Cleansing has a great impact on your skin . In today’s post I will share what I have learnt about second cleansing.
- Choosing the right cleansing product(s)
- Frequency of cleansing
- cleansing technique
Table of Contents
Criteria for a good cleanser
When picking a cleanser, there are 4 factors I consider:
Ingredients
When I am on the hunt for a new cleanser or any skincare product in general, I usually go off recommendations . So if a skincare YouTuber recommends a cleanser ( or any product for that matter) , I will note it down and read reviews online .
The next step is to use a website called skincarisma to look up the ingredients. The website rates the ingredients from 1 to 10 with one being safe and 10 being harmful to the skin.
What I also like that it does is it gives a short explanation of the purpose of that ingredient.
Another useful resource is an app called Ingredio. You can take a picture of the ingredients list of any product then it grades the product based on the ingredients. You can also use the app to look up ingredients and learn more about them and their impact both on your skin and on the environment. It has references that are backed up by science.
I personally don’t look for active ingredients in my facial cleansers . Ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can be beneficial in cleansers and since they are rinsed out , they might work better for sensitive skin types .
On the other hand ,for the same reason , they may not be as effective as leave on products .
So I stick to using cleansers for cleansing and not much else .
Formulation
Cleansers are often marketed for different skin types.
The general rule of thumb goes :
- Foam cleansers are often targeted at oilier skin types.
- gel cleansers for normal and combination skin
- cream cleansers for drier skin types.
There are also powdered cleansers which cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin.
Sometimes these categorical distinctions may do more harm than good e.g. cleansers catering to oily and acne prone skin may be extremely drying and quite harsh while some cleansers specifically for dry skin may not cleanse as well as they should.
pH
pH is the acidity or alkalinity of something based on a logarithmic scale. It is an important physiological indicator.
The ideal pH of the skin should be somewhere between 4.5 and 5.5 . When looking for a cleanser , the pH should be as close to your skin’s as possible. A good product should have the pH indicated on the packaging or on their website.
If the pH is not indicated , you can purchase some pH strips from Amazon and test them out at home.
One reason I do not recommend bar soap cleansers is because most of them are very alkaline ( ph over 7) so they damage the skin barrier over time . Unless the bar soap indicates that it is the right pH , I always stick to liquid cleansers.
Cost
This is a subjective factor . It is entirely up to you how much you want to spend on your cleanser as long as it has good ingredients and is gentle.
I prefer to spend less money on my fundamentals ( cleanser, moisturizer and sunscreen ) then invest in my actives and serums.
Frequency
When it comes to the frequency of cleansing, a good gentle cleanser should allow you to cleanse both morning and night.
I played around with skipping morning cleansing for months and it worked really well for me. Now, I go by what my skin feels like in the morning but I ALWAYS cleanse at night.
Technique
I learnt about the 60 second rule from a licensed esthetician and YouTuber who goes by the name LABeautyologist ( Nayamka Roberts-Smith)
She believes that it takes 60 seconds for a cleanser to effectively get rid of the dirt and improve the texture of the skin. Use a timer if you must as long as you take a minimum of 60 seconds to cleanse.
I’ve been doing this for over a year now and I love it . My skin feels so pampered with this routine. It also acts as a good indicator on whether a cleanser is gentle. After 60 seconds, your skin should be clean but not stripped. If it feels dried out, you probably need a better cleanser.
Have you tried the 60 second rule out ? What were your results?
That’s how I pick my cleansers. What is your criteria when it comes to choosing one?
Thank you so much for stopping by.
“Always remember that your hair is your crown and your body is a temple; embrace it, love it and take care of it.”
