Facial Cleansers – Benefits And Different Types of Formulations

Pollutants, dirt, dust, and excess oil - your face suffers the brunt of the same every day. This makes facial cleansers the foundation for a skincare regime. No matter the skin type, it is one essential product that helps in removing excess oil, slough off dead skin cells, and wash the dirt and debris off your face. Before marching towards a religious skincare routine, cleansing the face is one rudimentary essential that allows the skin to breathe and prepare it for following the rest of the skincare. 

So, what are facial cleansers? 

In simple terms, facial cleanser is a skincare product that helps in removing excess oil, unclog pores, wash off dust or pollutants, and prevent acne or pimples. The cleansers are products formulated for removing dirt and oil, washing off makeup, clean off sunscreen, and pollutants. It helps in preventing clogging of the pores and cleans the skin without stripping the top layer of natural oil. 

As much as facial cleansers seem uncomplicated, it is crucial to identify the skin type and use cleansers that suit your skin. You can also choose the formulation with specific ingredients that are meant for your skin. For example, if you have dry skin, using a face cleanser enriched with hyaluronic acid cleanses off your face while leaving your skin hydrated. 

Benefits of using a facial cleanser

Facial cleansers are formulated to prevent irritation and dryness of the skin while cleaning off dust, dirt, and pollutants. The cleansers are mild as compared to soaps and hence retain the skin’s moisture barrier and balance the pH of the skin. Soap-free gel, cream or foam cleansers are effective in cleaning the face without disrupting the skin barrier. Here are some benefits of using facial cleansers.

• Facial cleansers help in removing dirt, dust, and oil, and gently slough off dead skin cells. This cleans the face and prepares for subsequent steps of skincare.
• It helps in clearing off environmental impurities without irritating or damaging the skin. 
• Cleansers enriched with hyaluronic acid or ceramide are great for locking-in moisture and maintaining a strong skin barrier. 
• It effectively cleans off sweat, prevents clogging of pores, and renews clean. Some cleansers are formulated to dissolve makeup residues. 

What are the different types of cleansers? 

Upon identifying the skin type, it becomes quite easy to choose the proper facial cleanser that suits your skin type. Here’s everything you need to know about different facial cleanser formulations.

Gel Facial Cleanser

The cleansers have a gel-like consistency that is ideal for oil and acne-prone skin or sensitive skin. The gel cleanser is lightweight and often produces lather but effectively removes dirt and excess oil. It is often enriched with ingredients like hyaluronic acid for better hydration, ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier, or salicylic acid for gentle exfoliation. 

We recommend: Foxtale Essentials Gel Face Wash With Niacinamide & Chamomile Extract

Foam Facial Cleanser 

The foam-based cleanser has a soothing texture and removes oil and dust. The foaming face wash form a mild to full-on lather that rinses off the skin leaving it smooth and soft. These are lightweight facial cleansers that create a foamy lather and are ideal for normal, oily, or combination skin. These remove and cleans off the dirt from pores and reduce the occurrence of acne. 

We recommend: LISEN Perfect Balance Cleansing Foam with Salicylic Acid

Cream Facial Cleanser

The consistency of such facial cleansers is often thicker with a creamy texture. It gently cleanses skin without stripping its natural oil and is ideal for dry or sensitive skin. The creamy-based facial cleansers provide a lather and often are formulated targeting certain skin concerns. For example, creamy facial cleansers with hyaluronic acid are used for reducing skin dryness. 

We recommend: Suganda Hydrating Oat PHA Cleanser with Calendula

Oil Facial Cleanser

These are oil-based facial cleansers that are ideal for getting rid of dust, debris, and excess oil, and gently removing makeup. One of the best parts of such cleansers is they can be used as a double cleanse as it dissolves makeup. Such cleansers are formulated with natural oils that control sebum production, increase skin elasticity, retain moisture, and promote skin cell regeneration. It is ideal for dry to all types of skin. 

We recommend: Dear, Klairs Gentle Deep Cleansing Oil

Powder Facial Cleanser

These types of facial cleansers are in powdered form and are activated upon adding water. On adding water, it has a granular or creamy consistency depending on the ingredients used. These cleaners are often considered exfoliating powders due to their gentle exfoliation capacity that sloughs off dead cells. It is effective for all types of skin and good for sensitive skin types.

We recommend: The Tribe Concept Face Brightening Daily Cleanser