With all of the different options, how are you to choose the best cleanser for your skin type? Gels, foams, oils and creams are all options when  it comes to cleansing your skin. In order to find the best cleanser for you, you’ll need to identify your skin type and your skin’s needs. Here we’re going to tell you how to choose the right cleanser no matter your skin type.

What’s My Skin Type?

To find the right cleanser, you’ll first need to know your skin type. A quick way to identify your skin type is to look at how your skin looks and feels throughout the day.

If your skin feels tight and dry with rough patches, this is a sign you have dry skin. If you notice that your skin looks and feels very oily throughout the day and large pores are an issue, then you likely have oily skin. Oily skin can also be prone to acne as the pores can easily become clogged with excess sebum and dirt.

If your skin becomes oily in the t-zone (forehead, nose and chin) while other areas remain normal to dry, then you likely have combination skin. Combination skin tends to become more oily in the t-zone as the day progress and typically requires some blotting.

Lastly, if your skin tends to look the same at the end of the day as it did at the start, then you probably have normal skin. Even if you have normal to dry skin, you will likely develop some oil in the t-zone area as this is where the oil glands are most productive.

What’s the Right Cleanser for My Skin Type?

Normal

“Normal” skin simply means that your skin is “middle of the road” when it comes to oil production and dryness. Your skin does not typically become extremely oily or extremely dry. In this case, you can keep it simple when it comes to your cleanser. Stay away from cleansers that are heavy on moisturizers, oils or exfoliants. This will help to keep your moisture barrier intact and in balance.

For this, we recommend a gentle foaming cleanser, powerful enough to rid the skin of excess oil, makeup, and dirt while also replenishing the skin’s moisture levels. Try the Hada Labo Gokujyun Foaming Facial Wash!

Combination

Combination skin has both oily and dry areas, making it a little more complicated to treat. You’ll want to choose a cleanser that has some exfoliating properties to keep oiliness and acne at bay while also balancing it out with hydrating ingredients such as hyaluronic acid.

A cleanser with a mix of exfoliating and moisturizing ingredients such as enzymes, clay, powders and oils will help minimize the look of pores while nourishing dry areas.

Oily

Oily skin requires more powerful cleansing and exfoliation. Oily skin tends to face the issue of clogged pores and acne as the skin generates large amounts of oil which becomes mixed with dirt, dead skin cells and other impurities. For this, we recommend a stronger cleanser, typically a gel, with exfoliants and acne-fighting ingredients such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid and lactic acid. Natural enzymes from fruits such as papaya, pumpkin and graprefuit also act as effective exfoliants. Clay and gel cleansers are typically best for oily skin types as opposed to oils or creams based cleansers.

Dry

Because dry skin struggles to retain moisture, it’s important to moisturize with nourishing ingredients. We would suggest using a cream or foaming cleanser with soothing ingredients such as natural oils and extracts. Oils will help remove dry, dead skin without stripping the skin or damaging the skin’s moisture barrier.

Sensitive

Sensitive skin is easily irritated and inflamed, therefore simple is better. Nourishing ingredients such as vitamin E and chamomile oils are especially good.