You’ve internalized one of the fundamental principles of good skin since your first adolescent breakout: how you clean your skin matters. If you overdo it, you’ll deplete your skin’s natural oils, leaving your face dry, sensitive, and possibly even greasier as your skin compensates by creating more oil. On the other hand, if you don’t cleanse your skin well enough, acne-causing dirt might build up in your pores.
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When it comes to striking the right no-I-didn’t-filter-that-photo balance, it’s less about how often you wash your face and more about what kind of cleanser you use when you do.
Difference Between Water And Oil Cleanser
Water Cleanser
Water-based cleansers, such as foaming washes, exfoliating lathers, and moisturizing creams, remove particles from the skin’s top layer by rinsing them away. The cleansing effect is based on a substance known as a “surfactant,” which can be thought of as a form of detergent. Water-soluble particles like filth and pollutants emulsify in the surfactant’s foam and wash away from the skin. Water-based cleansers, on the other hand, rinse away the natural oils, making them healthier for oily or acne-prone skin.
In a nutshell, water cleansers are simply conventional soap that has been specially made for your skin.
These cleaners are available in a variety of strengths, from strong to moderate. Sulfates, which are considered the heavy guns of face washing, can be found in water-based products on the more aggressive end of the range.
Oil Cleanser
It seems counterintuitive to use an oil to degrease your skin at the end of the day. After all, you’re aiming to get rid of excess oil. b Surprisingly, experts say that’s exactly what oil-based cleaners accomplish. The premise behind oil cleansers is that oil attracts oil.
Because makeup and sebum, your skin’s sticky material that can cause acne if it piles up, are both oil-based, oil cleansers dissolve them and remove the impurities, allowing you to wash them away. (As opposed to simply washing everything off your skin like a water-based cleanser.)
Cleansers based on oil are also easier on the skin. They leave the natural oil layer on top of the face, causing little discomfort in sensitive and rosacea-prone skin. However, just because oil-based products are gentle doesn’t mean they aren’t effective cleansers. Oil-based cleansers are great at dissolving makeup, so if you wear a lot of foundation or heavy makeup, an oil-based cleanser can help you get the greatest clean possible.
Which Cleanser Should You Go For
Water
Start with a water-based cleanser if you have acne-prone skin. As someone who suffers from adult female acne, I always remove my makeup with light or even ultra-gentle cleansers and avoid oil-based cleansers. If your skin is too oily or you can’t manage to control breakouts, you may need a stronger surfactant. It’s a good idea to talk to your dermatologist about which formulas will work best for your skin.
Oil
To wash with a water-based cleanser, dampen your skin and massage one to two pumps of foamy cleanser or a small dollop of cream cleanser over your face with your fingers. To keep your skin from drying out, rinse it off and apply a non-comedogenic (pore-clogging) moisturizer.
Try an oil-based cleanser if you are not acne-prone, especially if your skin is sensitive, prone to dry, flaky spots, or if you have a more is more makeup routine. Oil-based cleansers are softer and healthier for most skin types.
Massage a few drops of oil cleanser into dry skin and wipe away with a cotton pad.
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