If you are like many men and women, then you may take great care to choose skin creams and serums that work well for your skin, but then grab “just any old cleanser” at the drugstore to cleanse your face with morning and night. The truth is that, while many people don’t realize it, choosing the right facial cleanser is very important for the appearance and health of your skin.
There are many types of facial cleansers on the market today, including cleansing gels, lotions, oils, balms, and even sticks, but only a few contain the right combination of ingredients to remove all dirt, oil, and makeup from your face without over-stripping your skin and disrupting its natural pH balance.
The ideal facial cleanser has a pH close to 5.5, which is the natural pH of healthy skin, contains no harsh surfactants that strip skin of its natural oils, and contains no pore-clogging ingredients.
Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil – Best Cleansing Oil
Cleansing oils have become very popular, because they remove even stubborn waterproof makeup and sunscreen very well. When you use a cleansing oil to wash your face, you don’t need to use an extra eye makeup removing lotion or liquid, which makes it a great multi-tasking cleansing product.
After applying a cleansing oil to your face and massaging your skin for a few seconds to loosen makeup, dirt, and grime, you can simply rinse it off and it will leave behind no oily residue. However, some people do choose to follow up with a gentle cleansing lotion or foaming cleanser.
While there are many oil cleansers on the market today, Hydrating Cleansing Oil, from the brand Simple, is a very affordable option that works well for all skin types. It contains no added fragrance that can irritate sensitive skin and is made from grape seed and sunflower oils.
Both of these oils are non-comedogenic and due to their fatty acid profile, can even help improve acne. Grape seed oil and sunflower oil are both high in linoleic acid, which studies have shown is lacking in acne-prone skin; applying linoleic acid-rich oils to acne prone skin can help make thick, oleic acid-rich sebum thinner and unclog pores.
At an average price of about $10 for 4.2 ounces, this is a great cleansing oil that will not break even a very tight budget.
SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick – Best Travel-Friendly Cleanser
If you want a cleanser that is pH balanced, smells great, and is travel-friendly, then you will love the SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick. This is a solid glycerin-based cleanser in stick form and not a traditional soap. It contains no sulfates or other harsh surfactants, but instead cleanses skin with natural plant extracts, including its star ingredient, fermented damask rose extract.
The cleansing stick is encased in a lipstick tube-like container, which makes it perfect for frequent travelers who worry about skincare products leaking or exploding in their suitcases.
With a pH level of 5.5, this facial cleanser will not disturb your skin’s delicate acid mantle. In addition to gentle cleansing agents, it also contains nourishing camellia oil, green tea seed oil, and rose flower oil. This makes it suitable for all skin types other than those with known allergies to any of the plant extracts it contains.
SU:M37 Miracle Rose Cleansing Stick costs just over $20 for an 80-gram stick, and a little goes a long way, so it is relatively affordable.
Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser – Best Cleansing Lotion
If you have dry skin and find that most facial cleansers leave your face tight and dry after using them, then you will love Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser. However, this cleanser is suitable for all skin types.
This is a non-foaming lotion cleanser that contains very gentle surfactants and many nourishing ingredients. While gentle and moisturizing, it does remove makeup well and does not leave a greasy residue behind when rinsed off.
The star ingredients in this cleanser include ceramide 1, ceramide 3, and ceramide 6, which are present in all Cerave skincare products. Ceramides are present naturally in human skin and, when added to the skin by a skincare product, they naturally restore moisture deep into all skin layers.
In addition, Cerave Hydrating Facial Cleanser contains hyaluronic acid and Phytosphingosine, which also help restore skin moisture and even plump up fine facial wrinkles.
This cleanser is very affordable and costs just over $10 for a huge 12-ounce bottle.
EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser: Best Foaming Cleanser
Another amazing facial cleansers you probably don’t have is EltaMD foaming facial cleanser. This is considered one of the best foaming face cleansers by skincare enthusiasts for many reasons.
This cleanser is free of all sulfates and other harsh surfactants and instead cleanses your skin with gentle, coconut-derived sodium cocoyl glycinate. It also contains apple amino acids and bromelain, which is a natural component of pineapple. These two ingredients lightly exfoliate skin to remove dead skin cells that dull skin and can clog pores.
However, these exfoliants are much gentler than many other present in skincare products, such as alpha hydroxy acids, so they won’t irritate even the most sensitive skin.
In addition, EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser is pH balanced and while gentle, can remove even stubborn makeup and waterproof sunscreen. It is suitable for all skin types and contains no pore-clogging ingredients.
This facial cleanser costs just over $20 for a large 7-ounce bottles, which makes it another relatively affordable option.
It is important to use the right facial cleanser in the evening and in the morning to support the health and appearance of your skin. These are the best facial cleansers you probably don’t have that are on the market today, so at least one should be perfect for your skin.
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