Exactly how to pick a cleanser based on your skin type, according to an expert.

So, you want to find a cleanser to suit your skin type? Great idea. As someone who's obsessed with skincare, I wholeheartedly support this endeavour. Cleansing is a non-negotiable in my own skincare regimen, and I highly recommend everyone else to make it a complexion deal-breaker too.

But, not all cleansers are the same. This is why I got in touch with Renate Stewart, Education Manager at SkinCeuticals, to find out more on the ins and outs of cleansing and how to pick the right one for your skin concerns.

With 16 years of treatment, management and training experience in the aesthetic industry, she was exactly the person to put me on the right track to cleansing gold. 

Why do we need to cleanse?

“People often underestimate the importance of cleansing,” Renate told me, explaining that it’s about so much more than just ridding your face of the day’s grime.

“When you are cleansing the skin, you're essentially prepping it for everything else to follow – so your serums, moisturisers, and so on. It is that starting point. While the primary focus is, of course, to clean the skin, I see it much more as preparing the skin.”

“It’s not just about cleaning off oils or removing makeup – it’s more about getting the skin to feel balanced and cleansed enough that when you go to use everything else, it works even better.” 

I have literally never considered this before and it makes so much sense. 

Mind. Blown. 

Why should we use a specific cleanser for our skin type?

You probably already know that any old soap will definitely not cut it when it comes to cleansing. But what you might not know is that choosing a high-quality targeted cleanser can be a game changer for addressing skin concerns.

“Just like with every other product, there is a difference when you invest in a more high-end, results-driven, quality cleanser,” Renate explained. 

“I think a lot of people don't see cleansers as something that they should invest in, but typically, when you do invest in that cleansing formula, it does mean you're getting a much more concentrated product.”

'More concentrated’ means you need to use less in one go, so a little goes a long way – and highly concentrated cleansers really do work deeper within the skin.

“A good-quality cleanser, like the SkinCeuticals range, should last you up to six months, so it is worth the investment.”

Image: Supplied. 

What is the best way to cleanse?

“There isn’t a strong right or wrong when it comes to cleansing,” says Renate, and how often you do it depends largely on your skin type – but no matter how often you do it, double cleansing is key.

FYI, double cleansing just means washing your face twice. 

“If you have more dry or sensitised skin, you could do with just one double cleanse at night – that will be plenty,” explained Renate. “In the morning, you might just splash the skin with some cold or lukewarm water – there's no need to cleanse.”

But for oily-skinned girlies, you might want to up that cleansing regimen. 

“If you’re experiencing oiliness and congestion, you do want to make sure that you’re regulating the oil flow a little bit more throughout the day and that's where you might benefit from cleansing in the morning as well as the evening,” Renate explained. 

“Oh, and the heavier makeup you wear, the more important it is to double cleanse at night.”

Noted.

How do you double cleanse?

Like I mentioned, double cleansing really is as simple as cleanse, rinse, repeat. And you can either use the same product twice, or go for two different cleansers, says Renate, using the second to target any specific skin dramas you want to address.

“You can absolutely double cleanse with the same product if it's suitable for the skin and if it's gentle enough, but I personally love using a more baseline cleanser that’s a good makeup remover first, and then doing a second cleanse that can be a little bit more tailored towards your skin concerns.”

“For example, you might focus on brightening, or you could use an exfoliating cleanser as your second cleanse – and if you're not looking to address a specific concern, then double cleansing with one product that is universal, like SkinCeuticals Simply Clean, would be absolutely fine.”

Image: Supplied. 

Cleansing for blemish-prone or oily skin.

“If you have oily skin, look for ingredients that are lightweight and also purifying, those with enzymatic action, like salicylic acid or glycolic acid, can help encourage the natural exfoliation of the skin, which unclogs pores and promotes clarity,” says Renate. 

This is especially good for anyone experiencing breakouts (*puts hand up*), when the skin tends to be a little bit thicker and more congested. “The Blemish and Age Cleansing Gel and the Glycolic Renewal Foaming Cleanser are both very specialised for more oily or acneic skin,” suggested Renate.

For blemish-prone or oily skin, you also want to favour gel-based or foam-based cleansers, she says – but not all foaming cleansers are created equal, and many use harsh ingredients to achieve that fluffy, sudsy finish.

“If you cleanse and immediately feel that you need to put on moisturiser, it is a sign that you’re probably over-cleansing,” says Renate. “The skin should feel clean but it should just feel fresh, it shouldn’t feel tight. The foaming agents we’ve formulated for SkinCeuticals are very suitable for all skin types – even for sensitive skin.”

Cleansing for dry skin.

For dry skin, the focus is nourishment. “That's why naturally dry skin is going to have an affinity to cream-based cleansers and ingredients that are more rich and nourishing on the skin,” explains Renate. And just because they don’t froth and foam doesn’t make them any less great for your skin. 

“I think sometimes clients don't think that cream cleansers offer enough cleansing, but that's not the case. SkinCeuticals Gentle Cream Cleanser is really deep cleansing. It’s just not going to take too many of those natural oils away from the skin, so that's why it's really great for dry skin.”

With a lot of foaming cleansers, particularly historically, the ingredients that created foaming or lather of the product could be very harsh and astringent on the skin, which means that they can dry and irritate skin. But the foaming agents – aka the surfactant system within SkinCeuticals cleansers like Simply Clean are actually derived from gentler ingredients like coconut oil. 

“So that means that even though it's creating a foam and a lather, it's actually not going to strip the skin.”

Image: Supplied. 

Cleansing for Sensitive skin.

“Generally with sensitive skin, the first thing that is important to understand is, is this a sensitivity from a condition such as eczema, where we need to be really careful with what we’re introducing, or is this sensitivity caused by a stressful period or something lifestyle related?” says Renate.

“Regardless, when it comes to cleansing, it’s about focusing on repairing the skin, and that the oils are being replenished in the cleansing process.”

Cleansers for dry skin can usually be relied on to take care of sensitive skin, too.

"As we know with dry skin, it can be a little bit more on the sensitive side. A very gentle cleanser is best. Gentle Cleanser or Soothing Cleanser would both be the best options from the SkinCeuticals’ range,” says Renate. 

But, if you have other concerns, like pigmentation or dullness, a word of warning: wait until your skin has calmed down before introducing these more potent active ingredients.  

“Cleansers that have, say, a strong glycolic acid are great if you want to treat pigment or really rejuvenate the complexion. But, if you’re concerned with sensitivity, that's something that you might introduce once your sensitivity has been corrected.”

Image: Supplied. 

Cleansing for fine lines and wrinkles.

If ageing skin is a concern, Renate suggests going for a cleanser that delivers hydration, and look for ingredients to battle skin dullness and refine texture, such as glycolic acid.

“Ingredients like glycerine and sorbital offer hydration to the skin,” she says, “and glycolic is a great all-rounder in terms of brightening and smoothing texture – which we know, with ageing skin, often becomes the concern.”

Do I change how I cleanse if I have pigmentation?

If pigmentation is your complexion concern, I have two words for you: 

Chemical. Exfoliation. 

“It’s definitely important to consider how we exfoliate the skin, particularly chemical exfoliant. We do have your physical scrubs, which are really good in terms of refining the texture of the skin, but because pigment is deeper than just the surface texture of the skin, you definitely want to focus on your hydroxy acids,” Renate explained, naming glycold acid and phytic acid as your pigment-fighting MVPs.

A glycolic acid cleanser is the winner for anyone looking to ditch pigmentation, although it’s not one to use every day, Renate warns. 

“That one we would use maybe as a second cleanse, a couple of times a week, because it is more of a potent exfoliating cleanser. You can use another cleanser to remove your makeup first and then use this one as a more targeted cleanse. SkinCeuticals Glycolic Cleanser not only has glycolic, which is great for pigment, it also has phytic acid, which is very brightening.”

Image: Supplied. 

Cleansing for combination skin.

Combo skin is a bit of a doozy, and can mean many things, says Renate. 

“The first important thing to understand is: what kind of combination skin do you have? When we say combination skin, we tend to presume that it's oily-dry, but combination just could mean sensitive and dry, or different combinations, so that's important to understand.

“Next, consider the spectrum of dry to oily – where does that actually sit? That will help you to choose the appropriate cleanser.”

An all-rounder like SkinCeuticals Simply Clean is an amazing option for every skin type, Renate suggests, so that's a really good starting point for combination-skin folks. 

“And the Blemish and Age Cleanser would be great for combo skin because it firstly focuses on clarity, but it is also going to generally refine the texture and return the skin to a more balanced state.”

Shop SkinCeuticals' high concentration range of cleansers, backed by 30 years of scientific research and made to penetrate the skin for optimal results. 

Feature Image: Supplied.