Deciding on the right cleanser can be one of the most difficult decisions in your skin care regime. Many people end up choosing the wrong cleanser, which can in turn make the rest of your skin care regime seem as though it is not working. Your moisturizer can end up getting the blame when your skin is too dry, when in reality your cleanser is too harsh! The type of cleanser you use can also change depending on the weather outside. Here in New England with the harsh difference between the summer and winter air, it can be common to need a foaming moisturizer in the summer and a creamy cleanser in the winter. Also, as we age our skin loses some of it’s oil production and someone who spent their whole life with oily skin may begin to find that a foaming cleanser is too harsh for their now dryer skin.
The first step to deciding what type of cleanser is right for you is too determine what skin type you are. We recommend going to see an aesthetician to determine this as they will be able to use their well trained eye to tell you exactly what skin type you are. We provide free skin care consults with our aestheticians at Spa on the Green. If you are interested in coming in for one call the Spa at 413-565-4400.
The basic skin types are; oily, dry/dehydrated, combination, sensitive and normal. Individuals with oily skin typically have larger pores, are more prone to acne outbreaks, and tend to have “shiny” looking skin due to visible oil on the skin a few hours after cleansing. Now, as stated before, as those with oily skin get older their skin type can change and become much more dry. So, let’s add another category to the list, aging skin. Also, it is possible for oily skin to also be dehydrated. Are you beginning to see why it is important to find out from a professional what skin type you are?
True dry skin usually feels tight after cleansing if no moisturizer is applied. The skin can become very dry and can flake. These individuals usually have a lack of lipids in their skin and therefore a lack of oil production. Dehydrated skin can feel the same way as dry skin, but instead of lacking oil it lacks water. Any skin type can become dehydrated. Combination skin is exactly how it sounds, a combination of oily and dry skin. These individuals usually have oily T-zones (forehead, nose, chin) and dry cheeks. You can usually actually see a difference in the pore size from the T-zone to the rest of the face. Sensitive skin can be easily irritated by many ingredients especially things such as fragrances, parabens and even botanicals. Those with sensitive skin should be very careful with any of the products they use making sure to read ingredient labels and buy from sensitive skin lines. Normal skin is in perfect balance with just the right amount of oil production.
After you have determined your skin type, it’s now time to look at the different type of cleansers out there. Most cleansers fall into one of two categories, foaming or creamy. As a rule foaming cleansers should be used for oily or combination skin as the foaming agent strips away some of the excess oil. Creamy cleanser should be used for dry and sensitive skin types. Normal skin can use either cleanser. Aging skin usually does best with a creamy cleanser, but depending on the time of year, may need to switch to a foaming cleanser if they used to have oily skin when they were younger. Aging skin does very well with creamy cleansers that have some form of alpha hydroxy-acid in them, such as Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid. Our Lacticleanse Creamy Cleanser is a great example of this type of product. The acid helps to exfoliated the skin making fine lines and wrinkles less apparent while the moisturizing creamy part of the cleanser helps to add moisture back into the skin rather than dry it out more. We also offer Lacticleanse Foaming cleanser for aging skin that still has a lot of oil production. Oily skin that is very acne prone should use a foaming cleanser with an alpha hydroxy-acid in it such as our Hydroxyfoam Cleanser. Cleansers with Benzyol Peroxide can be excellent for acne prone skin, but this can be very drying so it is a good idea to only use this cleanser in the morning and use a gentler cleanser at night. Sensitive skin individuals should look for products specifically made for sensitive or redness prone skin. Our RosaLuxe cleansers are great for sensitive skin and come in foaming and creamy formulations!
Now that you hopefully have a better grasp on which type of cleanser you should be purchasing, we invite you to stop by the Spa for 25% off ALL of our cleansers!
This offer is for TODAY only, Dec 11, 2012.
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