Using the right cleanser makes all the difference in the world because it determines how your skin is going to react to everything else you put on it. Greasing up your skin with a wipe-off, cold cream-type cleanser can clog pores and leave a film on the skin, which means all the other products you put on will be sitting on top of that instead of being easily absorbed. Trying to degrease the skin with a drying toner after using this kind of greasy cleanser to remove makeup can cause irritation and a range of other problems. Using a cleanser that is overly drying in the hopes of treating oily skin or blemishes absolutely won’t work. The irritation and barrier damage to skin impede healing, increase acne-causing bacteria in skin, and increase oil production because irritation stimulates oil production. Using a gentle, water-soluble cleanser is the best option for the entire face, and this is true for all skin types. (Sources: Skin Research and Technology, February 2005, pages 53-60; and Dermatologic Therapy, January 2004, pages 16-25.)
Most of us are familiar with the three primary categories of cleansers available: wipe-off cleansers (including cold creams and creamy makeup removers), soaps of all kinds (including bar cleansers, which technically are not soap), and water-soluble cleansers (creamy, lotion, or shampoo-like cleansers that rinse off).
What differentiates a good water-soluble cleanser from a poor one? Three basic qualities:
1. It washes off makeup without leaving the face dry (like soaps) or greasy (like cold cream), or drying skin, as liquid cleansers can sometimes do;
2. It contains no obvious fragrance (even though the fragrance ingredients would quickly rinse off the face, any potential for needless irritation should be avoided), or abrasive, scrublike particles (scrubs should be used carefully and judiciously, not as part of cleaning the skin twice a day); and
3. It matches your skin type, meaning it should be more emollient for dry skin and provide more thorough cleansing (not drying and irritating) for oily/combination skin.
Some cleansers on the market are labeled “water soluble,” but in actuality they need to be wiped off with a wet washcloth. If the cleanser must be wiped off with a tissue or washcloth, it need not be a problem but it would only be an option for someone with dry skin.
Water-soluble cleansers are not only the gentlest way to clean the face, they are also the most efficient. Everything is done at the sink. Imagine splashing your face generously with (tepid) water, then massaging a water-soluble cleanser on evenly over your face, including the eyes, and then rinsing it off with more water, preferably with your hands. Once the face is rinsed, it shouldn’t feel greasy or dry.
Expensive water-soluble cleansers are truly a waste of money. First there is nothing in a cleanser that warrants the price difference. There are only so many ingredients that can clean the face and remove makeup. Second, when cleansers do contain some bells and whistles to make you think you’re getting something special, those ingredients would just be rinsed down the drain without ever getting a chance to be absorbed and provide a benefit on the skin.
In my book Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, 7th Edition, and on my Web site, www. Beautypedia. com, I provide a complete summary of the best water-soluble cleansers for each skin type.
Summary: Use only water-soluble cleansers that rinse off completely when water is splashed on the face, leaving the face with a clean, soft feeling that is neither dry nor greasy. Creamy, water-soluble cleansers are an option for dry skin.
Basic directions: Wash your hands first and then splash the face generously, including the eyes, with tepid water (not hot or cold). Once the face is soaking wet, take your cleanser and massage it generously all over the face, including the eyelids. Rinse very well. If traces of makeup are left behind, or if you have very oily skin, you may need to repeat this step. Use a gentle washcloth if you are wearing heavy makeup, ultra-matte foundations, or other hard-to-remove makeup, or want an alternative to using a scrub.