Cleansing our faces is a daily routine for everyone, and we all do it differently. Some use water only while some use cleanser. Some use the cleanser once a day while some do it twice daily. There are many different methods, and it is important to set up a routine that best fits your skin type and seasons. To start off, let’s understand why we need the cleanser and decode the different types of cleansers available for us to choose from so that you can pick one that best suits you.
Why do I need cleaners and how often should I cleanse them?
Cleansers and cleansing are the foundation of a skincare routine. It is the most basic step, that should not be skipped. Just like if you ever polish your car, you will not do it without first giving it a wash, or when you want to give the floor a mop you are most likely going to vacuum or a sweep first.
The process of cleansing is to help remove the dirt on your skin, if cleansing is not done properly it can lead to clogged pores, and bacterial build-up resulting in acene and moles. Cleansing can help remove dirt and make-up that was not cleaned off properly from make-up remover, but when cleansing it removes the good natural oil from your face too, therefore doing it every morning and night is more than enough.
Some might ask if I am in the house all day and did not put any makeup on, is it still necessary to clean my face with a cleanser? The answer is Yes. There is a lot of dirt in the atmosphere, or in our bed linens, and our face excretes oil doing the day too. Although we have mentioned that natural oil Its good for our skin, excess oil will result in pores clogged and acne. Therefore, it is still essential to clean them before you go ahead with your skincare routine. But how do we know if we are over-cleansing them? As a rule of thumb, it is often advisable to wash it twice daily, once in the morning and once at night; but if you feel that your face is flaky and dry it is a sign that you are over-cleansing them. And we should therefore change the cleansing routine or change the cleanser.
Types of Cleansers
To choose the right cleansers, it is important to first understand the difference between them.
1) Cream Cleansers
Cream cleansers or often referred to ‘milk’ or ‘lotion’ cleansers. It is a gentle cleanser often white and thick in texture, with moisturizing benefits. It is very gentle and does not make a lot of bubbles when cleansing it, as a result, you might find it necessary to do a double-cleansing. It is a great option for normal, dry, and sensitive skin; and it is also suitable all year round.
2) Gel Cleansers
Gel cleansers are deep cleansers, designed to help remove excess oil from the skin surface. It works well for oily and combination skin, or if you are prone to breakouts, as it can help kill off the bacteria which causes spots. It is like cream cleansers, where very few bubbles would be found but it is a great deep cleanser.
3) Foam Cleansers
A common and strong deep cleanser. A form of product where it is a liquid inside the bottles when bumps out of the bottle it turns into bubble foams. As it is a strong cleanser, most of them will dry out skin, as a result, it might not be suitable for dry and sensitive skin, as it could worsen the condition. For those with normal or oily skin, you might find it refreshing after the cleanse. However, there are different types of foam cleansers, some might be more gentle with their formulas, as a result, it might be suitable for all skin types.
4) Oil Based Cleansers
The name might make it sound that an oil-based cleansers are not suitable for oily skin people. But in fact, this is not true. Oil based cleansers are suitable for all skin types. It is an ideal type of cleanser to remove heavier make-up and sunscreens. It is also the best option for penetrating the pores and dissolving the bad oils and bacteria.
If you have a habit of double cleansing, it might be ideal to start off with an oil-based cleanser and then move on to a gel or cream cleanser for an optimal outcome.
5) Clay Cleansers
Clay cleansers are a good option for deep cleansing. Clay cleansers contains earthy elements and are known for is oil absorbing powers, thus it is a perfect option for oily and combination skin types as it can help eliminating excess oils in the skin and keep the pores clean without taking away the necessities that keep your skin healthy. Although it is a deep cleansing, it is gentle enough to use daily. However, of course, it depends on the product and your skin type. Once you feel pain, itch, dry or flaky, then give your skin a break away from the clay cleansers.
6) Facial Scrubs
Facial scrubs are a product used to exfoliate the skin. They are cleansers that contain plastic pellets for other particles that help remove dry skin and dirt from the face. By removing the dirt and dead skin on the face helps makes the skin softer and smoother. It should not be a product that is used daily, it should be a weekly skincare routine. And there are different facial scrubs out there, so you will certainly find one that best fits your skin. You can also do a homemade facial scrub with ingredients at home, check here for some recipes.
Above are the 6 categories of face wash cleansers, you can mix and match, and swap them according to your skin condition. Other types of common face cleansers are wipes and make-up removers, however, it is suggested that if you use those two you will need to undergo a second cleanse with one of the above cleansers. Moreover, although these are the basic categories, assorted brands have different formulas for their cleansers. Therefore, it is important to check the ingredients and ask the salesperson or an expert carefully how to use them and which skin types are the products suitable for.
