Let’s discuss cleansers.

 

This is the first step in any good home care regimen and if we are not doing this step properly, we will throw our entire skin balance off track and cause dryness, flakiness, over production of oil and the list goes on. A lot of people have great skin but their home care regimen is way off so their skin is looking dull, aged and fine lines are showing.

When choosing a cleanser, generally I like to go with something gentle. This keeps the water in the skin without stripping it along with the natural oils our skin produces to protect the surface. I like to keep the cleansers, toners and moisturizers gentle and save the active more aggressive ingredients for serums.On rare occasions I will prescribe a more aggressive cleanser like a Mandelic Acid or Benzoyl Peroxide but this is only if the skin has enough moisture and is severely inflamed with acne.

Here is a list of cleansers I use in the office and which skin types I recommend then for:

Vivant’s Green Tea or Face Reality’s Ultra Gentle Cleanser are the most prescribed because they cleanse the surface well without disturbing the delicate Acid Mantle – the upper layers of the epidermis. A lot of times when clients come in to treat their acne, they have dried their skin out so bad that we need to repair it first before we move on to more aggressive products. In these situations, I will always start with a gentle cleanser until the skin repairs itself (usually a couple weeks will do) then we can move on to more aggressive products, gradually. Even if there is no acne present, these are great cleansers for normal skin types.

Mandelic Acid Wash is a gel cleanser that works best for skin that has a normal/balanced surface and is experiencing mild to medium amount of breakouts. This will help to kill bacteria and fungus and keep the inflammation at bay. Washes with Mandelic Acid can be drying to the surface sometimes, so we want to make sure the barrier is hydrated and balanced before introducing it.

Benzoyl Peroxide Wash is a great cleanser for acne that is severely inflamed, red and irritated. Benzoyl Peroxide works the best at bring down inflammation but this cleanser is NOT for brown skin. If your skin is olive/brown we will incorporate BP into your regimen another way, using acne creams sandwiched in-between a gel moisturizer.

Cream/Lotion Cleansers are great and should only be used by those with dry skin that does not produce much oil at all. When your skin lacks oil, it is important to use products that will add as much moisture as possible and nothing that could strip or dry it out. The one we use in the office is Hydropeptide’s Exfoliating Cleanser. It’s a cream base that contains Green Tea, Lemon Peel and Ginseng to gently exfoliate, hydrate and stimulate cell regeneration.

So there you have a little breakdown on cleansers and the roles they play in your at home regimen. I am always available via email if you have any questions. You are welcome to send me pictures if your skin and I will recommend a regimen I feel would be good for your specific skin type.

xoxo
Elle