Cleansers for Proper Skin Care

While skin care focuses primarily on the face, proper care of the skin on your body is vital to health maintenance as well as avoiding premature aging. Thorough cleansing is the most critical step in your skin care regimen.

The good news is it won’t cost you an arm and leg for a good cleanser; some of the best on the market are quite affordable. Choose a cleanser based on your skin type: dry, oily, combination, sensitive and blemished.

For dry skin, dermatologists swear by Cetaphil. This baby-mild cleanser is simple and isn’t loaded with perfumes or chemicals that can irritate the skin. It is the best drugstore cleanser out there, and a must-have at $10. If you prefer a more expensive cleanser, experts recommend Lancôme’s Galatee Milk Cleanser. It is very moisturizing and runs around $30.

For oily skin, Purpose Gentle Cleansing Wash does a good job for only $6. It is soap-free and oil-free, lathering away dirt, oil and makeup without leaving the skin too dry. A higher priced product for oily skin would be Lancôme Clarifiance Oil-Free Gel Cleanser. Users say that for $30 this cleanser will leave your oily skin feeling luxurious, but not oily.

The best cleanser for normal/combination skin, according to NYC dermatologist Francesca J. Fusco is Dove Essential Nutrients self-foaming cleanser. This basic cleanser washes away oil and dead skin cells without stripping skin of its needed nutrients, all for only $6. And the perfect pricier cleanser? That would be Laura Mercier One-Step Cleanser at around $40.

Those with sensitive skin will find an inexpensive, yet gentle cleansing choice in Avon’s Clear Skin Foaming Cleanser, which is priced at $10. Also in the $10 range is Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Oil of Olay Sensitive Skin Wash. In the $30 range, a recommended choice is Nina Ricci Rosee Gel Purficante - it supposedly smells like roses and has been described as sensual.

At the head of the pack for those with blemished skin are Neutrogena Pore-Refining Cleanser which will soak up oil without drying the skin, and Oil of Olay Age-Defying Series Renewal Cleanser which is effective and cheap at $10. A more extensive cleanser comes in the form of a kit. Murad Acne Kit features four parts: cleanser with triclosan and salicylic acid to fight bacteria pore-cleansing gel with glycolic and salicylic acids, exfoliating lotion with retinol, and spot treatment with sulfur. It is somewhat affordable at $60.

Beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, and when looking into the mirror, the beholder is YOU! Know your skin, do your homework about the products available, and pick the one that’s right for you.