Cleansing your skin is the first step of any basic skin care routine. It should be done morning and evening. Skin cleansing should not be confused with makeup removal. The purpose of a cleanser is not simply to take off makeup it is to cleanse the skin, remove dead skin cells and leave the skin radiant and fresh. By using unsuitable cleanser you can either over strip the skin of your essential natural and needed oils or you can under cleanse the skin allowing residue makeup, skin care products and dead cells to build up on the surface of the skin. Both of these outcomes will impact how great your skin looks – no matter what your skin type is.

 

 

 

When you are choosing a cleanser you need to look at a number of factors. The price is obviously a key factor as is it how you live your life (for example if you live in a city, are exposed to a lot of pollution etc.), if your skin is oily, dry, acne prone or prone to redness . You will know when you are using the right cleanser because your skin will just simply look fresher. I was amazed when I started investing in a good cleanser, I always thought it was not on my skin long enough to make a difference but it does.

 

If like me, you wear make up every day, double cleaning is just common sense. Dermalogica Precleanse is the only product I have found that genuinely removes all my makeup – and I mean ALL. Its easy to use and smells great. For dry skin the Pre cleanse Balm is a great choice. If double cleansing seems like a waste of time / money / effort just remember by double cleansing you are not only properly cleansing your skin and allowing your “Glow to Glow” you are also giving your medically charged super skincare ingredients a clear target to aim for. They can penetrate beyond the debris and dead skin cells which normally block their path of healing and work even more effectively.

 

 

 

Your skin type

 

One of the obvious things to consider when choosing your cleanser is the type of skin you have. For example, do you have dry skin, normal skin, combination skin? Even within this you have to look at how dry / oily / sensitive your skin is.

 

The cleanser you choose for dehydrated skin, which often feels tight and a little irritated is different to the cleanser that you will choose for dull skin.

 

Skin sensitivity will heavily affect the cleanser you choose. sensitive skin always needs that little bit more consideration (and Love).

 

 

Dry skin

 

Here at Dpharmacy we love creamy, rich cleansers that nourish the skin rather than focusing on stripping the skin of its oils. These cleansers typically include ingredients such as sunflower seed oil, Hobart oil, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, cetyl alcohol, vitamin E, squalene, panthenol and of course aloe vera. Image vital C hydrating facial cleanser is super for skin type. Dermalogica precleanse balm is beautiful on dry skin it gently removes all makeup without stripping the skin

 

 

 

Dehydrated skin

 

When picking a cleanser here the key factor you are considering with this skin type is not to dehydrate it further. Ingredients found in cleansers that work best for dehydrated skin include glycerine, phospholipids, cetearyl alcohol, vitamin E and sodium PCA .

 

Image Vital C hydrating facial cleanser is an excellent choice for dehydrated and mature skin. It has potent Vitamin C which helps freshen and brighten the skin while it's creamy formulation prevents dehydration while gently cleanses the skin without stripping it of oils.

 

 

 

 

Cleansers for Normal skin

 

Cleansers for normal skin often contain ingredients such as hydronic acid , oats kernel extract, antioxidants, sodium PCA, and on occasion urea (great for patches of dry skin) . With normal skin you neither oily nor to dry, you're not really looking to treat any skin concerns. You need a cleanser that effectively cleanses your skin and leaves it totally clear of debris, fresh and smooth and ready to accept all those wonderful ingredients in your skincare creams. The image Oromedic cleanser is a balancing facial cleanser . It gives antioxidant protection for the skin and balances the skins pH. You will find your skin more has more hydration, is smoother, moisturised and less stressed when using this cleanser. It contains a potent green tea extract which prevents free radical damage and so was very useful for people living with city pollution environments.

 

 

 

Combination skin and oily skin

 

Cleansers for oily skin need to be different than those for dry or normal skin. You will often see ingredients such as zinc, gluconic acid, PCA, tea tree oil and low levels of  salicylic acid in cleansers for oily skin. Cleansers suitable  for oily skin include  - Active Clay Cleanser or Clearing skin wash by Dermalogica, Clearcell lmage cleanser and Oromdeic cleanser image or Murad Blemish control clarifying cleanser all work well with this skin type.

 

 

Skin prone to acne

 

Here we are seeking to find a cleanser that can keep pores tight and unplugged while it removes dead cells but not strip the skin of its natural oils. We would often see ingredients such as tea tree oil, zinc salicylic acid and kaolin. The newer cosmeceutical cleansers use charcoal.

 

Often with acne prone skin a key concern is not to over cleanse and strip skin. Many people in an effort to clear their skin can overstress it, They over cleanse and this leads to the skin ironically overproducing oils. Its like your skin (and possibly the Universe) hates you. In this situation using a gentle cleanser combined with the cleanser which has a reasonable level of salicylic acid can work well. Using one in the morning and the other in the evening or alternating them day by day can be effective. Image Clear Skin clarifying cleanser is perfect as it contains salicylic acid ideal to tackle acne prone skin. It can be combined with Image Oromedic Balancing cleanser when the skin has been over stressed.

 

 

Skin prone to redness or Roscrea

 

This skin type is often found with sensitive skin. Gel cleansers can be too severe for this type of skin. Cleansers such as la Roche Toilaraine, Ren evercalm cleanser, Trilogy cleansing oil, Ultracalming cleanser or Image Oromedic is specifically designed for sensitive skin.

 

Ingredients included in these type of cleansers are vitamin C (for redness), chamomile, glycerine, calendula, panthenol and soapwort extract. Cleansers we particularly recommend for this type of skin are LaRoche Tolaraine Cleanser and Image Vitamim C Cleanser

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