By now, you probably understand that gently cleansing your facial skin one to two times per day removes pollution, dirt, excess oil, sunscreen, makeup, and unwanted substances you’ve accumulated throughout the day. Water alone cannot get rid of that kind of grime, no matter how ‘clean’ your skin looks.

We’ll spare you the science lesson (unless you want one, go here → lab muffin beauty science, we love her and respect her point of view https://labmuffin.com/how-to-choose-gentle-cleanser/ ). Suffice to say that cleansers need surfactants to do their jobs effectively and there are many kinds of surfactants out there. Ideally, you’re using a mild one so as not to damage and inflame your skin.

Master-level cleansing can yield even better results for your skin and maximize your investment in cleansers with great ingredients.

Follow these five steps to earn your masters in cleansing:

_01 Grab your cleanser and check for these ingredients

(excerpted from https://labmuffin.com/how-to-choose-gentle-cleanser/ )

Ones to avoid: Harsh surfactants with both these characteristics include:

many soaps (e.g., “sodium XXate” – sodium laurate, sodium cocoate, sodium tallowate)
sodium lauryl sulfate (aka SLS)

Scan your label looking for these much gentler surfactants. Bonus points if they have more than one of these, which is a good thing:

sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), especially in combination with cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB)
sodium cocoyl isethionate
alkyl sulfosuccinates (“XX succinate” in an ingredients list)
alkyl sarcosinates

_02 Use tepid water

The hotter the water, the more it strips your skin.

_03 Remove your makeup before you cleanse

Many women who wear makeup do a double cleanse. Once with a balm or creamy cleanser and a second cleanse with their ‘cleanser.’
You are working to remove grime and irritants, you have to get the makeup off before you can properly cleanse your skin.

_04 Do not use soap or bar soap

This where pH comes into play, your cleanser should match your skin type, and the higher the pH, the harsher the cleanser is. It should be below 6. Googling can usually help you figure out what yours is. Soap always has a very high pH.

_05 Do not scrub aggressively

Ferocious cleansing for an extended period of time might feel beneficial or therapeutic, but all it will do is leave your skin red and angry. Lather with tepid water, emulsify your cleanser in your hands, apply all over face and neck, focus gentle circular motions at your t-zone and u-zone, rinse, pat dry with a clean towel.

Congratulations! You’ve not got a(nother) master's degree! Not sure about what cleanser to use? Ask us the next time you’re in. We love to impact your at-home care because it amplifies the aesthetic care we’re giving you.

Pssst: our top-selling, and our go-to cleanser at the Studio?

GM Collin, PURACTIVE+ CLEANSING GEL

GM Collin, PURACTIVE+ CLEANSING GEL

It contains SODIUM LAURYL GLUCOSE CARBOXYLATE, which is approved for use in certified organic cosmetics by both Organic Food Federation and EcoCert, COCO-BETAINE, and LAURYL GLUCOSIDE, which are glucose and coconut or palm-based surfactants that are very gentle, respect the ph of the skin, and will not strip the healthy oils from the skin’s surface.