My recent blog post about helping you decide which Apothaka® barrier serum to use proved so popular that I wanted to do one for my cleanser range, which I appreciate may feel a little overwhelming for some people! So here's a summary of my cleansers which covers key features, suitable skin types and when/how to use:
Effective, yet gentle on the skin barrier is the common thread through all these cleansers, so really it's a case of finding one that best suits your skin type and situation (e.g. how much make up you wear, how tenacious your sunscreen is).
Single vs double cleansing - the age-old debate!
Many experts promote double cleansing as a blanket rule but I personally think it's more complicated than that. Whether you need a second cleanse depends a lot on skin type, how much make up you wear, what type of sunscreen you use, if you live in a polluted city, if you're acne prone, how effective your cleanser is and how well you cleanse your skin. I wear very minimal make up and I use a sunscreen mousse which sinks into my skin (as opposed to a lotion sunscreen that I can feel on the skin surface). I don't live in a polluted city and my skin is quite dehydrated (thanks to perimenopause!). Even though I'm prone to clogged pores (despite not having oily skin!), I find that a thorough cleanse with my cleansing oils is more than sufficient to clean my skin without stripping it. If I am on a rare night out in London and I wear more make up, I tend to double cleanse to ensure my skin is properly clean. I encourage you to watch your skin closely and see how it responds to single / double cleansing depending on which cleansers you've used. I have used other brands of cleansing oils which don't rinse off properly (leave too much residue), or don't remove my make up / sunscreen sufficiently so I have to go in with a second cleanse. Cleansing oils / balms should rinse off, leaving little to no residue depending on the formulation. So you really have to be guided by how your skin feels!
Whatever you use, just make sure you cleanse the skin thoroughly: this means taking the time to massage the cleanser over your skin. I usually spend around a minute doing this to ensure I've broken down the grime / make up / sunscreen etc - especially because I usually only cleanse once. Rinse the skin and see how it feels. If the skin feels too "slippy", you may want to go in with a water-based cleanser as a second cleanse to remove traces of your first cleanse. But remember, you're not looking for squeaky clean skin, so it's a balancing act! If your skin feels very tight after cleansing, it's likely you're not using the right cleanser for your needs.
Comforting cleansing oil / rebalancing cleansing oils - universally great first or single cleanse:
These are light-midweight emulsifying cleansing oils, so they will rinse off fully with water leaving the skin clean but soft. I love using these oils as they're really effective at removing make up and sunscreen, and as I've mentioned before, for me they're usually sufficient as a single cleanse on minimal / no make up days. Both have slightly different blends of plant oils but their texture is very similar, making them suitable for pretty much all skin types, including acne prone (but do patch test first). The main difference is that comforting cleansing oil is fragrance free, making it ideal for sensitive and irritated skin. This is a very popular choice amongst my customers with rosacea! Rebalancing cleansing oil has a beautiful spa-like fragrance so it's great for those that want to enjoy a nice scent whilst cleansing, though I wouldn't recommend it if you have sensitive skin due to the fragrant essential oils (lavender, geranium & rosemary) in the formulation! Both of these are available in a try-me 30ml size, or standard 100ml size.
Golden nectar jelly balm cleanser - a decadent cleansing experience!
This is the one to choose if you want a really indulgent cleanser to elevate your cleansing experience! Rather than a traditional cleansing balm (which contains waxes and butters), this has a unique gelled (jelly) oil texture which is almost like honey, without the stickiness or drag. It melts on the skin and turns into an oil, giving plenty of playtime for a good massage. As with all my products, I have used a lightweight blend of oils, but have added some more nourishing ones like oat oil in there too. This cleanser does rinse off, but leaves slightly more of a moisturising film, making it ideal for drier, or more mature skins. That said, you could use this even if you have oily, combination skin - you may just want to follow with a water-based cleanser and / or use a soft washcloth to remove it. Like rebalancing cleansing oil, this also contains fragrant essential oils (zesty bergamot and sandalwood fragrance) so I wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin.
Velveteen cloud cleanser - a versatile, hydrating, nourishing cleanse
This cleanser also has quite a unique texture - it's not like the typical cream cleansers which can often feel quite oily and "claggy" on the skin. It's a creamy gel hybrid meaning it has lipids to leave the skin feeling nourished, but also has the lightness of a gel texture. It's really glycerin-rich so it feels beautiful on the skin and is ideal for drier skin types, or skin suffering in winter in particular, but any skin type could use this. It's versatile in that it can be used on dry skin to break down make up / sunscreen, but can also be used on wet skin too.
Although it contains a light, nostalgic floral-woody fragrance, it doesn't include essential oils and instead features a fragrance blend that's free of the known fragrance allergens. As a result this is also a very popular choice amongst those with rosacea! It's skin barrier friendly due to its pH (as are all Apothaka® products), so it's a pretty safe bet for anyone!
Gentle cleansing gel - a refreshing, non-stripping cleanse
Gentle cleansing gel, as the name suggests, is a more refreshing gel cleanser formulated more for oily, combination skin (or even balanced skin in the summer). Unlike a lot of gel cleansers which can be quite stripping (either due to the type / amount of surfactants used, or due to a higher pH), this one is much milder. This is down to the choice of surfactants and the addition of ingredients like glycerin and a lipid layer enhancer to leave the skin feeling clean, comfortable but not stripped. With balanced skin, I often reach for this on hotter days, and might even use it in the morning (if I wake up feeling sweatier than usual!). It's also a popular choice amongst my male customers as the scent (which is very subtle) is unisex / quite neutral (fresh and clean).
If you've been feeling a bit lost over which cleanser to use, I hope this has helped clarify things. Remember, cleansing is one of the most important skincare steps because it provides a clean canvas for the rest of our skincare. But it's also the most disruptive step of our routine as cleansing can be too efficient by removing not only the grime and sebum you want to get rid of, but also the skin's lipids which we need! So cleansing choice and method is very important.
You can shop Apothaka®'s cleanser range here.
