Beauty 101 - Cleansers

Hey everyone, so welcome to my blog! My first post today is going to be all about the basics of cleansers and also I will mention my top cleansers for the moment. 

So first off, what types of cleansers are there? 

• Milk
• Micellar 
• Balm
• Oil
• Foaming/Mousse
• Gel
• Treatment Based (i.e. Acne Cleansers, Brightening Cleansers etc...)

We have come a loooong way from your moms Dial/Dove bar of soap routine (well most of us have, I'm still working on the others haha). 

Now why do you have to go and spend money on something that sits on your face for less than 60 seconds? ....

Reason is because our skin has a natural pH balance and when we use stripping products like soap it can dry and irritate the skin. We also live in a world full of pollution, smoke and other harmful airborne skin stresses. The use of a good cleanser is going to help the skin stay looking youthful and also protect it from external damage! 

So lets break up those categories and discuss what the different types of cleansers do. I'll show you the ones I own from those categories and also speak to some other ones that I have tested in the past that I'd recommend as well. I will be discussing skin types and skin conditions so if you're unaware of what yours is, I will make a post for that and you will be able to refer back to that post! 

Milks

Milks are fantastic for a sensitive, tight or dry skin type. If you have a skin condition such as rosacea or a eczema. My personal favourite is Jouviance Milk ($24 CND). It is a Canadian brand that is located at Shoppers Drug Mart. It has calming properties that help to sooth a dry, irritated skin. The Toleriane Dermo-Cleanser from La Roche Posay is my second favourite cleanser in this category. Also can be found at Shoppers Drug Mart locations in Canada. 

Micellar ("Water Cleansers")

Micellar cleansers are the easy quick fix for someone who needs to wash off makeup quickly and efficiently but doesn't like/have time to rinse off in the shower/sink. I prefer these to any towel or wipe based quick fix. My all time favourite has to be the Bioderma Senibio H20 ($21.95CND @ Shoppers Drug Mart). I use my cotton pads and soak it in this magically product and it becomes a cleansing and toning step at once. I don't get the fully "squeaky clean" feeling as I do with my milks or gels but it is perfect for a morning cleanse or lazy day. The new Sublime Soft by L'Oreal ($12CND @ Shoppers Drug Mart) is actually a very good option as well. I found it left a slight film on my face but overall very good for the price. The Nuxe Micellar Cleansing Water ($29CND @ Shoppers Drug Mart) is heavily scented in rose so it irritated my face. 

Balms

Balms are ideal for those who have extreme dry, chapped skin and also do not want to use a rinse product. With these you apply them and let them melt off your makeup before taking a cloth or tissue to wipe them off. This works for those who have a heavy amount of eye/face makeup on, I find it really removes everything without drying out the skin. I don't really have a favourite for this category yet, I have a sample of the Eve Lom Cleanser (50ml $55CND Murale.com) but I haven't had a chance to use it. Also a Pur Minerals Waterless Cleanser which is very similar to a balm, it is discontinued now but it burned my eyes so I wouldn't suggest it even if you found a place to purchase it. I may revise this section in the future with more once I've been able to try more balms. 

Oils

Oils are fantastic for ALL skin types. That's right ALL of them, including oily! Most people would think that an oily skin type would HATE the feel of a cleansing oil, however it is extremely efficiant at removing dirt, built up oil and makeup without irritated or leaving the skin feeling greasy. Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil ($45CND Murale.com) is my personal favourite. I also really love MACs Cleans Off Oil ($30CND Maccosmetics.com)

Foaming/Mousse

A mousse based cleanser is a type that comes out in an almost gel/milk hybrid texture. Once water is added it becomes frothy and foamy. I find if someone is looking for a deep purifying clean a mousse is a really great option. For some of these types of cleansers though they can contain high amounts of sulfates which can dry or irritate the skin. Look for one that is formulated with sensitive skin in mind, or one where the sulfates are not within the first three ingredients on the package. A Foaming cleanser is a light cleanser that are a littler gentler on the skin and still work well at removing cosmetics and dirt off the skin. The cleanser in the photo on the left is my favourite mousse cleanser. It is called Checks and Balances from Origins. My favourite foaming cleanser is from La Roche Posay called the Physiological Foaming Water. 

Gel

Gel cleansers are really for those who want the "squeaky clean" feeling that was mentioned earlier but it is less creamy and therefore has no/little moisturizing properties. These are the types of cleansers that oily skins LOVE! They tend to have extra ingredients that are actually going to break down the dead skin that clogs the pores and creates acne and also stops the production of bacteria. I have two favourites in the category. I use these mostly in the summer time as a deep clean. The Jouviance Gel Cleanser ($24CND @ Shoppers Drug Mart) has by far the best gel cleanser that I have tried. It has ingredients to actually help remove the dead skin cells and doesn't dry out my skin but still gives a through cleanse. My second is the Zero Oil Cleanser from Origins. This one has a slight foam, and leaves my skin a little dry feeling. Those are it's main downfalls, but on the plus side the mint is refreshing to my skin and it really helps to clear up breakouts and excess oil. 

Treatment Based

Now for treatment based cleansers these include ingredients like Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Vitamin C and many other types of ingredients. These types cleansers are meant to treat a specific issue or correct something in the skin. I usually stick to face masks so I don't really have specific treatment cleansers. I know that Clinique makes a foaming cleanser that contains salicylic acid to treat acne and Vichy makes a mousse cleanser with Vitamin C for brightening. Both of those are available at most Shoppers Drug Mart locations. 

Conclusion

Now if you have made it this far, you deserve a gold star!! I have a lot of information in this head of mine so I sometimes get to ramble. These 101 posts will be more of my rambles for those that really want more information, I promise my reviews will be a little bit more to the point ;). Please leave a comment with any questions or suggestions. 

Until next time, keep washing those pretty faces ladies!

Amye89 xoxo