Tips for Choosing: Your Perfect Facial Cleanser

A few weeks ago, I did a post about on which items in your skincare routine it usually better to pay more for and which items you can find quality options at lower prices (read the article here). One of the top items in the "budget-friendly" category is a facial cleanser. This said, however, though there are a variety of types of quality cleansers out there at affordable prices, and finding the right facial cleanser for your needs is a crucial first step to any skincare routine., Here are 3 key things to keep in mind as you search.

Be Specific About What You Want Your Cleanser to Do: The concept of washing one's face may seem self-explanatory, but as skincare formulas have become more sophisticated, facial cleansers have become much more specialized in their functions. Namely, there are those that simply wash the face and remove makeup, which is what most cleansing balms and also many cream-based and milky cleansers are great for. And then there those that act like a first treatment step for the skin, offering additional benefits to the skin as they cleanse it. Effective cleansers exist for every skin type in both categories, but cleansers in the second group-- the more treatment cleansers-- often contain strong actives that we see in more concentrated products that we leave on the skin such as Vitamin C, exfoliating acids and enzymes or retinoids Treatment cleansers are a great way to introduce your skin to stronger active ingredients and can help the skin feel brighter and more clarified from the very start of a skincare routine. While they usually don't offer as a dramatic and not nearly as long-term results as these kinds of ingredients lend to leave-on products like serums, these cleansers can serve as quick test run as to how your skin responds to more powerful actives.

A downside to treatment cleansers is that they often do not eat through face makeup as their thicker, often more oil-based counterparts, and cleansers with powerful acids and resurfacing ingredients are often too harsh to use around the eye area to take off eye makeup. In a lot of cases for an evening skincare routine especially, many people recommend have a first cleanse with a makeup removal-friendly cleanser and then following up with a more treatment-based cleanser afterwards, or otherwise, letting your cleanser simply do its job of removing the grime of the day or night and the makeup and then packing any treatment you want to add into other steps.

Look for Minimal To No Sulfates No Matter What Your Skin Type: Sulfate ingredients (sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laurenth sulfate especially) are the ingredients in most soaps that create the huge bubbly lather. While these do clean the skin thoroughly, these ingredients can be overdrying to the skin especially with continued use or when the sulfate is in a high concentration. In a skincare ingredients label, the ingredients that are in highest concentration are first on the list and ingredients in lower concentrations are further down. For a cleanser you use on a daily basis, look for one that has any sulfates further down the list or with none at all, especially if your skin type is naturally dry or is sensitive. Even those with oily or acne-prone skin usually do not fare well with using sulfate-based cleanser though the sulfates will cut through the excess oil and leave the skin feeling thoroughly clean t and fresh, they ultimately still strip the skin,, causing the skin to produce even more oil in an effort to repair itself. With this in mind, it is still possible to find cleansers that give a nice light lather and refreshing foaming feel without the sulfates. Look for the ingredient Cocamidopropyl Betaine, an emulsifying ingredient usually derived from coconuts that will give a bit of foaming action and also be very easy to rinse off.

Pick Your Method of Removal: Knowing how you would like to remove your cleanser, and therefore, how the cleansers you are considering need to be removed, is an important factor. Some cleansers can easily be removed with water for those on the go while others require a bit to work them off or the help of a washcloth and are great if you enjoy a bit of steam on the face or a facial massage. Every brand has different directions for every cleanser they make, but in general, most oil cleansers, for example, are best for massage, but also usually require warm water and a wash cloth to remove. On the other hand, gel based cleansers or ones with lightly foaming emulsifiers can in many cases by splashed off with a bit of water and do not necessarily need a cloth or even much hand contact to remove, so these can be very good for people experiencing a breakout or allergic reaction where touch can sometimes further aggravate the skin. Yet still, some thinner cleansing milks out there, especially from classic French pharmacie brands like Avene and Nuxe call to be gently tissued off the face with cotton (without any water at all) to ensure only makeup and surface debris is removed, offering the most gentle cleanse possible with most mild of skin contact to remove and allowing the skin to remain calm and to soak up the more hydrating properties as much as possible before what is not absorbed into the skin is wiped away., and often, it is recommended that you follow up these cleansers with toner to further treat the skin rather than simply emoving it with straight water.

Regardless of the formula of the cleanser or your skin type, no cleanser should ever be left on the surface of the face. If there is residue of a more foaming cleanser, even a gentle one, left behind, it will continue to work through the surface of the skin. Likewise, if a creamier or a more oil-based cleanser is left on the skin too long, the formula could potentially clog the pores. Knowing the right removal method of a cleanser and committing to doing that after every use is important to get the best results out of the product and for your skin.

Finding a good facial cleanser that is well-suited for your skin and that is enjoyable to use consistently is perhaps the biggest fundamental of great skin. Have fun playing with the different types and textures out there keeping these things in mind as you hunt for your skin's perfect match.