Last Updated on Tuesday, 09 March 2010 22:00

Skin Cleansers for Acne

Acne cleansers remove oil, sweat, dirt and dead skin cells from the skin’s surface. Sometimes this can be enough to manage minimal acne. Make sure you choose the right cleanser for your skin and don't over do it. Too much cleansing can cause dry and irritated skin. Once or twice a day should be enough.

Popular Acne Skin Cleansers

• Clearasil Stay Clear Acne Defense Cleanser

• Phisoderm 4-Way Daily Acne Cleanser

• DermaClear

Mild Cleansers

If you have minimal acne a mild cleanser may be all that's required to help keep your skin clear. Mild cleansers are particularly useful if your skin is irritated or aggravated. Over cleansing can lead to dryness and irritation through stripping your skin of its natural lubrication. This often leads to a cycle of over cleansing and over moisturizing.

Water-soluble cleansers are an excellent soap substitute. They should be gentle, non irritating and unscented, but strong enough to remove surface oil and male-up. A good example is Cetaphil.

Choosing the right cleanser

Cleansers for oily skin: 

Oily skin is caused by excess sebum activity so look for cleansers that will help absorb excess oil without overdrying. Cleansers for oily skin don’t have as much oil in them and don’t leave a residue. It’s natural for people with oily skin to want to wash your face frequently, however try and keep to a maximum of twice per day. Find a good cleanser that is free oil free but does not contain any harsh chemicals.

Good examples are;

• Dermalogica Essential Cleansing Solution
• Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser.
• Neutrogena also has an outstanding oil-free skincare. They specialize in gentle cleansers that will keep your skin clear without excessive oil or residue left behind.

You can also get cleansers for oily skin that contain antibacterial/medicated ingredients.

You may want to use the cleanser for oily skin on your face, neck and chest, and then use a cleanser with a moisturizer on the rest of your body. Even if your skin is oily it's worth using a light moisturizer to help keep your skin balanced and avoid the dry and oily cycle.

Cleansers for Dry Skin:

If you have dry skin it’s best to go with a creamy cleanser. Creamy cleansers are often a combination of oil and water and should remove dead skin cells, dirt and make-up, without stripping the skin of its natural lubrication. For very dry skin, it is best to cleanse with a creamy product.

Good examples are:

• Cetaphil (very reasonable priced),
• Clarins Gentle Foaming Cleanser, (mid range)
• Lancome Galatee Milk Cleanser (more expensive).