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How to Pick the Right Cleanser
Part 3: Choose Cleansers Based on Skin Type
In general, if you have dry skin, you should avoid using foaming cleansers and stick to ones that are more moisturizing. If you have oily skin, you don't necessarily have to use foaming cleansers, but they seem to be the preferred choice. If you have sensitive skin, try avoiding cleansers with acids, fragrances, dyes, and other harsh ingredients. If you have acne prone skin, stay away from medicated washes and stick to gentle cleansers.
Just because you have acne prone skin doesn't mean you need a harsh cleanser. While reducing oil can help with acne, it could also make acne worse. You simply can't wash or scrub away your pimples. You can only use cleansers to keep your skin fresh in order to help it more successfully fend off breakouts.
If a cleanser is too drying, don't keep using it because it will only continue to make things worse and disturb your skin's proper function. If you are like me, where even splashing with water dries out your skin, consider using tissue off cleaners or oil-based ones. Even though these seem like they will break out your skin, they have been a life-saver for mine!
Without further ado, here is a general breakdown and description of the different types of cleansers suitable for the different types of skin:
Bar Soaps:
This is generally a skin care no-no. Bar soaps are bad because they are made from harsh detergents that strip everything (good and bad) from your skin. However, there are gentle bar soaps that are fine for your skin, such as Dove Beauty Bar (but this isn’t really a “soap”). Since bar soaps tend to be a bit more drying than other facial cleansers, they tend to be more suitable for those with oily skin.
Foam:
Foaming cleansers can also be quite drying, therefore, oily-skinned people tend to do better with foaming cleansers. I also think foaming cleansers are the types of cleansers that last the longest because all you need is a small amount of cleanser to clean your whole face. While foaming cleansers are fun to wash with, even the gentlest foaming cleansers can be too drying for those with dry or irritated skin.
Gel:
I think of gel type cleansers as not the clear gels that foam up, but gels like Cetaphil. These are gentle cleansers that don’t foam and in all honesty, don’t really clean that well. Gel type cleansers are notorious for being unable to remove makeup and/or sunscreen. I guess that’s kind of the point though, just to be super gentle. Gel type cleansers can be washed off with water or simply tissued off. They can also leave a slight film on your skin. I think these types of cleansers are good for the morning or for those people with dry skin.
Cream/Milky/Lotion:
These are sort of like gels and sort of like foaming cleansers. I’ve seen some milky cleansers that actually foam, but the majority of them are very lotion-y. These types of cleansers would be suitable for those who have skin on the drier side. Since milk and cream cleansers have oils, they can remove makeup and sunscreen well without being overly stripping.
Micellar:
This is a pretty new thing to me. Micellar cleansers are basically cleansing waters. You swipe on the cleansing solution and the micellar particles inside the cleanser allow dirt, oil, and whatever else to be dissolved by water. To remove everything, you simply tissue off or rinse clean. For those whose skin is irritated by tap water and everything else, maybe you can give micellar cleansers a go.
Oil Cleansers:
There are two different types of oil cleansers. One is a cleansing oil and the other is called the Oil Cleansing Method.
Cleansing oils remove make-up and water-proof sunscreen that, say, a regular cleanser can't take off. You basically apply one or two pumps of the cleansing oil all over your face on DRY skin, rub away, and then rinse (it'll turn a milky white). Emulsifiers in the cleansing oil allow the oil to be washed off with just water. Cleansing oils can be purchased pretty much anywhere or made at home.
The Oil Cleansing Method (OCM) is similar to cleansing oils except with some slight differences. In the OCM, plain oil (ex. safflower, castor, olive, jojoba, Vaseline, etc) is rubbed on dry skin, steamed with a warm wash cloth (but don’t use water that’s too hot or you’ll get broken capillaries!), and then wiped off. Following up with a non-cleansing oil cleanser is optional, although I think most people do indeed wash a second time. Some people don’t remove the plain oil by a wash cloth but just wash off the oil with a good foaming cleanser afterwards.
The OCM allows your skin to be cleaned but also leaves slight traces of oil to moisturize and nourish. With cleansing oils, emulsifiers make it so that you don't have to wash again to remove any residual oil.
The concept behind using oils is “likes dissolves likes” or oils dissolve oils. If you think about it, you've got sebum and oil on your face and in your pores and oils are the perfect thing to bind with all that gunk, pull it out, and wash it away. Oils are also great at removing water-proof makeup and sunscreen. However, again, everyone’s skin is different. Often people are scared to try cleansing oils or the OCM because they are afraid they might break out. While some people do break out with cleansing oils, other people find that cleansings oils help improve their complexion. It all depends on your skin type.
Medicated:
Medicated cleansers are cleansers in any of the above forms (but usually as foam cleansers) that are marketed towards acne-prone people. The cleansers have either salicylic acid (to help unclog pores) or benzoyl peroxide (to help kill bacteria) as active ingredients. However, I find most medicated cleansers to be too harsh.
To pick the right cleanser for yourself, buy one that’s suitable for your skin type, cleans well, and feels good on your skin!
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