From cleansing balm to oil cleansers to foaming cleansers, it’s not always easy to know which facial cleanser is best for your skin type – particularly as the face cleanser you choose impacts how well your skin is prepared for the next steps in your skincare routine.
Read on to learn all about cleansing and how you can find the best facial cleanser for your skin type.
View ELEMIS award winning facial cleansersWhat Does A Facial Cleanser Do?
Throughout the day, built up impurities, makeup, pollution, and excess sebum congest the pores, contributing to breakouts, dehydration and premature ageing. A good facial cleanser effectively removes these pollutants from pores without stripping the skin of its natural moisture, leaving skin feeling clean, balanced and ready for the next steps.
[postcard] How to build a skincare routine
How To Choose The Best Cleanser
Each cleanser has unique characteristics, formulations and ingredients that affect skin types differently. If you have dry skin and choose a product that is too astringent, it may leave skin feeling stripped, irritated or sensitised. If you have oily skin, on the other, cleansers that are too rich may clog pores and lead to breakouts.
Look for a skin cleanser based your skin’s needs not how tight or “squeaky-clean” your skin feels. Your moisturiser can’t do all the work; balanced skin starts with cleansing.
The Best Facial Cleanser For Your Skin Type
Oily Skin
When trying to combat excess oil production, it can be tempting to reach for a highly clarifying formula. However, stripping the skin of all its oils only leads to accelerated oil production, as the skin seeks to counteract the dryness.
Clay and foaming cleansers are ideal cleansers for oily skin, as they deeply clarify, helping to control oil production and purify the pores.
Dry Skin
As dry skin has underproductive sebaceous glands, it craves moisture. Opt for a hydrating cleanser formulated with skin conditioning ingredients such as ceramides, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids, and antioxidants that provide essential moisture and nourishment to the skin.
Cream cleansers are typically the best cleansers for dry skin as they help to remove impurities and makeup, while providing nourishing properties and locking in moisture. Alternatively, for extremely dry skin, try an oil-based cleanser that deeply hydrates and soothes.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin requires special attention to keep irritation at bay, so opt for a formula with anti-inflammatory ingredients, such as rosehip oil and chamomile extract.
The best cleansers for sensitive skin types are gentle cleansers (creams, oils and milks) as they won’t disrupt the delicate balance of the skin barrier, but effectively remove daily impurities and soothe the skin. Skincare products like harsh soaps, abrasive exfoliants and makeup remover wipes should be avoided.
Combination Skin
While most cleanser textures work well on combination skin, a cleansing balm or oil is especially effective in balancing oil production and hydrating dry areas simultaneously.
A gel cleanser is an ideal cleanser for combination skin, as it easily lifts away makeup and daily grime without stripping the skin of essential moisture. If you have an oily t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) but are dry in other areas, you may benefit from using two cleansers, to address both skin concerns.
