Cleansing is the first step to good skin. Without it, you can face everything from premature ageing, breakouts, inflammation, dark spots, clogged pores, and more. But as with all skincare, it is most effective if choose something that suits your skin condition and treats your concerns.
Here, we break down all the different types of cleansers and what they’re best suited for.
This is one of our favourite cleansers to remove makeup because they get the job done without drying out skin, and is great at removing debris from clogged pores. Try the Skin Inc Pure Trinity Serum-Infused Cleansing Oil, which is infused with botanical extracts to soothe inflammation.
Or the Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil, which has a cashmere-soft texture and leaves skin feeling moistured,
If you have sensitive skin, then this is one to use. Milks have a gentle, comforting formula that cleanses without irritating stressed, inflammed skin. Check out the Chantecaille Flower Infused Cleansing Milk, which is made with a base of soothing and hydrating rosewater.
IDS Skincare’s Cleansing Milk contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant botanical extracts to help combat redness and environmental stress.
For many years, bars were considered too basic for the beauty world. But this new generation of bars are not only luxe and ultra-nourishing; they also have a more skin-friendly pH and foams into soft, creamy lather. We like Cle de Peau Beaute’s Synactif Soap, which is chock full of anti-ageing ingredients to leave skin soft and radiant.
The RE-Earth Purifying Bar has honey and Japanese White Tumeric to soothe and brighten. P.S. Another reason to love bars? Their environmentally-friendly packaging.
Drier complexions will love balms. They melt away stubborn makeup, dirt and debris without stripping skin of essential moisture. As such cleansers tends to have thicker textures, massage them in slowly using your palms for better results. The Pixi Nourishing Cleansing Balm is made with nourishing oils and vitamins.
While Whal Myung’s Meltaway Cleansing Balm is infused with traditional Korean herbs.
Great for oily and combination complexions, gels are made for deeper cleansing and help to remove excess sebum and oil. We like La Mer’s The Cleansing Gel, which is infused with magnetised tourmaline and deconstructed waters to cleanse without using soap or detergent.
Chanel’s Sublimage L’huile-en-gel de Demaquillage is packed with essential fatty acids and camellia oil.
Now if you have sensitive skin that is prone to oiliness, foams are the way to go. They are great at removing excess sebum, but have a rich, foamy lather that is gentler on sensitive skin. One of our favourites is the Sulwhasoo Gentle Cleansing Foam EX ($50). It’s made with botanical ingredients like duckweed and chestnut shell extracts to thoroughly cleanse without overly stimulating skin.
Usually thicker and ultra-hydrating, they are perfect for dry, sensitive complexions as they gently cleanse without stripping skin of essential moisture and oils. The NARSskin Gentle Cream Cleanser ($52) has algae extract and Polynesian mineral seawater to leave the complexion smoother and more radiant.
The Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser strengthens and softens skin with iTingredients like avocado, rose and aloe vera.