Cleanser’s just cleanser, right?

Wrong.

All good things start with the right foundation, and your face wash is exactly that. How you start anything – your skincare regimen in this case – sets the stage and paves the way for everything that follows. After all, it’s crucial that you put your best face forward always. A cleanser that isn’t powerful enough for combo/oily skin leaves dulling, pore-clogging buildup behind, and one that’s not gentle enough can leave dry, sensitive skin stripped of all moisture.

Furthermore, if you don’t cleanse well enough, any creams, moisturizers or serums you apply later on won’t be able to work to their full potential. You may have the best cream on the market, but without a face wash that thoroughly cleanses your complexion, skin can’t properly absorb the product. If anything, the cream would only treat the buildup of dead skin and not the newest, outermost layer – rendering your efforts useless.

Good skin starts with clean skin. Don’t just pick a cleanser because your best friend swears by it; pick one that is designed for your skin type specifically. To help you choose the right cleanser, here’s our cleanser breakdown:

Mild Cream Cleansers: for combo/dry/sensitive skin, removes light makeup.

• Cream Soap. Our mildest cleanser for the most delicate and sensitive of skin types.
• Cucumber Cream Soap. Formulated like our Cream Soap, but with the addition of Cucumber Extract to help cool and soothe sensitive skin.
• Keratoplast Cream Soap. A gentle cleanser for combo/dry, sensitive skin that features Keratoplast, a soothing botanical known to help calm blotchy, irritated skin. We recommend it for those who have Couperose skin or experience constant redness.

Cream Cleansers: for combo/dry to dry skin, removes makeup.

• Orange Cleansing Soap: Features Orange Extract, an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, that gently exfoliates to prevent dulling buildup.
• Makeup Remover Soap. An oil-free, non-drying formula ideal for removing all face makeup on sensitive and mature skin.
• Seaweed Cleansing Soap. Features fine seaweed granules and Bladderwrack Extract to help gently exfoliate while cleansing. It’s a great cleanser for normal skin as well, and highly recommended for men as it helps reduce ingrown hairs caused by shaving.

Cleansing Gels: for combo/oily to oily skin, removes makeup and helps reduce oil.

• Enzyme Cleansing Gel. Removes makeup, oil and pore-clogging buildup to help reduce shine and promote a brighter, clearer complexion. Features Alpha Hydroxy Acids Grapefruit and Papaya Extract to gently exfoliate while cleansing.
• Botanical Facial Gel. Ideal for oily skin suffering from excess shine. Grapefruit Extract helps de-grease oily T-zones while revitalizing the complexion.
• Acne Facial Cleanser. Features Salicylic Acid, making it the ideal cleanser for acne-prone or acne-erupted skin. It’s a powerful cleanser that aims to help heal the skin, but still gentle enough as to not over-dry or irritate already irritated skin.

Cleansing Creams & Milks: tissue-off cleansers that are not water-soluble (meaning they must be removed with a cotton pad dampened with toner or water) and leave hydrating, residual oil behind. For aging or very dry skin.

• Cleansing Milk with Carnation & Rice Oil. A milky, oil-based cleanser ideal for very dry or sensitive skin in need of oils to keep skin hydrated.
• Cucumber Makeup Remover Cream. A thick cream perfect for removing theater/oil-based makeup, or for cleansing extra dry and delicate, aging skin.

Supplemental Cleanser: a substitute for most skin types, to be used 1-3 times a week (depending on skin type) in place of regular cleanser.

• Glycolic Foaming Cleanser. A supplemental cleanser to be used 1-3 times a week (1-2 if you’re combo/dry, 2-3 if you’re oily) for a deep cleanse. Features Glycolic Acid to help exfoliate and promote cell turnover and herbal extracts Chamomile, Yarrow and Sage to soothe for a brighter and smoother complexion.

. . .

Which cleanser is right for you?