would be emollients, vitamin E, and Hyaluronic acid.
Do I need to cleanse?
Yes, if there is one thing you must do to your face, its to cleanse. If you don’t clean the face there is no point in putting any other products on the skin as they will not be absorbed properly.
What things to avoid?
These days you can get cleansers that remove makeup, clean the skin and exfoliate but I would recommend avoiding these as you should cleanse every day but exfoliate 2 to 3 times a week, so its better to get a makeup remover, a cleanser and an exfoliator and do each step separately to avoid over stimulating or damaging the skin.
What I’m using
For the past 2 months, I have been using Elemis pro collage cream cleanser in the evening and using Garner to remove my eye make up. I have normal to combo skin and love this combination. After using it my skin feels clean but also moisturised.
Hope this helps. Would love to know what cleansers you’re using! xxx
