Cleansing is an important part of the skincare routine which we can be easily overlooked. We need to remove the build-up of oil, dirt and all the products applied on our skin. This enables new products to be absorbed into the skin and also prevent our skin from being clogged up. Cleansing can be harmful if we use products with harsh and stripping ingredients that make the skin dry, this is particularly and this particularly harmful to sensitive skin.
In addition, there are devices such as brushes and the other cleaning appliances which makes it seem that cleansing your skin is more complex than what it doesn’t need to be. An example of a cleansing routine includes massaging your cleanser all over your face for about 60-90 seconds and then rinsing your cleanser off using lukewarm water not hot water. You can then let your skin air dry or use a towel but make sure not to rub your towel over your face but instead pat dry your skin, rubbing a towel over your face would be too rough on the skin.
There are so many cleansers out there and some are very expensive. I don’t think you need to spend too much on a cleanser especially it is on your skin for a few minutes and literally goes down the drain. Having sad that I still believe in a good quality product. I have tried a number of cleansers over the years and here are my thoughts on the ones I have tried. When reading this, please note that I have sensitive combination skin so you can understand how these products work with my type of skin.
Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash
I tried Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash before the Body Shop Aloe Calming Foaming Wash. The key ingredients in this are stated to be Tea Tree Oil and Witch Hazel and this is stated to be vegan The Boots Tea Tree & Witch Hazel Foaming Face Wash smells great and I had no reaction to it However, as I became more knowledgeable about skincare I learnt that we should really avoid fragrances in skincare even if it doesn’t give you reaction at the time you use it, it can cause skin to become over-sensitised over time. Normally in skincare the highest concentration ingredient is put at the top and this cleanser parfum is in the is in the middle of the list of ingredients. Therefore, I consider makes a considerable part of the cleanser. Fragrance in wash off products are ok, well not ok but basically as they are not going to stay on your skin for long compared to leave on products that stay on your skin for hours. I therefore stopped using mainly due to the fragrance in the cleanser but otherwise it was an adequate cleanser at an affordable price.
Clinique Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser for Combination Oily to Oily
This is at higher end price range of cleansers, The cleanser is stated to be 100% fragrance free and the key ingredients are stated to be Hyaluronic acid and Glycerin. As you may already could have noted I am fan of foam cleansers so I was keen to try this as I tried other Clinique products and they work very well with my skin so I was eager to try this out. Unfortunately, my skin had an immediate reaction to this as it went red and was itching as such I never used it again. In addition, I found the fragrance in this a bit strong. I have used Clinique for years and I’m really fond of Clinique but this was and still is the only Clinique product I tried that I reacted to. I therefore can’t rate how effective this is product as a cleanser. I may have only reacted to one ingredient or maybe more so it may work for others with sensitive skin.
Avène Mattifying Cleansing Foam for Sensitive Skin
This is another cleanser a bit more expensive compared to other cleanser but is still reasonably priced. Avène state the 98% ingredients in the cleanser are of natural origin and none of ingredients are of animal origin. They also state the cleanser is soap-free formula and the key ingredients are Avène Thermal Spring Water and glycerin. The Avène Mattifying Cleansing Foam has a rosey scent, which is quite noticeable so if you are not a fan of rosey scents stay away from this. The ingredient list do list fragrance as one of the ingredients and it is about in middle of the ingredient list, so I feel this defeats the purpose of the product being made to acter to sensitive skin.
This cleanser worked well with my skin and doesn’t feel too stripping but for a foaming cleanser I feel you need to use a lot to help for it lather up. The fact it has fragrance and is explicitly marketed for sensitive skin, I do not consider this a good cleanser for it’s stated purpose. If you are not affected by fragrance and don’t mind a strong rose scent and pay considerably more money for a cleanser and don’t want a cleanser that’s too stripping then this would work for you.
Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser, Face & Body Wash for Normal to Dry Sensitive Skin
I really expected great things from this cleanser but it fell short of my expectations. The key ingredients are stated to be Niacinamide, Panthenol and Glycerin. It is stated to be fragrance free and vegan. First of it feels like a moisturiser rather than cleanser. It feels like it doesn’t mix with water and that it doesn’t really lather up much even after I rubbed it in my hands for a bit. My skin did not feel cleansed after it.
I used this cleanser take make-up off and used an oil based cleanser first and the Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser but my skin was not as clean and still had makeup residue., but when I used other water based cleanser my skin was clean and no make-up residue was left. I didn’t have any reaction to this but other than that there are no other positives to this cleanser and I don’t recommend this at all.
The Byoma Creamy Jelly Cleanser
As the name suggest is in a gel form. The key ingredients in this are Tri-Ceramide Complex, Liquorice Root and Green Tea Extracts. It is stated to be soap-free, non-comedogenic and that it also contains no alcohol and fragrance-free and stated to be vegan. I found that I had to rub my hands for quite a bit of time for it to lather up, and once I used it, I just didn’t feel that it really cleaned my skin well. It didn’t cause any irritation but overall I felt my skin didn’t feel like it was cleaned properly so I personally wouldn’t recommend this.
B. Instant Foaming Cleanser by Superdrug
This is stated to be made with mild cleansing agents and one of the key ingredients is Camomile Extract. When using this cleanser, I can definitely feel that it the ingredients used are mild and to some extent I personally would like it to have more cleansing power but overall it does leave my skin feel clean and does not irritate my skin I just have to use it longer on my skin. Overall, it is a good and very mild cleanser. One other con is it does come in a small bottle so it quickly runs out so I recommend buying a couple, if you choose this.
Atobarrier 365 Bubble Cleanser
This cleanser is from Korea and the key ingredients in this cleanser include Green Tea Water and Vitamin E. This is stated not to have any animal derived ingredients, mineral oil or artificial fragrances. It is stated to have been hypoallergenic and dermatologically tested. Furthermore, it is stated it is made to have a pH level that is mildly acidic that is suitable for sensitive skin. I found this to be gentle and I feel it cleanses my skin without stripping it and leaving it super dry. I feel it could be more cleansing as it feels more moisturising but it still does the job. The main con is that it is not easily accessible as it has to be shipped from Korea.
Overall my favourite cleanser is the B. Instant Foaming Cleanser by Superdrug as it gentle but has more cleansing power to remove dirt and it is affordable.