by Colleen
It’s the first monday in April and Spring is in full swing. I have tried to spring clean my house but it’s really not my strong suit!
Cleaning up my beauty routine and swapping out facial cleansers for different seasons is.
I love a trip to Sephora but it can be really overwhelming. There are so many products and spring beauty launches that finding a skin cleanser that works for you out of a sea of options can be confusing. Here is a little guide to facial cleansers that I hope will help.
TYPES OF CLEANSERS
MICELLAIRE WATER
A favorite of French women this is a water based cleanser that you use more like a makeup remover. Dampen a cotton pad and this cleanser thoroughly removes your makeup, waterproof mascara and all. There is no need to rinse as it leaves no residue. It is perfect for sensitive skin as there is no soap so the pH of the skin is left intact. I use this cleanser on my clients and myself. It removes makeup perfectly and leaves the skin hydrated not taut. For late nights it’s the perfect lazy solution to removing your makeup with a few swipes, and then falling into bed.
My favorite Micellaire cleanser: Bioderma Créaline, Simple micellar facial cleansing water
OIL CLEANSERS
Popular with Asian women, oil cleansers are fantastic at removing even the thickest makeup. When I was a model I discovered Shu Uemura’s oil cleanser that removed all my several layers of makeup that I had on for a day of shooting. To use this cleanser you apply the oil to a dry face, massage in and then add water. Contrary to what you may think about oil on the face, with the addition of water, the oil dissolves and some even foam slightly and are completely rinsed away. This cleanser is perfect for dry skin as it does leave a supple feeling after rinsing. This cleanser is great to remove sunscreen and BB creams.
My favorite oil cleansers: Boscia makeup-breakup cool cleansing oil, Shu Uemura cleansing beauty oil, DHC deep cleansing oil
FOAMING CLEANSERS
Foaming cleansers are great for women who love that squeaky clean feeling of washing the face with water and seeing the foam. Foaming cleansers used to all have a soap content that stripped away the natural oils on the skin leaving dry skin with a taut, dry feeling after rinsing. New technology has allowed for foaming action without drying soap so those with dry or sensitive skin can still enjoy foaming action. There’s a great cleanser from the FaceSHop, a Korean brand, that starts as an oil and upon the addition of water turns into a foaming cleanser. Nuxe, from France has a lovely micellar foam cleanser with rose petals (my current cleanser crush) which uses the micellar technology in a non soap foaming cleanser, and no parabens thank you!
My favorite foaming cleansers: Nuxe Eau de Mousse Micellaire, FaceShop One step BB cleanser
EXFOLIATING CLEANSERS
Exfoliating cleansers take your cleansing step to the next level by including gentle exfoliants to help slough off dead skin cells and reveal new skin. Great for skin prone to spots as some contain salicylic acid to clean pores and help prevent breakouts. Some are great for aging skin as their exfoliants help to remove the build up of dead skin which sheds more slowly as we age allowing for a more youthful, glowing appearance to the skin.
My favorite exfoliating cleansers: For normal skin LaNeige multi cleanser, for spot prone skin Neutrogena Naturals purifying cleanser, for anti-aging Peter Thomas Roth anti-aging cleansing gel
CLEANSING MILKS
Perfect for those with very dry, irritated or sensitive skin as these hydrating cleansers help calm irritation while still removing makeup and impurities. They are used without water, can be used by massaging into skin with a cotton pad or fingers and removed with a cotton pad or humid face cloth.
My favorite cleansing milks: La Roche Posay Physiological cleansing milk, Cetaphil which isn’t really a milk but may just be the best cleanser I have found for irritated skin.
Finding the perfect cleanser is kind of trial and error but if you know your skin type and your cleansing preference it can be much easier to find that perfect one.
Which cleanser are you loving?