Facial Cleanser: Which to Choose for Your Skin

In short

🔑 Cleansing is indispensable and aggressive at the same time. Whether to cleanse is not in question; what with is, because harsh surfactants damage the skin’s proteins and lipids and that shows up as tightness, dryness and itching.
And a note on reading labels: what decides it is the main surfactant, the one right after the water. Sarcosinates, isethionates and taurates are the mild ones; the classic sulfates, the harsh ones. 🔬 We have read the boxes of the ones we dispense here and we say which contains sulfates and which does not — including one we recommend.
A cleanser’s pH matters, and it is not on the label. The surface of healthy skin is acidic, and a strongly alkaline product disrupts the stratum corneum even with no surfactant at all. ⚠️ And you will not find the pH of any particular product here: the manufacturer does not declare it, so what we do say about each one is whether it is a syndet or a soap.
The format says almost nothing; the surfactant does. A gel can be extremely mild and a milk can turn out to be insufficient: what decides it is the composition, not the texture.
⚠️ Twice a day is the normal routine, and on very dry skin water may be enough in the morning. Washing more, with hot water or with sponges, is the mistake that breaks the most barriers.
⚠️ Double cleansing is not a dogma. It adds something when there is make-up or water-resistant sunscreen; on dry or reactive skin, a second wash is usually one step too many.
🚨 If the skin stings, flakes or reddens after washing with any product, the problem is not the cleanser: it is a damaged barrier or a dermatitis, and that is assessed in the consulting room.

The cleanser is the product that touches your skin most often: twice a day, every day, for years. And it is the only step in a routine that can leave your skin worse than it was, because the surfactants that carry the dirt away can also carry away proteins and lipids from the stratum corneum. That is where the tightness after washing comes from, and that is why half a routine is spent making up for what the first step did.

Choosing well is not choosing the one that “cleans most”. It is choosing one that removes sebum, sunscreen and pollution without taking the barrier with it, and that depends on two things almost nobody looks at on the pack: the type of surfactant and the product’s pH.

This page is about cleansing the face at home. It sits inside the dermocosmetics guide, where the legal framework of what a cream can do is set out, and the order each step goes in is in what order to apply your skincare.

What a cleanser does, and what it can do to the barrier

A cleanser works because it contains surfactants: molecules with one part that gets on well with water and another that gets on well with grease. That lets them surround sebum, make-up and sunscreen and carry them away when you rinse. The problem is that the skin’s barrier is also made of fat and protein, so the very mechanism that cleans can dismantle what protects.

The review by Ananthapadmanabhan and colleagues measures it in detail: aggressive surfactants damage the skin’s proteins and lipids, and that damage shows up as tightness after washing, dryness, barrier deterioration, irritation and even itching. And it gives the key that tells them apart: they all interact with lipids in some way, but their interaction with proteins varies a great deal depending on the molecule’s functional group. The surfactants that genuinely irritate are the ones that bind to proteins. Those that barely interact with either proteins or lipids are the genuinely mild ones.

Translated into what you buy: there is no universal “neutral” cleanser, but there is a real difference between one formulated with mild surfactants and one with a classic detergent. And that difference does not show in the texture or in the lather.

And a note for when you read an INCI: look at the surfactant, not the word

If you read a cleanser’s ingredients, the name that matters is the first or second on the list after water: that is the main surfactant, and it is the one that decides whether the product is mild or not. The rest is usually accompaniment.

The classic sulfates — the old sodium lauryl sulfate — are the harsh ones, and their bad reputation is deserved.
The sarcosinates, isethionates, taurates and glycinates are mild surfactants. Their names are long and mean nothing to the ear, but they are the ones you want to see at the top.
And the betaines — cocamidopropyl betaine and the like — almost never go in alone: they accompany the main surfactant and reduce how irritant it is.

🔑 An example from what we have here, so you can check it yourself. ZO’s Gentle Cleanser, which is the one we give as the high-end option for any skin type, has sodium lauroyl sarcosinate as its main surfactant, accompanied by cocamidopropyl betaine. Not one sulfate in the whole list. It is exactly the profile described in the paragraph above, and you can read it on the box.

And since we ask it of the reader, we have done it ourselves: the boxes of all eight

The ingredients published by websites and internet decoders do not always match what is on the pack. So we went to the products we dispense and copied the INCI off the carton, one by one. Four of eight are done, and this is what they say:

With no sulfate at all, read off the pack: ZO’s Gentle Cleanser and Exfoliating Cleanser — both with lauroyl sarcosinate and cocamidopropyl betaine —, ZO’s Balancing Cleansing Emulsion, which cleanses with sucrose esters, and AllSkin Med’s Exfoliating Cleanser, which goes with an alkyl polyglucoside, an isethionate and coco amino acids.

🔑 AllSkin Med’s Exfoliating Cleanser (€37) also contains salicylic acid, and it is the one we recommend further down for oily skin in the mid range.

📋 About the other four we say nothing yet — ZO’s Hydrating Cleanser, AllSkin Med’s Hydrating Cleanser and Cleansing Foam, and SkinCeuticals’ Simply Clean — because their boxes have not been read yet and a second-hand list is no use to us either for asserting or for ruling out. As soon as they are, this will be updated.

The damage a cleanser does has two independent origins: which surfactant it contains and what pH it is formulated at.

pH, the figure nobody looks at

The surface of healthy skin is acidic. The measurement by Lambers and colleagues on unwashed skin is the reference that has been cited ever since, and what it made clear is that healthy skin is on the acidic side, not the neutral one — and that this acidity suits the flora living there.

A traditional soap is clearly alkaline, and there lies the finding that most changes the choice: Ananthapadmanabhan’s work demonstrated that an alkaline solution, even with no surfactants, increases the swelling of the stratum corneum and alters the rigidity of its lipids. That is: part of the damage is not done by the detergent, it is done by the alkalinity. The authors conclude that neutral or acidic cleansers, close to the stratum corneum’s own acidity, are potentially less damaging to the skin.

⚠️ pH is not a compulsory item on the label. The European Cosmetics Regulation requires the ingredients list, the function of the product, the responsible person and the warnings, but not the pH. In a measurement of 250 cleansers on the US market, only 12.8% declared the pH and every bar soap turned out to be alkaline. It can sometimes be deduced — a bar of soap is alkaline; a “syndet” gel formulated with synthetic surfactants is usually acidic or neutral — and beyond that you have to ask.

🔑 And that holds for the ones we dispense here too, so we say it before you ask: we do not publish the pH of any of them because the manufacturer does not declare it. We have looked. What we do know about each one, and it is what really decides, is whether it is formulated as a syndet or as a soap — and that is in the table below. We would rather tell you what we know than give you a figure of doubtful origin. It is one of the things an INCI does not tell you and that we explain in how to read a cosmetic label.

The format misleads: gel, foam, cream or emulsion

The four usual formats do not line up from mild to strong. What they change is how the product is used and what sensation it leaves:

Gel. Rinsed off with water and leaves no residue. It is the most versatile format: there are very mild gels and gels with exfoliating acids in them.
Foam. Easy to dispense and to spread. The lather itself does not indicate aggressiveness — that depends on the surfactant producing it — but a product that lathers a lot and leaves the skin squeaking is giving you a warning.
Cream or milk. Rinsed off or removed with cotton wool. Better tolerated by dry skin because it usually contains less surfactant and more emollients.
Cleansing emulsion or oil. Designed to dissolve what is greasy: make-up and sunscreen. It is the first step of double cleansing, not a complete cleanser.

One point so as not to be carried away by format marketing: on oily skin, the most frequent mistake is not choosing the wrong format, it is washing more often or harder. Dehydrated oily skin produces more shine, not less.

Which one for each skin, with the ones we dispense

There are eight cleansers from three brands in the shop, and they are not there to cover tastes: they are spread across skin types. What follows is the reasoning with which the surgeons who sign this page choose them, product by product.

Your skin	Mid range	High end
Dry	Hydrating Cleanser (AllSkin Med) · €37	Hydrating Cleanser (ZO Skin Health) · €52
Combination	Cleansing Foam (AllSkin Med) · €37	Gentle Cleanser (ZO Skin Health) · €52
Oily	Exfoliating Cleanser (AllSkin Med) · €37	Exfoliating Cleanser (ZO Skin Health) · €52
Sensitive or reactive	Cleansing Foam (AllSkin Med) · €37	Balancing Cleansing Emulsion (ZO Skin Health) · €54
Any, and it takes make-up off too	Simply Clean Gel (SkinCeuticals) · €42	—

Three things worth reading out of that table:

The difference between the mid and high ranges is not one of demonstrated efficacy, it is one of formulation and price. A €37 cleanser and a €52 one do the same job; the second usually brings more conditioning ingredients. If something has to be trimmed somewhere, this is a good place.
The one for sensitive skin and the one for dry skin are not the same product. Dry skin needs its lipids left alone; sensitive skin also needs not to be irritated. They often coincide, but not always.
The Exfoliating Cleanser has exfoliation built in, so it counts as an exfoliant in the routine: it is not added to another one. It is one of the things the skincare routine tool takes into account when putting together the weekly schedule.

Double cleansing is not a general rule: it depends on what there is to remove, not on the skin type.

Double cleansing: when it adds something and when it is one step too many

Double cleansing means first using a greasy product — an emulsion or an oil — that dissolves what is greasy, and then your usual cleanser. It came out of professional make-up and has become a general rule of the internet. It is not one.

When it makes sense:

When you are wearing water-resistant or matt-finish sunscreen, which is formulated precisely not to come off with water.
When you are wearing long-wear make-up, high-coverage foundation or waterproof mascara.
When you work or train in an environment where the skin picks up greasy dirt.

When it is one step too many:

In the morning: there is nothing greasy to dissolve, only the night’s sweat and what is left of your cream.
On dry or reactive skin that already feels tight after one wash. Two washes in a row multiply the contact with surfactants, which is exactly what needs reducing.
When you wear neither make-up nor water-resistant sunscreen. An ordinary fluid sunscreen comes off with a mild cleanser.

In our routines, the first cleansing step appears only in the high-end range and always as optional, and the product covering it is the Balancing Cleansing Emulsion, which also serves irritated skin. It is a useful product; it is not a necessary one.

The five mistakes you pay for on your face

Hot water. It dissolves grease better, and that is why it also dissolves yours better. Lukewarm.
Washing three or four times a day “because it shines”. Every wash is another contact with surfactants, and the skin responds by producing more sebum, not less.
Sponges, rotating brushes and grainy scrubs every day. They add friction to a step that is already aggressive by its chemistry.
Leaving the cleanser on “so it can work”. A cleanser is not a treatment: its useful contact time is measured in seconds.
Rubbing with the towel. Pat dry, and put the cream on while the skin is still slightly damp.

When cleansing is not the problem

If after washing with any product — a mild one included — the skin stings, feels tight, flakes in patches or reddens and does not settle within two weeks with a moisturiser, we are no longer talking about choosing a cleanser. It may be a damaged barrier from an accumulation of products, or a dermatitis, and both are assessed by looking at the skin.

And there is a legal boundary worth bearing in mind: a cosmetic, by the European Regulation’s definition, is for cleaning, perfuming, changing the appearance, protecting or keeping in good condition. No therapeutic action. When what there is is acne, rosacea or a dermatitis, the cleanser accompanies, it does not treat: the treatment is decided in the consulting room.

Frequently asked questions

How many times a day should you wash your face?

Twice: morning and night. The night one is the important one, because it removes sunscreen and what has built up during the day. On very dry skin, lukewarm water may be enough in the morning. More than two washes does not clean better: it only increases contact with surfactants.

Does micellar water work as a cleanser?

It works for removing, not always for cleansing. A micellar water contains surfactants at very low concentration and is designed to lift light make-up without rinsing. If you wear sunscreen every day, it is worth rinsing afterwards with a cleanser and water.

Can I use the same cleanser all year round?

Yes, unless your skin changes. It is normal to need something richer in winter and something lighter in summer, especially on combination skin. The change is made because the skin asks for it, not by the calendar.

And if I have oily skin but it feels tight after washing?

It is the profile that most often picks the wrong product. That tightness means the cleanser is too aggressive, not that the skin needs more cleansing. You switch to a milder one and you do not stop moisturising.

Do I need a special cleanser if I use retinol?

You do not need a special one, but you do need a mild one. During the first few weeks of retinol the skin tolerates anything less well, and that is not the moment to start a cleanser with acids in it. The full schedule is in how to start with retinol.

Is a bar of soap or a gel better?

Almost always the gel, and not because of the format but because of the pH: a classic soap is clearly alkaline, and that alkalinity has been shown to disrupt the stratum corneum even with no surfactants. There are “syndet” bars with an acidic pH that are a different thing.

Do I have to change cleanser before surgery or a laser?

What is withdrawn before a procedure is the actives — retinoids and acids — not gentle cleansing. The exact instructions are set by your surgeon, and what is set aside and when is in skincare before and after surgery.

Sources

Ananthapadmanabhan KP, Moore DJ, Subramanyan K, Misra M, Meyer F. Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing. Dermatologic Therapy, 2004;17(Suppl 1):16-25. PMID 14728695. — The reference review on surfactant damage: aggressive ones interact strongly with the skin’s proteins and produce tightness, dryness, barrier damage, irritation and itching. It also demonstrates that a solution at pH 10, even with no surfactants, increases the swelling of the stratum corneum and alters the rigidity of its lipids, and concludes that cleansers of neutral or acidic pH, close to the stratum corneum’s 5.5, are potentially less damaging.
Lambers H, Piessens S, Bloem A, Pronk H, Finkel P. Natural skin surface pH is on average below 5, which is beneficial for its resident flora. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2006;28(5):359-370. PMID 18489300. — The measurement that set the reference for skin pH: on unwashed skin the mean is below 5, and that acidity favours the resident flora. It is the figure a cleanser’s pH is compared against.
Khan A, Camacho JV, Cummins H, Tahir H, Shi R, Kaufman D, Bahna SL. Not all marketed skin cleansers’ pH is optimal for atopic dermatitis. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings, 2024;45(4):284-287. PMID 38982600. — They measured the pH of 250 cleansers on the market with a pH meter (10% solutions): all 37 soaps were alkaline, 84.9% of liquid syndets were acidic, and only 12.8% of the products declared the pH. It is the proof that the figure has to be asked for or measured, and the method we would use if we measure it ourselves.
Bloksgaard M, Brewer JR, Pashkovski E, Ananthapadmanabhan KP, Sorensen JA, Bagatolli LA. Effect of detergents on the physicochemical properties of skin stratum corneum: a dynamic approach. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2014;36(1):39-45. PMID 23962033. — Experimental work on how detergents change the physicochemical properties of the stratum corneum. It supports the point that a cleanser’s effect on the barrier is measurable, not a subjective impression.
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council on cosmetic products. Consolidated text on EUR-Lex. — Article 2.1(a): a cosmetic is for “cleaning, perfuming, changing the appearance, protecting, keeping in good condition or correcting body odours”. No therapeutic action: it is the boundary separating a cleanser from a treatment. Article 19: what the pack is obliged to say, where pH does not appear.
Commission Regulation (EU) No 655/2013 laying down common criteria for the justification of claims used in relation to cosmetic products. EUR-Lex. — Truthfulness, evidential support and informed decision-making: the yardstick for a “deep cleansing” or a “pH-respecting” printed on a box.

Book your consultation

If you do not know where to start, the skincare routine tool picks the cleanser that suits you and builds the rest of the routine around it, in two budgets and without asking you for any details. And if you have questions or want to fine-tune it, write to us: the medical team will go through it with you, free and with no obligation.