Types of Facial Cleansers

Liquid/Gel

Liquid/gel based facial cleanser is simple and effective. It usually comes in a pump, and when combined with water, will work into a lather. Acne cleansers often come in a liquid or gel form, but include acne fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.

Cream

Cream facial cleansers have a thick consistency. There are foaming cream cleansers that can be applied to damp skin and then rinsed off. There are also cold cream cleansers that can be applied and wiped off with a soft, damp cloth. Cream cleansers are not recommended for oily skin.

Bar

Bar soaps that are specifically designed for facial use are the best choice. Other bar soaps are going to be too drying for the facial skin. The Neutrogena original transparent facial bar is the most well known facial bar soap product. The biggest clue that the bar soap is too drying is if your face feels tight after you have cleansed. To counter this, moisturize immediately and avoid using that particular bar soap.

Cleansing Cloth

My personal favorite, the cleansing cloth is a disposable fiber based cloth that is immersed in a cleansing liquid. When pulled from the package, the cloth has moisture and can be used to gently cleanse the face. However, it is important to rinse with water to remove all of the dirt and oil that was loosened with the cleansing cloth.

Scrub/Exfoliant

Scrubs and exfoliants contain physical ingredients that exfoliate the skin to slough off contaminants and dead skin cells. There are scrubs and exfoliant products such as crushed or powdered fruit or nut seeds, salts, sugars, sands, oatmeal, seaweed, and microbeads (plastic). There are also chemical exfoliants that use acids or other chemicals. Exfoliants are great for the skin when used once a week, for example. Daily use is simply too abrasive.

Toner

Toners come in varying degrees of strength, from rosewater refreshing toners to alcohol based astringents. Many dermatologists suggest that using alcohol based "toners" (or astringents) are actually very damaging to the skin, causing severe dehydration. However, a rosewater or similar tonic can have positive contributions to your skin care routine, including balancing pH levels and managing oil on your skin.

Mask

Masks are so quintessentially spa, with the image of a delicious product slathered all over our face while we relax comfortably to the sound of running water or crystally new age music. There are also an infinite number of types of masks, including clay, cream, dry and peel, warmed, and cream or gel. Each of these could have a myriad of ingredients targeting specific skin concerns, so it is important to identify the purpose of the mask and follow directions carefully. There is even a new trend of multimasking where different masks are applied to different areas of the face to address multiple concerns simultaneously. That said, masks can really be wonderful tools when you have to freshen your facial skin for a big event, or manage a specific issue with some frequency.

Brush

The brush. It was the newest thing in skin care a few years ago, and you either love it or you hate it. The facial cleansing brush is motorized, and the brushes help to slough dead skin cells, reduce acne and increase blood circulation.