deep cleaning cleanser?!?!?!

[kayluh]

hello all! i am on the lookout for the perfect cleanser! for the most part i have pretty normal skin, but lately it has felt dry and i've been peeling on my nose, which is quite strange since i have always tended to be more oily around my nose. i don't know if the cleanser i'm using (ole henriksen find your balance oil control cleanser) has dried out my skin since i use it morning and night. HOWEVER my skin feels so clean and refreshed after using it. any other cleanser recommendations ?!?!

[TheBunnyGeek]

I don't think I can really recommend cleansers (most of my skincare is drugstore, works best for me). But here's a few good guidelines for skincare:

1. Don't switch all your products at once!
   It's really important that you treat this like a science experiment: remove or add one variable at a time! If you switch your whole routine, you'll never know which product in particular is causing you trouble.
   
   
2. Squeaky clean doesn't mean good.
   Yes. It feels so psychologically good, but if you're just ripping all the oils off your skin and drying it out without considering your pH or anything... you're going to make your skin very angry.
   
   
3. Don't over exfoliate.
   Seriously. If you feel like you need to get rid of some dead skin cells, choose a slower acting but less abrasive chemical exfoliant instead of something with hard pieces of shell or nut or pumice.
   
   
4. Sunblock! 
   You might be experiencing peeling on your nose from sun exposure. Potentially one of your products might make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, so take precautions and sunblock it up!

[lisa425]

which drugstore cleansers would you recommend?? I am really interested in hearing your opinion! Also, do you have any drugstore recommendations for sunblock? 

[greenchilli]

@kayluh

- There is no perfect cleanser.  Have 2-3 cleansers in rotation  that do different things (oil, balm, cream, gel etc). 

- The worst offenders in cleansers are anything that say "foaming" or "oil control".  They strip the skin, mess with the PH, and make it more vulnerable.

- Oil on your face is good.  It protects the skin.  Don't fight it.  You want to balance your skin, not fight the oil.

- Use cleansers that don't have surfactants (most do).  SUrfuctants give you that foaming action and make your skin "squeaky" clean.  All bad things.

-Avoid scrubby cleansers as much as possible. There are some decent ones, use occasionally.

Some suggestions of nice cleansers:

Pixi Glow Mud cleanser (skin cleanse, can be used as mask too)

Pixi Double Cleanse (for both makeup removal and skin cleanse)

Ren Evercalm (skin cleanse, won't remove makeup)

NUDE Omega Jelly (skin cleanse, not to remove makeup)

Farmacy Green Clean balm (removes makeup too, also skin cleanse)

Tata Harper (all of then are good.  Use oil for removing makeup).

Clinique Take the Day off (to remove makeup only.  Not for skin cleanse).

[TheBunnyGeek]

Yes! Too many people go for that squeak at the end of their cleansing routine and I'm like, "Noooo don't aim for that! That's gonna hurt you, baby!"

[greeneyedgirl107]

@kayluh I am in love with Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser.  I also use Philosophy's Microdelivery Exfoliationg Wash (it is useless as a cleanser, though).

[ChicDabbler]

I have combo skin, and when my oily nose gets dry flaky skin it usually means my cleanser or exfoliator/scrub is too harsh for my skin. Also, make sure you are not confusing the "clean" feeling with "slightly dry" feeling.

Firstly, try using the OH cleanser at night, and only wipe the skin with a damp towel in the morning (what I do) or use a much gentler cleanser (what my oily skin friends do). If your skin is still dry and flaky after a few days of that, then yeah, you need a gentler cleanser. I'm a fan of Clarins gentle foaming cleanser or Boscia purifying cleanser, both leaves my skin feeling clean but not dry.

[SianBT]

Hi kayluh, 

Have you tried products from Kate Somerville's line yet? I've been loving the ExfoliKate® Cleanser Daily Foaming Wash - it doesn't dry me out, but I feel like my skin is super clean! 

Bisous, 

Sian