What makes a facial cleanser effective, especially when choosing one for your skin type?
Achieving consistently blemish-free, smooth and glowing skin is the dream. But since not everyone is blessed with skin that's always glowing, this is where custom skincare comes into play. While you're probably aware that using a face wash is the first step in your skincare routine, with the sheer number of cleansers available, it's hard to pick the perfect one. Our personalized skincare kits make it easy to find the products that are right for your skin.
Our experts made a complete breakdown by skin type, the formulas and ingredients you should be looking for, and those you should be avoiding.
Not All Washes Are the Same
No, all face washes are not the same. Picking some random jar tube isn’t going to cut it. Your skin deserves better. And the skin is more than just a type. While you may have oily or combination skin, did you know that your skin is affected by where you live, what you eat, your genetics, your stress level and more? So, how you treat it is much more important than you realize.
Stay Consistent
Cleansing your face in the morning and at night should be as routine as brushing your teeth.
A few quick splashes of water will not remove dust, dirt, dead skin cells, makeup and pollutants that build up on your face. This type of neglect will cause the skin surface to become irritated and pores to get clogged. Redness, bumps, uneven tone and dullness will start to appear. So, get into a daily (and nightly) cleansing routine and choose wisely.
Washing Your Face for Your Skin Type
Generally speaking, here are a few tips based on your overall skin type.
Combination skin
Dry cheeks with an oily t-zone can be a tough one when choosing the best wash. You might have dry areas plus black heads, enlarged pores and a shiny nose. Look for a gentle face that will cleanse your skin of both dirt and excess oil. You want clean, soothed skin while replenishing moisture lost in those dry cheeks. Look for one with “balancing” or “purifying” benefits that may contain tea tree oil or cottonseed.
Dry skin
Oily skin / Acne prone
Excess oil, shiny complexion mixed with bumps, whiteheads or blackheads? Opt for a purifying gel cleanser, one with antibacterial alpha hydroxy acids or lactic acid will help keep that oil at bay and zap those zits, show they start to appear. And, gel formulas tend to have a low foaming capacity. You’re still cleansing without any excess lather that may be too harsh for your type of skin.
Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin can be tricky. Not only can you have irritation, redness and itchiness, anything from pollution, stress or choosing the wrong skincare can make skin worse. Look for an all-natural, fragrance-free cleanser with more of a milky, soothing texture. Your skin will feel softer and fresher. It should also be non-comedogenic so it won’t clog your pores, which causes irritation and redness.
"Normal" Skin
Male Skin
Thick beard hiding bumps and irritation? Men, you also need a cleansing routine. Shaving or just trimming your beard will only hide irritated skin. Choose a face wash formulated specifically for men as you tend to have thicker facial skin and larger pores. Cleansing day and night will soften skin and hair as well as soothe open pores, bumps, and redness.
Go Personalized
Proven Skincare is such a personalization collection. Tired of being told she had “difficult skin”, co-founder Ming Zhao, and her team, created a holistic approach to skincare that is backed by the world’s largest database of ingredients, products, testimonials and more. You simply complete a targeted skin assessment that focuses on your lifestyle, diet and other factors and from this, Proven pinpoints your specific skin type and needs, determining what product formulations would be best suited to your skin. Get rid of the guesswork.
Take the Skin Genome Quiz and Proven will personalize your facial cleanser (and moisturizers) that will deliver the best ingredients and benefits for your skin and the results will be obvious.
