What is the best facial cleanser for dry skin?
Don’t save all the moisturizing for the moisturizer at the end of your skin care routine. When you want to defeat dryness and let your beauty shine through, you should make sure you are hydrating at every opportunity. Cleanser can play a part in making sure that dry, sensitive skin gets the attention it needs. There are far too many cleansers out there that strip away natural oils instead of hydrating while washing away makeup and dirt. However, if you take the time to look at the ingredients (is it free of parabens?) and find out a little bit about the formula (is it nourishing?), you’ll be more equipped to find a face cleanser for your skin type.
If you need help selecting a skin cleanser, keep reading.
First, let’s take a look at what can contribute to or cause dry skin. For most people, it isn’t a super serious condition, but rather a temporary situation where the skin is suffering some of the effects of extreme weather, lack of humidity, or an irritating soap or fragrance. A hot shower or a chlorinated pool can also prove harsh and drying, especially for sensitive skin. And of course your genes, or just getting older can be reason enough to experience dryness. When it’s more severe, you might see accompanying redness, scaling and peeling on large patches, and there may be a risk of developing cuts and cracks, which could become infected. These scenarios represent more severe cases, and you should see what a doctor recommends, if any of those symptoms apply to you.
When the skin lacks moisture it can feel dry, tight, itchy and irritated. This means there isn’t enough water in the epidermis, or top layer of your skin. Unfortunately, you can’t just douse dry skin with water and say voilà! There are important ingredients that help deliver the H2O where it needs to be and others that help keep it there. You may remember from previous posts that there are three main groups of moisturizers: emollients, humectants, and occlusives. But if you don’t want to do the extra reading right now, just know that emollients soften the skin by filling in spaces between cells with droplets of oil, humectants draw in moisture from the humidity in the environment as well as deeper layers in the skin, and occlusives provide a protective barrier on the skin that locks in the moisture. You’ll find these different categories in creams, but also in other items like a hydrating cleanser.
In fact, finding quality face washes for dry or dull skin types is critical to help you achieve a healthy hydrated glow. A product packed with the right ingredients may earn bonus points in the category of best face washes if it can cleanse and soothe. Below are a few thoughts, tools, and rules around parting with that parched skin for good and getting a great cleanser for your face.
Keep Reading: What Moisturizer Should I Use Before Applying Makeup?
1. The dryness! It’s everywhere!
Whether you are in the middle of a heat wave in a desert town or trapped in an air conditioned condo where someone has set the thermostat to arctic tundra, your environment has an impact on your skin. So before we get to creams or cleansers, let’s talk about steps to deal with a dry environment. First, you should always be sure to consume a healthy amount of liquids to make sure you are hydrating yourself from the inside. Second, humidifiers have helped innumerable people mitigate the effects of an arid environment, whether it’s winter, spring, summer, or fall.
In one study, researchers found that dryness, irritation, and itching of skin significantly decreased with the presence of a humidifier (that kept the room at 30-40% humidity). Moisture is much less likely to evaporate from your skin if there is more humidity already in the air. Since the humidifier diffuses the water into the environment, this increases humidity, and the chance for you to dial up the dew on your skin. That helps makeup go on smooth and look fresh, without cracking or seeping into pores.
Sticking with a healthy diet, drinking lots of water, and treating yourself to a humidifier can make a big difference when it comes to the tone and texture of your skin.
2. Say adios and adieu to dirt
Speaking of the environment that surrounds us, it’s important to remember that the main purpose of a face wash is to cleanse the skin of the sebum, grime, and toxins that dirtied our skin over the course of the day. Water alone won’t dissolve the usual suspects of this pore-clogging crime family. Perhaps we’re being too dramatic? Well, let’s just say you need a certain kind of soap to do the dirty work of getting clean. This article breaks it down in great detail.
If you’re particularly sensitive, it’s important to seek out a gentle hydrating cleanser. Some dermatologists recommend using glycolic acid since it not only exfoliates and expunges dirt and detritus from the skin, but it also attracts moisture, making your skin feel more hydrated. Other ingredients like hyaluronic acid and Aloe vera can draw in moisture, and vitamin E and soy will soften and soothe. Any face wash that addresses dryness also needs to kick dirt to the curb without stripping away natural oils, so set yourself up for success with a formula that mixes cleaning agents with some moisturizing love.
If your face wash doesn’t do all you need it to, a product you might consider inserting in your routine right after you rinse off that cleanser is Viviane Woodard’s Skinodyssey. Skinodyssey is a natural exfoliator containing glycolic acid that restores your youthful appearance by encouraging skin cell regeneration and bringing the best to the surface. It aids in moisture retention and does away with that detritus, too, so you’ll feel more radiant after regular usage. By bringing it into your beauty routine, you’ll be saying goodbye to dirt and dryness.
3. Pick something sans parfum
That’s a fancy (aka French) way of saying you should select a face wash for dry or sensitive skin that doesn’t contain any added fragrances. Any inessential ingredients can cause irritation for some skin types. Plus, you can always put on a perfume that you love later.
4. Once or twice a day will do
While we often go overboard with products, assuming more of a good thing can’t be bad, there are times when less is more. If you wash your face two to three times a day and notice more dryness or irritation, you may want to take it down a notch. According to some dermatologists, if you wash your face the night before, and sleep on a clean pillow overnight, the only action you need to take in the morning is to rinse your face off with warm water and gently pat it dry. Then you can proceed with a gentle toner and moisturizer.
However, if your cleanser is a mild one that doesn’t add to your dryness, then you can wash your face morning and night, or after you work up a sweat, and then before you go to bed.
Here’s a free demo from a dermatologist on how to wash with hydrating facial cleansers, courtesy of YouTube:
5. Scrubadub don’t
You’ve probably heard that you should pat your face with a soft towel to dry it as opposed to roughly rubbing away the excess wetness. And yet, when towelling off after a shower, or drying our face during the morning routine, old habits can creep right back in. When we’re in a hurry, we are less likely to be gentle with our movements. Take time to slow down, and take advantage of the ritual, whether it be waking up or heading off to sleep. Try making it an intentional practice, a meditation, if you will, and maybe you’ll find that you treat your skin with a slightly softer touch.
6. Don’t itchy don’t scratchy
While we’re on the subject of being gentle, you also want to avoid scratching itchy or dry patches on your face or really anywhere. Rub some lotion on those sensitive areas right away. The overarching idea here is to not be abrasive, whatever the brand. Don’t be too rough, it’s not the time for tough love. Baby your skin if you want it to be baby soft.
Bonus: 10 Ways to Increase Your Collagen Production
7. Just say non
Noncomedogenic, that is. Since you can still have dry skin and acne (yes, you really can have it all!), you may want to keep an eye out for the word noncomedogenic in your search for an ultra gentle hydrating face wash.
This means it won’t clog pores and cause you more problems than you started with. Who wants that anyhow? So if you are prone to acne, look for the word noncomedogenic on the label, or research the product ingredient list to see if any of them might cause clogging. Common culprits are acetylated or ethoxylated lanolins, or D&C red dyes. Not all oils are comedogenic, though. For example, both hempseed oil and grapeseed oil are noncomedogenic.
So just say no to products that cause you to have breakouts. However, if acne is a thing of the past for you, and you’re really on a mission to reverse dryness, then don’t even worry about this one. Some people use noncomedogenic gel cleansers on account of excess oil and breakouts, but if you’re dry with no chance of breakouts, then the best face wash for you is probably a creamy cleanser that even has comedogenic ingredients!
8. Cool it now
A lot of people love their showers hot, but if you’re suffering from dry skin, you need to chill out just a tad. Turn down the dial a smidge so you don’t stand under lava-levels of heat in the shower. Though it can feel nice for a moment on the neck or back, extended time under hot water may have a negative impact. The bottom line is to be aware how the bath or shower temperature can take a toll. Observe the difference when you do make a change. See how it feels to give your skin a cold blast before getting out of the shower. You might even find it a little fun and invigorating.
9. Oh cleanser, my cleanser
Well, considering that this post is all about cleansing and finding the best face wash for dry skin, we should mention a favorite in the field. Though there are gentle cleanser options that you can find to get clean and remove makeup, Viviane Woodard’s Clean Finish Cleanser is formulated to do a deep cleaning that dislodges dry patches, prevents build up of dead cells and saturates your skin with hydration. It comes close to the perfect cleanser for the face, and it just feels great. It removes makeup and impurities, balances the skin, and keeps you looking beautiful. Plus, it’s fragrance-free, gluten-free, and every Viviane Woodard product is free of animal testing.
10. Don’t forget to follow up with toner & moisturizer
You can really put your best face forward if you use the Clean Finish Cleanser in combination with other products that pair well with it. In fact, the beauty buffs at Viviane Woodard have created three-step skincare sets made for varying skin types complete with cleanser, toner, and moisturizer. The battle to defeat dry skin culminates in this trio of gentle moisturizing products, which includes the Clean Finish Toner and the Clean Finish Moisturizer as well as the Clean Finish Cleanser mentioned above. The combination leaves skin supple and saturated with goodness.
11. Even more moisture
There’s nothing wrong with double dipping when it comes to making sure your skin is moisturized. Even after you’ve applied your toner and moisturizer, you can add on a little more magic with the creamy Intensive Hydration Complex by Viviane Woodard. It contains Vitamin A, glycerin, and sesame oil, among other nourishing ingredients. Apply it after your regular skincare routine, to immerse it in emollients and leave skin feeling fresh, and even softer. Or, another great option is to moisten skin with Intensive Hydration Mist and then massage this complex on your face and throat in an upward motion until absorbed.
Users of these products can see the difference after a short time. Viviane Woodard has some of the best face washes out there, and since you’ve also read all these tips and tricks, you are already on your way to more supple, soft, and hydrated skin. Bye bye, dry!
Keep Reading: Which is Better: Moisturizing Body Wash or, Body Spray Lotion?
For over 60 years, Viviane Woodard has represented “The Purity of Skincare”. We are the leading beauty brand for water-based skin care products and promote the importance of good skin hydration. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest for skin care tips, product discounts and more!