How to Choose the Perfect Cleanser for Your Skin Type

Cleansing is the most fundamental step in any skincare routine. It's the first line of defense against the daily sweat, pollutants, and make-up that can accumulate on our skin. But choosing the right cleanser can feel overwhelming, especially when you're faced with an array of options on the shelves. Here’s our definitive guide to finding the perfect cleanser for your skin type.

Understanding Your Skin Type

When picking a cleanser, it's crucial to understand your skin type. Are you prone to excess oil production, making your skin feel greasy by midday? You likely have oily skin. Is your skin comfortable without feeling overly dry or oily? Congratulations, you probably have normal skin. Alternatively, do you experience tightness, flakiness, or rough patches? You may have dry skin. If you experience both oiliness and dryness, you may have combination skin.

Generally, those with dry skin should look for thicker formulas with nourishing ingredients like ceramides, glycerin, or hyaluronic acid. Those with oily skin should focus on lighter formulas and consider gently exfoliating ingredients like salicylic acid.

Types of Cleansers

Cleansing Milk or Creams

Best for: All skin types, particularly dry and sensitive skin

Ideal for dry or sensitive skin types, milk or cream cleansers offer gentle cleansing without stripping away moisture. They often contain hydrating ingredients, leaving your skin feeling nourished and comfortable after each use.

We Recommend:

Yon-Ka Cleansing Milk – This luscious cleansing milk is a 2-in-1 cleanser plus eye make-up remover. It gently eliminates make-up and provides a satin finish and a luxurious sensation of comfort while soothing and softening your skin.

Yon-Ka Cleansing Cream – This comforting, creamy cleanser is excellent for very sensitive skin. It gently cleanses and removes make-up, providing immediate comfort, and leaves your skin feeling smooth and supple.

Guinot Hydra Fraicheur Refreshing Cleansing Milk – A soap-free cleanser with a gel-milk texture that cleanses your skin and removes all make-up, including waterproof make-up. It is gentle enough for use on your eyes and lips.

Guinot Hydra Tendre Soft Wash-Off Cleansing Cream – A gentle and refreshing cream cleanser that gently removes make-up and cleanses even the most sensitive skin. Simply activate it with water, massage into your skin, and rinse with water.

G.M. Collin Hydramucine Cleansing Milk – This creamy-textured cleansing milk gently dissolves sebum and removes skin impurities and make-up, leaving your complexion with a satin finish.

G.M. Collin Sensiderm Cleansing Milk – Formulated especially for sensitive skin, this soothing cleansing milk is paraben-free, alcohol-free, and fragrance-free. It dissolves sebum, removes skin impurities and make-up, leaving your skin feeling fresh and softened.

Gel Cleansers

Best for: All skin types

Gel cleansers can remove excess oil, impurities, and acne-causing bacteria without leaving behind a heavy residue. They typically have a lighter consistency and are considered mild yet effective, so if you battle with oily skin, sensitivity, or acne, a gel cleanser is a great option.

We Recommend:

Yon-Ka Cleansing Gel – This soft foamy gel is a 2-in-1 cleanser plus eye make-up remover. It purifies your skin, leaving your complexion looking and feeling supple, refreshed, and rested.

G.M. Collin Puractive+ Cleansing Gel – This foaming and refreshing cleansing gel removes excess sebum and impurities, leaving your skin soft and refreshed.

Foaming Cleansers

Best for: Oily or acne-prone skin

Foaming cleansers are great for oily or acne-prone skin types. They create a rich lather that deeply removes dirt, oil, and make-up, leaving your skin feeling squeaky clean. They can be drying for those with already dry or sensitive skin.

We Recommend:

Swiss Line Cell Shock White Facial Cleansing Foam – A balmy-gel cleanser that foams on application to remove make-up and pollution residues and impart freshness.

Guinot Bioxygene Cleansing Foam – A paraben and soap-free cleanser specially formulated to remove impurities from the skin. This cleanser improves oxygenation of the skin and will leave your face clear, refreshed, bright, and radiant.

Guinot Microbiotic Purifying Cleansing Foam – Formulated for oily skin, this foam cleanser cleans, purifies, and normalizes oil secretions without your skin feeling tight.

Guinot Perfect Brightening Cleansing Foam – A creamy mousse that feels soft and gentle on your skin. This cleansing foam thoroughly cleanses impurities and tightens pores, leaving your complexion visibly lighter after continued use.

Micellar Water

Best for: All skin types

Micellar water, made up of purified water, moisturizers, and mild surfactants, effortlessly attract oils, dirt, and make-up. These cleansers are gentle and are usually alcohol-free, so they’re safe for sensitive skin. As a bonus, they don’t require any rinsing, so they’re a great option for on-the-go cleansing.

We Recommend:

Yon-Ka Eau Micellaire – This “intelligent” cleansing water combines expert make-up removing agents. Thanks to its micellar technology, it gently captures impurities and removes make-up perfectly from your face, eyes, and lips. In one quick and efficient wipe, it leaves your skin perfectly clear, fresh, toned, and comfortable, with no rinsing required.

Guinot Micellaire Instant Cleansing Water – This cleanser gently removes make-up while cleansing the skin. This sensitive skin-friendly formula is free of soap, alcohol, parabens, and artificial-colouring agents.

Oil Cleansers

Best for: Dry and acne-prone skin

Oil-based cleansers are ideal for those struggling with dry, irritated, and acne-prone skin. They remove dirt and impurities while working with your skin’s natural oils to restore balance and hydration.

We Recommend:

G.M. Collin Sensiderm Cleansing Oil – This cleansing oil envelops your skin like a caress and provides a true sensorial experience. It gently melts away impurities from your skin; dissolves waterproof make-up from your eyes, lips, and face; respects and replenishes your skin’s hydration barrier; and provides a purified sensation, leaving your skin soft and silky without an oily film.

Cleansing Balms

Best for: All skin types, especially dry skin

Cleansing balms have a thick, oil-based formula that quickly breaks down make-up, dirt, sweat, and excess oils, leaving your skin clean without compromising your skin’s moisture barrier or disrupting its pH.

We Recommend:

Swiss Line Cell Shock Collagen Balm Cleanser – A nourishing, balmy face and eye area cleanser that removes make-up and replenishes dry, mature skin, leaving you with a super-soft complexion. It is ideal for removing make-up as well as dead skin cells, pollutants, excessive sebum, and impurities without stripping your skin of its natural moisture.

Need any further help choosing a cleanser? Feel free to contact us for skincare tips from our beauty experts!