Who would ever think that cleansers could become so confusing? After all, what happened to good old-fashioned soap and water?
Some women find themselves unsure as to what their skin needs and cleansers can therefore be a constant battle of confusion. One thing to remember is that our skin types can differ from season to season and can also alter when we travel. A couple of different cleansers on hand will always provide the correct type of cleansing at anytime.
Facial washes
These liquid and gel cleansers are designed to be ‘lathered up’ with water to dissolve grime, dirt and stale make-up from the skin’s surface. They are suitable for all skin types, so you must just check that you buy the correct one for your skin type. Make sure that you don’t over use when treating an oily skin. That ‘extra’ washing is not always a good thing and can lead to a dryness of pores.
They’re great for those that love that the soap and water feel but like the convenience of a pump bottle.
Cleansing bars
A soap and water wash to cleanse your skin without stripping it of moisture - ordinary soap is too drying for most skins. Soap bars are more refreshing for oilier skin types and help to keep pores clear and prevent pimples. There are cleansing bars for every skin type and again, great for those who love that soap and water freshness. The soap bar corrects the PH balance of the skin, so that it doesn’t strip it of natural oils. Even oily skin needs some natural oil.
Cleansing lotions
Probably the most popular cleanser once you get into wearing more make-up. They are milky in consistency and are suitable for normal, combination and sensitive skins. A milky cleanser can be more effective in the removal of make-up. Use with damp cotton wool pads, sweeping the cleanser over the face to remove make-up. Or massage into skin with wet hands before removing with a wet face cloth.
Cream cleansers
These light creams are a great way to cleanse drier and more mature complexions. They generally have quite a light, fluid consistency to make them easy to spread onto the skin. They contain oils to dissolve surface dirt and make-up, so that they can be easily swept from your skin with cotton wool. Use damp cotton wool if you prefer a fresher touch.
Muslin cloth cleanser
Milky cleansers and cloths are the latest method of cleansing skin, which, really equates to the age-old ‘soap and flannel’ method. The action of the muslin cloth is a daily but gentle exfoliation on the skin, which speeds up the cell renewal process, thus leaving you with a bright and refreshed complexion. Cloths need to be washed frequently.
Facial cleansing brushes
These can be both electronic and super expensive or hand held whereby you move the brush around your face with a cleanser. The electric ones tend to have a two-minute treatment timer, which does help with excess scrubbing. I personally found that maximum three times per week is more suitable than everyday in the beginning as the skin can become quite sensitive. Gel and foamy cleanser are best used with this kind of brush and make sure that you use very gently if you have breakouts or acne, as you do not want to spread any infections. Sterilising the brush head is a must and I would recommend a simple solution of Milton sterilising fluid.
Skincare wipes
Personally, I would never recommend these on a day-to-day basis alone, as they are simply not enough to leave the skin feeling clean enough. They can dry out very easily if you do not seal the pack properly and I find them quite drying to the skin. Fine to use if you are travelling or need a quick and lazy rescue wash after a late night.
Cleansing waters
One of my favourite new finds are cleansing waters. They actually work really well if you use them with the skincare wipes above as they add that bit more moisture to the wipe and are easier to use than a damp cotton pad. I like the fact that the cleansing water also removes eye make-up as long as it isn’t too heavy or waterproof.
So there you have it, eight types of cleanser for approximately four types of skin. I’m sure that given another year or two, I’ll be able to add a few more to my list.
With thanks to Hazel Mills, Beauty Consultant.