Need a Cleanser for Super Sensitive Skin

[Anonymous]

My skin is very sensitive to everything. Even the Fresh Soy Cleanser is too rough. And so is the First Aid Beauty and Olehenriksen cleansers are too rough. My acne is where my skin is dry and my T-zone is very oily. My current routine is the Soy Cleanser, rose water toner, and rose moisturizer (all Fresh). I think I need to find something that has no perfume or alcohol that also works for combination skin. Also, glam glow and origin masks are too harsh also. Please help!  

[gwenpool]

glam glow is a terrible skincare brand honestly, their supermud makes my skin burn and half of their masks are only for the instagram aesthetic. i’d definitely look into brands like farmacy or pca. the esthetician i go to uses pca and i feel like the cleanser has really helped my skin. i didn’t like the fresh soy cleanser either (sensitive dry skin here!). farmacy has a nice calming cleanser also.

[FelixtheCat85]

You should look into Youth to the People. They are one of the clean brands. All their products are very simplistic without a lot of harsh ingredients. I've been using the superfood cleanser and adaptogen deep moisture cream for my sensitive dry skin and they have done wonders.

[norwaynicole]

I have been using Cetaphil as one of my cleansers for 20 years. It got my skin out of a crisis zone back then, and while I do use other cleansers, it is great for my sensitive skin. (And inexpensive, lasts forever, dermatologists love it... )

[courtneyinsea]

+1 on the Cetaphil recommendations. It's what both my dermatologist and aesthetician recommended for my combo skin that gets red and irritated at the mere thought of most skincare formulations, and you can get it from most drug stores.

If I want to be fancy, I find that REN CLEAN SKINCARE - Evercalm™ Gentle Cleansing Milk works well for me. But most of the time, I'd rather invest my skincare budget in a serum because I find that there are inexpensive and gentle cleansers that do the job just fine.

[misst]

@Anonymous, I have a couple of recommendations that my dry, eczema prone and sensitive skin like.  I too think the FAB cleanser is not that gentle. I've been able to use the following with no issue:

drugstore brand:  Cetaphil, simple foaming face wash (I dont think they make this anymore unfortunately, as its been hard for me to find).

My current favorite and what I've been using since earlier this year is Korres Greek Yogurt cleanser:  https://www.sephora.com/product/greek-yoghurt-foaming-cream-cleanser-P392253

It is lightly scented, cleanses without drying, and does not seem to affect my hormonal/occasional breakouts.  I also notice it does not burn my eyes like some of the other cleansers that claim to be gentle.

Good luck on your search for a cleanser.  It took me awhile to find the Korres, but I love it and dont see myself changing brands anytime soon.

[Ispend2much6]

@Anonymous  One of the brands that I've found most easy to use, overall, is Kiehl's.  They make a Calendula Deep Clean Foaming Cleanser that contains calendula and glycerine to gently clean and calm the skin.  

https://www.sephora.com/product/calendula-deep-clean-foaming-face-wash-P422013

[RebeccaBT]

Hi @AliceKit,

I suggest the PHILOSOPHY - Purity Made Simple Cleanser. It is great for sensitive skin. This cleanser is a one-step facial cleanser that helps pores, dryness, and uneven skin tone. Hope this helps!

Best,

Rebecca 

[SportyGirly125]

@Anonymous I also agree with using CeraVe or Cetaphil.  These are both gentle for sensitive skin.

[RoamingHoliday]

Have you tried any cleansing oils?

[tastelikewater]

@Anonymous I have combo skin with the added delight of rosacea, so I understand sensitivity! I look up the ingredients of every product I put on my face in an effort to minimize my flare-ups. As a general rule, I avoid fragrance, alcohols, and sulfates whenever possible (though it's important to note that "fatty alcohols," such as cetyl alcohol, are known to be beneficial). 

My face doesn't tolerate the Fresh soy cleanser, either. My absolute favorite right now is the Youth to the People Superfood cleanser. I could immediately tell that it's better for me than my previous cleanser; the pH balance is just right, washes off clean and doesn't leave me feeling tight. If you want to stick to a drugstore cleanser, I found CeraVe's hydrating cleanser to work just fine. I use a Mark Lees alcohol-free soothing toner, but I agree that not all skin types require this step. 

[TrysBeautyItems]

@Anonymous It's not necessarily a sensitive issue, your skin barrier is compromised and dehydrated (which is a condition). Rose can be an irritant, so that's not helping. 

Basic cleanser like: Neutrogena fresh foaming (blue bottle, more creamy), Purpose brand, Cetaphil

Hydration booster, under moisturizer, Dermalogica, ELF, H20+

Basic moisturizer Neutrogena oil free sensitive, Acure seriously soothing night oil

Spf daily, skin is fragile right now, sun can cause inner damage

Even Dermalogica's ultra calming line

Skip the toner, not every skin needs nor pads. Excess oil is trying to rebalance the skin, gentle non active products and adding hydration back into your skin is key to rebalancing, fixing the barrier, and acne may subside.

[greeneyedgirl107]

@Anonymous I agree that you should avoid fragrance and alcohol.  If you are looking for a new cleanser, try CeraVe.  It's known for being gentle and the price is right.  Plus, there should be a $2 off coupon online that you can print out.

Here'a a review for the fresh Rose Hydrating Cream (is that the one you are using?) and for the Rose Floral Toner from beautypedia (both 2/5 stars):

Spoiler

This fragrant moisturizer has a sleek, lightweight gel-cream texture that's great for normal to combination skin, but the amount of fragrant plants is cause for concern. Fragrance is a source of skin irritation, and applying too much of it to oily skin or oily areas can trigger more oil production (see More Info for details).

The types of rose extracts this moisturizer contains do not have special benefits for skin; they cannot protect skin from pollution, which is one of the farfetched claims being made (no skin-care product or ingredient can completely protect skin from pollution). Rosa damascena oil has antioxidant and antibacterial properties, but so do many other plants that don't expose skin to irritating fragrant components.

Rose Hydrating Gel Cream has its strong points, but for what this costs it's not a must-have product—not if you want a moisturizer that's chockfull of beneficial anti-aging ingredients.

PROS:

• Sleek, gel-cream texture feels light and refreshing.
• Contains some beneficial plant extracts that function as antioxidants.

CONS:

• Highly fragrant formula puts skin at risk of irritation.Here's the review fro the fresh Rose Floral Toner (2/5 stars):

Spoiler

If you are one of those who firmly believes that swabbing fragrant rose water on your skin is the way to go, by all means give this toner a try. For all of you others, however, know that this is essentially eau de cologne for your face and offers next to no benefit beyond the pleasing scent of roses. If that were enough to make for good skin care then we would be back in the days of rose water for about $2 at the drugstore. That wasn’t good skin care years ago and it still isn’t today.

[Anonymous]

Yeesh, I was recommended this line too. Sucks to hear it.

[phantompenguinx]

@AliceKitI have sensitive combo skin also and I've learned that my skin does not react well with the soy in the Fresh cleanser, not sure if that could possibly be an issue for you too?

I like using a micellar water in the morning, which is more gentle than a full wash. You also dont need to use a toner after. Then I've been using the Skin Laundry cleanser at night. It's really gentle and doesn't dry out my skin. Hope this helps!

SKIN LAUNDRY - Hydrating Cream Face Wash

[Anonymous]

The soy cleanser also reacts badly to my skin. I also think I might need a heavy duty moisturizer (just because I keep putting so much of Fresh Rose Hydrating Gel Cream until my skin is not so tight). I will definitely put your recommendation on top of the list! 

[Buootiful]

@AliceKit, I agree with @bakeamuffin on the Drunk Elephant Cleanser Best No 9 and the Protini cream for your skin. As far as a chemical exfoliant she suggested, you could try FIRST AID BEAUTY - Facial Radiance Padsit doesnt burn and I have sensitive, dry skin. To start, just use the pads on your Tzone every other day to avoid overloading your skin with too many new products.You'll want to put lotion on immediately so it doesnt begin evaporating on your skin-drying it out too quickly. Hope it could work for you 🙂  

Seriously, that Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mLis so gentle and so effective and I use it with the FAB radiance pads. You really only need a dime size to clean because I bought this near May and Sephora has sent me 3 email reminders to stock up. Its been 2 weeks since I opened the 2nd bottle 🙂

[Anonymous]

I have tried the First Aid Beauty Pads in-store and they tightened my skin up really quick. I hope I can find a cheaper alternative, but I will spend big bucks for the whole skin care routine if nothing else works. Thank you!

[bakeamuffin]

@AliceKit my skin is a little different than yours (I have dry skin) but it sounds like it’s sensitive like yours. I slowly switched my skincare over to Drunk Elephant because they’re products don’t contain harsh or sensitizing ingredients such as fragrance, essential oils, silicones, alcohols, SLS, dyes, or chemical sunscreens. The Drunk Elephant Beste™ No. 9 Jelly Cleanser 5 oz/ 150 mLis my favourite cleanser and they’re DRUNK ELEPHANT - Lala Retro™ Whipped Creammmoisturizer is a holy grail for me, although if your skin is on the oily side, the Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Firming Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mLmight be nice for you.

Instead of using a toner you might want to consider using a chemical peel or exfoliator; introducing acids like AHA’s and BHA’s can help with cell turnover, acne, removing dead skin, etc. I love the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Ultra Gentle Daily Peel Pads for Sensitive Skin 30 treatments ...to help keep my face smooth, balanced, and clear. I find that using this peel 1-2x a week has really helped my acne, and I no longer struggle with bad dry patches. 

It’s a very gentle set of wipes that you sweep across your face, it doesn't actually peel off or anything like that so it’s very gentle but effective. 

[Anonymous]

With the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Ultra Gentle Daily Peel Pads for Sensitive Skin 30 treatments ..., where in your skin routine do you do it? Do you do it after you cleanse or by itself and put a moisturizer on afterwards?

[dana0125]

Hi Alice! 

I love the Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peels too and use them after cleansing my face in the AM, followed by my serum / moisturizer / SPF of choice 🙂 The peel is amazing because it really preps skin for optimal absorption of whatever products are currently in your regimen and I find that the peel makes my products work better!