When it comes to important skincare products, you might think your serums take the cake. All those yummy actives, turning your skin into the best version of itself – right?! And if not those, it MUST be sunscreen?! Yes, but no. We’re talking cleansers today, and why face cleansers are much more important than you might’ve thought previously.
I’ve written about cleansers a lot: here’s the main post, explaining how different cleansers work and which one to choose for your skintype. (Here’re also a lot of reviews of cleansing oils, gels and powders.)
Recently, though, I’ve realised how important the type of cleanser you’re using is for the state of your skin – when I started my project of using all the samples I have (and recording the results on IG). For absolutely no reason, the biggest group of samples I had was cleansers, and I quickly realised that something so innocent as a cleanser, that stays on your face for only a few seconds, can absolutely wreck your skin. Obviously, nobody likes that tight feeling very stripping face cleansers can cause. But I realised that fragrance and pH also play a big role in how my face likes a cleanser or not.
Cleansers: the good and the bad
When it comes to cleansing, there seem to be two schools of thought – there’s the group that claims that you actually don’t need to wash your face, and then the one that thinks you shouldn’t overcomplicate it and just wash your face which whatever you fancy, as long as it doesn’t strip your skin. And THEN there’re the skincare lovers who want you to double cleanse your face no matter what.
“Really, all that matters when it comes to selecting a cleanser is that you’re using something that does its job and won’t strip your skin. … So that means it’s key to avoid ingredients like sulfates, which can dry out the skin and possibly irritate your complexion.”
Well and Good
Or:
“… learn why ditching the cleansers may benefit some people’s skin.”
Prevention
I actually think it makes sense to know the science behind cleansers and your skin, so you might decide what’s best for you.
Why your skin can be stripped
The outer layer of your skin (stratum corneum) consists of cells (filled with natural moisturising factors NMF) and lipids that bind them together like a brick wall. And while surfactants are great for removing dirt, dust and grime from your skin, they’re ALSO great for removing oil (lipids), because (have a look at this post) they’re oil-loving. Bummer. This might lead to a compromised skin barrier and transepidermal water loss, because suddenly, the mortar between your bricks is missing and your nice wall isn’t impenetrable any more. (It isn’t, anyway, but I like the metaphor.)
A healthy skin barrier, though, is not only the key to hydrated skin – it also keeps out microorganisms and pollution; stressors, in short, that lead to aging signs in your skin.
Why pH is important in face washes
The skin’s pH is acidic, around 5. Surfactant-containing cleansers can change the pH of your skin for quite some time, and also hinder it to repair itself, especially if you don’t rinse off diligently (and that means rinsing off the residue of micellar water and cleansing wipes, too). The higher the pH, the harsher the cleanser will be, and, coincidentally, a high pH encourages the growth of certain acne-inducing bacteria (more here). Soaps have usually a pH of around 9, so please, never, ever, wash your face with soap.
Gentler vs. harsher sulfates
The harshest sulfate is the well-known SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) and basically everything that starts with Sodium and ends with …ate. Strangely, a large mix of sulfates is generally gentler to the skin.
If you’ve got sensitive skin and are extra careful, please also think about mechanical irritation: if you’ve got a very, very gentle cleanser but need a lot of elbow grease and maybe in addition a cloth to remove makeup/sunscreen/general grime, that might not be the gentlest cleanser for you. Also, find that sweet spot of ‘just long enough’ – especially if you’re using a foaming cleanser you might not need to leave it on your face for a prolonged amount of time (while that one minute rule might be right for oil-based cleansers).
Can actives in cleansers actually be absorbed?
Sometimes a cleanser will boast added actives, like AHAs or BHAs. And because my skin reacted to ingredients in some cleansers I’ve tried, I started to research: apparently, the school of thought ‘oh, it doesn’t matter what’s actually in my cleanser, it only stays on my skin for a bit’ doesn’t cut it.
The Beauty Brains explained it: you can use encapsulation to make sure the ingredients actually go where they can do good on your skin and do their thing. There’re studies to suggest that this works for vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid and even moisturising agents. The thing is, it costs extra money, will cut down performance (every 2in1 product does) and still won’t perform as well as a product that’ll actually stay on your skin.
Experiment: why face cleansers are important
When I started my sample project, I realised that I was potentially trashing my face: I’ve got rather sensitive skin, and there’s a reason that I usually take LOTS OF TIME to trial a product. I obviously want to give you a long-term experience test and review, but also: my skin starts to complain loudly if I test a lot of products in a short time. It’s a pampered princess, what can I say.
When it came to testing cleansers, I realised quickly that they played a bigger role in how my skin looked than I thought: when I tested a harsher cleanser (higher pH, fragrance, maybe essential oils), I’d get breakouts around my nose after about 12hrs, NO MATTER what I did afterwards. Sometimes I’d get that stripped feeling, and would throw every calming and hydrating product at my skin that I had: no dice. Outbreaks I’d get.
(I know the drier my skin gets, the more oils it produces, and thus, more outbreaks. A phenomenon I’ve previously only recognised after long-haul flights. If you’re interested in tracking that for yourself, I can recommend a skin analyser.)
In short: cleansers can make or break your skin. Choose wisely!
Please note that this review is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods, or money, for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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