Choosing facial cleansers

There are different types of facial cleansers, and they have different effects on the skin.  Facial cleansers can be divided mainly into two groups:

•            Foaming cleansers
•            Non-foaming cleansers

Foaming Facial Cleansers

You can find various types of foaming facial cleansers, including lotions, creams, gels, mousses and scrubs.

These facial cleansers lather, like soap, and have to be rinsed off with water.  Many people prefer these kinds of cleansers because they believe that they do a better job at cleansing the pores, than non-foaming ones.

Usually, a high foaming cleanser contains harsh deterging agents which, not only cleanse but also strip the skin from its natural oils.  Consequently, those kinds of cleansers dry and irritate the skin.  Both Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are foaming agents used in most drugstore cleansers, soaps, shampoos, detergents, toothpaste and other products.  Both chemicals are very effective foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants.  Besides, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Sodium Laureth Sulfate are also comedogenic (i.e. can cause acne).

Non-Foaming Facial Cleansers

Non-foaming cleansers typically include lotions (aka milks), creams and oils.

The non-foaming facial cleansers tend to be the mildest type of cleanser because they have a very small amount of surfactant (if any) and can be wiped off instead of rinsed off.  For this reason, they can deposit more of the cleanser's helpful ingredients such as; moisturisers, anti-oxidants and vitamins, on the skin.

Avoid using harsh deterging chemicals, on your skin, scalp and hair, as much as possible.  Try using natural and/or organic products that do not contain any harmful ingredients.  Always check the ingredients before buying a new product (any products, not just beauty products).  


In an earlier post, I wrote about irritating and comedogenic ingredients that can be found in beauty products.  Check it out and find out what other ingredients you should avoid!

XOXO

Euphrasie85