We talk a lot about serums, retinols, exfoliants and all the exciting parts of a skincare routine but what about the product that touches your skin first?
Your cleanser
We like to think of your cleanser as the undergarment of your skincare routine.
It’s the first thing you put on and if it’s ill-fitting, uncomfortable or simply not right for you, it can throw off everything that follows.
The perfect outfit starts with the right foundations and so does great skin!
A cleanser should do more than simply make your face feel “clean”. It needs to effectively remove what we want to remove while respecting what we want to keep : your skin barrier, hydration and natural balance. And just like everything we do at Harleh, there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
First things first: do you actually need to cleanse in the morning?
Maybe not. We know. Controversial for a skin clinic.
But if your skin is dry, sensitive, compromised or simply doesn’t need it, a full cleanse first thing in the morning isn’t always necessary.
For some skins, a rinse with lukewarm water before moving into your morning skincare is plenty. For others, particularly oilier skins, those using certain evening products or anyone who wakes feeling like they need a cleanse a gentle morning cleanse can absolutely have its place.
This is exactly why we don’t love blanket skincare rules.
Your skin, your products and your current skin condition should determine your routine not what someone else’s morning routine looks like online.
Nighttime, however? That’s where we’re a little more serious.
The nighttime double cleanse
SPF. Makeup. Oil. Sweat. Pollution. The general evidence of having lived an entire day.
We don’t want any of it coming to bed with you.
A double cleanse means exactly what it sounds like: cleansing twice.
Your first cleanse is there to break down and remove the day, particularly makeup, SPF and surface debris. Your second cleanse is where you’re actually cleansing the skin.
This is why we LOVE an oil cleanser as step one. Oil works beautifully to dissolve makeup, sunscreen and excess sebum without relying on that squeaky, stripped feeling.
Let’s talk cleansers…
OIL CLEANSERS | Cosmedix Purity Solution
Think: silky, nourishing, melt-the-day-away cleansing.
Oil cleansers are brilliant as the first step of an evening double cleanse. They’re particularly good at dissolving makeup, SPF and excess sebum without stripping away the skin’s natural moisture.
And no, having oily skin doesn’t automatically mean you should avoid an oil cleanser.
Constantly trying to strip every trace of oil from an oily skin is not the answer.
If you’re wearing SPF every day… which obviously you are… right? an oil cleanse at night is your best friend!
CREAM CLEANSERS | Aspect Dr Nurturing Cream Cleanser
Think: comfort.
Cream cleansers tend to have a richer, more nourishing feel and are perfect when the goal is to cleanse without leaving the skin feeling tight or depleted. This is often where we head when we’re working with dry, sensitised, reactive or barrier-impaired skins.
Your face should not feel two sizes too small after cleansing. That tight, squeaky-clean feeling isn’t necessarily proof you’ve done an amazing job. Often, it’s your skin asking where all its moisture went.
FOAM CLEANSERS | Cosmedix Clarify
Foaming cleansers have had a bit of a reputation over the years, but a well-formulated foam cleanser is very different from the aggressive, skin-stripping face washes of our teenage years.
Clarify is where we start bringing some active ingredients into the cleansing conversation.
If you’re already using active serums, retinoids, undergoing professional treatments or your barrier is feeling compromised, an active foaming cleanser may not be what your skin needs every single day.
Oily skin still deserves kindness. We’re clarifying it, not declaring war on it.
GEL CLEANSERS | Aspect Dr Mild Clean
If you like that fresh, properly-cleansed feeling without wanting to take your entire skin barrier along with it, a gel cleanser can be your sweet spot. Mild Clean is one of those beautifully uncomplicated cleansers that can work across a surprisingly broad range of skins.
This is your reliable white tee. Easy, effective and works with almost everything else in your routine.
ACTIVE / CHEMICAL CLEANSERS
Now we’re moving away from simply cleansing and asking our cleanser to do a little more.
Active cleansers can contain ingredients such as lactic acid, salicylic acid and other exfoliating acids that help address things like congestion, uneven texture, dullness and excess oil while cleansing.
And this is where we want you to be a little careful.
An active cleanser isn’t automatically a better cleanser simply because it contains acids. Sometimes we prescribe them daily. Sometimes a few evenings per week. Sometimes we temporarily remove them altogether because your serums, retinoids or in-clinic treatments are already providing plenty of stimulation.
Your cleanser doesn’t need to exfoliate your face into submission to be working.
This is one of those categories where we’d particularly rather choose the product with you than have you pick the strongest-looking bottle on the shelf.
And then there are the cleansers that don’t quite fit into a box…
Because skincare loves to keep things interesting.
iS Clinical Warming Honey Cleanser
This one is an experience. Warming Honey gives us a deeper, more treatment-like cleanse and gentle exfoliation while still leaving the skin feeling beautifully soft and nourished.
It’s not necessarily the basic cleanser we’d hand to every single person as their twice-daily staple and that’s exactly why we love having products like this in our cleanser wardrobe.
Some cleansers are your everyday basics. Others have a specific job.
Biojuve approaches skincare a little differently, with its routine designed around supporting the skin’s microbiome. The Conditioning Cleanse is a non-foaming, prebiotic cleanser designed specifically to prepare the skin for the rest of the Biojuve system.
This is the perfect example of why we can’t look at one skincare product in isolation.
What comes before & after your cleanser matters... This is where your consultation matters
You knew we were going to say it.
You could put two people in front of us who both describe their skin as dry and we may recommend two completely different cleansers.
Why?
Because skin type is only one part of the conversation.
We also need to consider what your skin is doing right now.
Is your barrier compromised? Are you experiencing dehydration? Congestion? Sensitivity? Are you using a retinoid? Exfoliating acids? Have you recently had microneedling, a peel, Laser Genesis or another in-clinic treatment? What are you cleansing with currently? What are you applying afterwards?
Even the cleanser that was perfect for you six months ago might not necessarily be what your skin needs today.
This is why consultation is such a huge part of what we do at Harleh.
We’re not looking at one product and asking whether it’s “good”. We’re asking whether it’s good for your skin, within your routine, right now. And that distinction matters.
So… which cleanser is right for you?
The answer isn’t simply:
Dry = cream.
Oily = foam.
Sensitive = oil.
Skin is far more nuanced than that.
You might even have more than one cleanser in your bathroom. An oil cleanser for your first evening cleanse. A gentle cleanser for everyday use. An active cleanser used strategically a few nights per week.
That’s not excessive. That’s a considered routine.
The Harleh rules of cleansing
Don’t chase the squeak.
Clean skin shouldn’t feel tight.
Double cleanse at night. Especially when you’re wearing makeup and SPF.
Morning cleansing isn’t compulsory.
Some skins thrive with it.
Others don’t need it.
Active doesn’t automatically mean better.
The right amount of stimulation for your skin is what matters.
Your cleanser should work with the rest of your routine. Not compete with it.
And when in doubt, ask us.
Because you can invest in beautiful serums, professional treatments and incredible active ingredients, but if the foundation of your routine isn’t right, everything that follows has a harder job to do.
Remember the undergarments!
The right one supports everything beautifully. The wrong one can ruin the entire outfit.
If you’re standing in front of a wall of cleansers wondering whether you’re an oil, cream, foam, gel or active kind of person, come and see us.
Let us look at your skin, talk through what you’re currently using and build the routine around you. That’s what we’re here for x
