How to find the right cleanser for your skin
Let’s talk about cleansers. We all need to use one to remove the day’s dirt, impurities, make up and more but sometimes it can be hard to know where to start.
Cleansing balms, foaming cleansers, oil cleansing, micellar water, sulphates, cleansing cloths, ingredient lists that take longer to read that it takes to wash your face, oil-free cleansers, cleansing brushes, double cleansing, face wipes. The options go on and on.
Using the right cleanser for your skin is really important - it’s the foundation of your skincare routine after all. But how are you meant to know if you’re using the right cleanser for your skin? Like most good things, when you find the right one you’ll look back and think “why did I put up with that?”.
But until then here are some tips to help you find your perfect cleansing match and ditch those cleansers that might just be wrong for your skin.
How do you find the right cleanser for your skin?
Sometimes there is an element of trial and error to find out which ingredients and formulations work best for your skin. Realistically, you should be able to use your cleanser twice a day without feeling any negative effects on your face without having to use a million other products to make your skin feel “normal” again after cleansing.
In general, a cream or milk cleanser is more soothing than a foaming cleanser, which can be harsh and strip your skin. Balms and oils are hydrating, nourishing and gentle for all skin types. Face wipes don’t really clean your face properly (and they’re bad for the environment) and micellar water should just be used as a makeup remover at best.
Common Issues With Skin Cleansers
Your skin feels tight or dry after cleansing
If your skin feels tight, dry and “squeaky-clean” after using your cleanser, then you’re probably using a cleanser that’s too harsh for your skin. The tightness you feel is your skin being stripped of its natural oils, which could actually lead to your skin over-producing oil in the longer term as it tries to overcompensate.
You’re breaking out
Working out the cause of your breakouts can feel like playing detective at times. Is it diet, hormones, lifestyle, stress, touching your face, not washing your pillow enough or is it the products you’re using? If your skin is normally crystal but you’re breaking out after adding a new product into your routine then allow time for your skin to adjust first of all – 2 or 3 weeks is optimum. If it’s still happening, start a process of elimination and measure how your skin reacts.
Rashes and reactions are the norm
Some preservatives, fragrances or other ingredients can cause allergic reactions, including rashes and redness, after use. This isn’t a normal part of cleansing (even if you feel like it’s become the norm for you), so if this is happening to your skin after cleansing check out those ingredients and move on to something gentler that isn’t going to make your skin red, inflamed and sore. You and your skin deserve to be treated better than that.
Burning, stinging or itching
Like rashes and reactions – this isn’t normal! Your cleanser shouldn’t be making your skin burn, sting or itch and the process of cleaning your skin certainly shouldn’t be painful. Sensitive skin in particular can react like this as some chemicals used in skincare can just be too harsh for delicate skin.
Your skin type seems to have changed
What we mean by that is if you usually have normal/combination skin that’s suddenly like an oil slick by 2pm, check if you’ve recently added any new products in. Cleansers that strip your skin of natural oils can lead to an overproduction of oil to compensate. Try water-based cleansers that add hydration if you’re trying to combat oil.
Take the stress out of your skincare routine with our Gentle Daily Cleansing Balm. Have you tried it yet?