Washing your face is probably the most boring and tedious part of the skincare routine. But it happens to be the most important as it is the first step to getting fabulous and healthy skin. While picking a face wash feels like a no-brainer, it isn’t as simple as it looks. Just like your moisturisers and serums, different face cleansers work differently for skin types. Here’s a quick guide to picking the right cleanser for you.
Oily Skin
Oily skin can be a bit high-maintenance. The biggest mistake people make is by picking a cleanser that gives you squeaky clean skin. This means your face wash contains harmful sulphates and parabens that can make your skin dry and make the sebaceous glands work harder, which leads to oilier skin. To beat excess oil and acne, opt for cleansers with ingredients such as salicylic acid, clay, charcoal and tea tree. While cleansing your skin of dead cells, they will facilitate new cells and decrease oil production. Gel cleansers are usually lightweight and hydrating, being ideal for oily skin.
Dry Skin
Follow the holy trinity – avoid fragrances, go creamy or foamy and look for moisturising ingredients like glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, almond oil, ceramides and aloe vera. While attracting moisture and maintaining your skin’s pH balance, these ingredients not only exfoliate but cleanse softly. Aloe vera’s soothing tendency keeps redness at bay while hydrating those tight lines induced by dryness. Cream-based cleansers replenish lipids essential to heal redness and flakiness.
Combination Skin
If certain areas of your face are dry, but your T-zone and chin is oily, chances are you have a combination skin type. Gel-based face cleansers are ideal as they won’t leave your skin too dry or too oily while cleansing sebum and pollutants. AHAs, tea tree oil, vitamin E and micellar water-based cleansers can be soothing for this skin type and hydrating. While picking a type of cleanser – balance is key as some formulas might over moisturise or drain out way too much oil. Thankfully, cushion-like foaming action will leave a silky texture while cleansing this tricky skin type.
