Help & Advice > Cleansing products to suit your skin type

A guide to choosing the best cleansing product to suit your skin type. By Megan Hunt

If you are looking to perfect your daily skincare routine, the first step to tackle is cleansing. This involves removing traces of makeup, dirt, excess oil, sweat, bad bacteria and dead skin cells from the face. Want to know what is the best type of cleanser to use for your skin? Check out our guide below…

Skin Type: Oily

If you have oily skin it is likely that you suffer from clogged pores, spots and bouts of acne. This is caused by overactive sebaceous glands that produce too much sebum. Although having oily skin can feel like the worst thing at times, it is actually less prone to wrinkling - so it’s not all that bad!

Oily skin cleansers

If you have oily skin it is recommended that you avoid using cleansing products that contain perfume and synthetic oils. Opt for slightly more acidic washes as they will help to balance out your skin’s PH. Foaming cleansers are great as they are lightweight in texture and usually come in gel or cream form. Simply squeeze a little onto your hand, add a splash of water and gently massage it into the face. Once the product has foamed up, rinse it off with water and voila, you’re good to go!

People with oily skin also benefit from using exfoliating cleansers a couple of times a week. Exfoliators contain tiny particles which are designed to buff away impurities and remove dead skin cells, helping to prevent the pores from clogging up.

Skin Type: Dry

If your skin lacks moisture and tends to flake easily, then it is likely that you have dry skin. Some people experience both dry and oily skin at the same time, which is known as combination skin. We will go on to talk about this skin type later.

Cleansers for dry skin

If you have dry skin you need to use a moisturising cleanser. Milky or cream cleansers that contain ingredients such as Vitamin E, cocoa butter or Shea butter will do wonders for dry skin. Cleansers made for dry skin usually create a barrier between the skin and the environment, helping to prevent dryness.

Cleansers and exfoliating products that contain alpha hydroxy acids will also help to buff away dry patches, making it easier for your skin to absorb moisture.

Skin Type: Combination

People with combination skin tend to have an oily T-zone (along the forehead, down the nose and chin) and dry or flakey skin on their cheeks. If you have combination skin you can either opt to use two separate products (one for cleansing the oily area and one for cleansing the dry area) or you can choose a cleanser that is suitable for both skin types.

Combination skin cleansers

The best type of cleanser to use if you have combination skin is a foaming cleanser. This is due to the fact that it is lightweight in texture and will effectively cleanse the skin whilst removing excess oil. When it comes to applying moisturiser, do not over do it on the T-zone area as this can add excess oil.

Skin Type: Sensitive

If you have sensitive skin it is likely that you suffer from redness and irritation. When it comes to using skincare and cosmetic products, you must be wary of certain ingredients that your skin may have a bad reaction to.

Cleansers for sensitive skin

When choosing a cleanser for sensitive skin it is important to look for products that do not contain any harsh ingredients. It is best to stick to those with natural ingredients or mild, soothing ingredients like aloe and cucumber. Many skincare brands now create hypo-allergenic and fragrance free cleansers for those with sensitive skin. Soap-free milky cleansers are an excellent choice as they will gently cleanse the skin without stripping it of oils or adding too much moisture.

Skin type: Normal

If you have normal skin then you are extremely lucky! It is likely that your skin is never too oily or too dry and you rarely experience breakouts.

Normal skin cleansers

Those with normal skin have the pick of the range when it comes to choosing a facial cleanser! If you are looking to try something fairly new on the scene, you may want to consider picking up a micellar water from a French pharmacy brand.