Step By Step: Cleansers

So I want to start a Step By Step Series where I break down each step in my skincare regimen and give you my top 5 products for each step. Hopefully each step will have different price ranges for every one. I'm going to do cleansing tools last because they'll be a little more in depth, they're gonna need some explaining. 

So we're gonna start with cleansers. I'm going to give you Top Five Pre Cleansers and Top 5 Cleansers in this post. Now second cleanse is relatively new to the skincare community. It stems from Korean skincare techniques I believe. I like it if I've worn makeup that day. If I've not then I go straight into my cleanser. This is obviously done in the evening. The idea is to get the majority of your makeup off before you go in with your actual cleanser, therefore letting that cleanser penetrate the skin better and really get everything else off. As well as exfoliating the skin a bit no matter what skin tool you're using. A lot of Pre Cleanse right now is "balms". That's what's really popular. In my eyes they don't have to be. 

Top 5 Pre Cleanse

• Bio Derma Crealine H2O Micellar Water. I have the original but there is a Sensibio as well for sensitive skin. This is pretty inexpensive and I find it lasts a good amount of time. It's very gentle. It's no bells and whistles but it gets the job done. It removes makeup without tugging or using a ton of the product. Even glitters and waterproof eyeliners and so on it does a good job. It can be annoying removing makeup from the whole face because I prefer to take this off with cotton pads but still, it's very good. There are a few different sizes of this but I get the 8.5 oz.

• Cetaphil Makeup Remover Wipes. I loved these. They are fragrance free. They're gentle and inexpensive. The cloths are very soft. I think Cetaphil is a very nice line for sensitive skin. Some people feel like wipes are a bit wasteful when you could get the same result with a oil or balm and a face towel but I won't disagree that they are simply convenient and less hassle. You get 25 wipes per pack but Ulta has a 2 pack deal for 11.99.

• Dermalogica Pre Cleanse. This comes in a pump, it's specifically marketed as a "pre cleanse". I got this from Preen Me and Dermalogica as a gift during a Halloween campaign. It breaks down anything. Absolutely anything. You get 5.1 oz and it's kinda pricey at $42. It doesn't take a whole lot of product to really get the job done so there's that.

• Botanics Softening Cleanser. This is available at Ulta and I think it's marketed as an actual cleanser but I don't like to use it for that. You have to use it on dry skin and wipe off with tissues (I used a cloth). It takes off all the makeup but I feel it left over so I like it as a pre-cleanse. It's around $10 and it's %82 organic. You get 8.4 oz.

• Farmacy Green Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm. This is online at Sephora, don't know if it's in store. I've done several reviews on Farmacy and I love them very much. They're have a great back ground story to how their stuff is made. It's always very clean, with natural derived ingredients. This comes with a little spatula and it's like a solid, a true balm and the least amount works. You get 3.2 oz in the container.

You can use oils to take off makeup as well. I don't recommend Coconut Oil just because it clogs my pores. Some love it and that's great. You can use whatever oil you want though whether it's olive oil, facial oil, almond oil, etc.

Next onto you're actual cleanse. I don't feel like cleansers should have tones of extra benefits aside from cleansing the skin. I think it's like 80% of the cleanser gets washed off so it doesn't really benefit you to buy fancy cleansers in my opinion unless you just want to. That being said I've tried some pricey cleansers that are very very nice. So it's all in your preference.

Top 5 Cleansers

• Apsara Neem Cleanser for Normal Skin. This is my ride or die. This is the one I refuse to run out of and one of the only cleansers that I finish every single time. I love this. It's very soothing on the skin and I like the fresh smell. It lathers up nicely. They are a natural brand and I think the cleanser only has 6 or 7 ingredients, 3 of which being Essential Oils. So if you're sensitive to that you may not like it. It's $20 for 4 oz. I've done reviews on their products before. They are a great brand to try if you want to be more into the "green beauty" movement.

• Kate Somerville EradiKate Daily Cleanser. This is kinda pricey for a cleanser but I don't mind it because it's got more benefits than just washing the skin. It's great for blemishes without drying the skin out. It has Sulfur in it which dries up blemishes. Natural Oat Extract that helps balance the skins oil production. Plus a "Botanical Complex" for soothing the skin. This is 4 oz for $38 at Sephora.

• Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. I like cleansers that lather up. This definitely does that. This comes in 3 sizes a 1.7 oz for$12 which would be a great buy to just see if you like it and then a 5 oz for $22 and an 8.5 oz for $26. I would do the 8.5 oz if you knew that you'd like it. This is for all skin types because it balances the skin to a more "normal" skin type. I find it gentle and a joy to use. 

• Fresh Soy Cleanser. This comes in 2 sizes a 1.7 oz for $15 and a 5.1 oz for $38. I would try the 1.7 ounce first again to see if you like it. This is great for all skin types. It has no fragrance in it. It's very soothing on the skin. It has a lot of claims that go with it but in general I just really love it. I take a travel size with me in my travel bag when I'm away from home. 

• Elf Daily Face Cleanser. This is online only on Ulta. It's 3.72 oz for $4. You can't beat that. It does have "Fragrance/Parfum" in it which I wish it didn't but I'm not mad at it. It's just a no frills daily cleanser.

So those are my two Top 5's for cleansers. We'll be getting into some more intricate skincare as we go along but these are my tried and true.