Gentle and Effective Cleansers You Should Know About

I enjoy a good glycolic-based cleanser but the reality is that my skin also needs something for gentle cleansing. It always seems that when I start up with glycolic products I get a bit of irritation as my skin builds up its tolerance again and gets some redness and purging breakouts. It’s a perpetual cycle I put my skin through in the name of beauty. 

Chemical exfoliants help with fine lines as well as keeping pores open and tighter. But overdoing it, even with non-glycolic cleansers can strip the skin of its natural protective oils, causing it to, one, over produce oils that can cause acne, and two, develop tight, dry skin that even hurts, or three even cause redness or rashes — yikes! The “squeaky clean” feeling is NOT what we’re going for when it comes to skin. You want your skin to feel soft, supple and comfortable and choosing a gentle and effective cleanser will lead you to happy town.

I wanted to share a handful of gentle cleansers that personally make my skin feel fantastic. Side note, I still use Pixi Beauty Glow Mud Cleanser and Airelle Exfoliating cleanser depending on the day or if im upstairs or downstairs — but always use a gentle cleanser for the other times I wash my face throughout the day. I typically wash my face 3 times a day. So here are my recommendations:

Derma E Sensitive Skin Cleanser $12-15

I like to use this cleanser when I wake up at 4am for the gym. It’s just enough to wash away overnight oils and any serums or treatments I use while I sleep. It’s fragrance-free formula doesn’t foam or suds, but does have soothing chamomile and lemongrass and the anti-aging antioxidant pyncogenol to protect the skin. I don’t think this is one I’d use to wash away makeup – but a very good gentle cleanser to start my day with.

Vegan • Cruelty Free • Gluten Free • Soy Free • GMO free

Farmacy Clean Bee $28

Do you like the scent of honey? I do, and was super happy to smell the sweet (but not strong) scent as I washed my face. This cleanser is suitable for all skin types (whoohoo), and removes all traces of makeup, although I suggest you use the makeup melting balm if you’ve been wearing waterproof mascara. It also has the bonus benefits of hydrating the skin well because honey acts as a humectant (something that prevents moisture loss and attracts it instead) along with Hyaluronic Acid which helps your skin retain water by holding onto up to 1000X it’s weight in water. We’re talking moist, healthy skin here, friends. This is what we want, and Farmacy’s Clean Bee delivers! It doesn’t stop there though, FCB formula also uses skin soothing ingredients like Turmeric and chamomile which work as anti-inflammatories and antioxidants, and healing, soothing ingredients like Calendula and Licorice Root. 

Cruelty free • Gluten Free • Clean Beauty Brand at Sephora 

First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Facial Cleanser $11-$34

I’ve seen so many bloggers rave about this brand but I was never really drawn to it. It wasn’t until I was gifted this cleanser that I finally saw the light and realized that this is a really amazing brand. The whipped cream formula works for all skin types and makes my skin feel super soft right after using. I find that this works really well as a morning or evening cleanser (read: it whisks away all traces of makeup) and is a really good option for those who are super sensitive to just about anything. FAB made a point of removing several irritants from their formula so that you can wash your face and treat your skin without worry. Aloe, Allatoin and Glycerin work together to hydrate, soothe, and smooth for baby soft skin. I go back to this one when I start to see redness around my upper cheek bones because it brings calmness back!

Vegan •cruelty free •gluten free • oil-free • soy-free • nut-free • fragrance free • clean beauty brand at Sephora

Drunk Elephant Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser $32

This clear, jelly-like cleanser is another great makeup removing option. It has won awards from Cosmo, Total Beauty, Oprah Magazine and Self for it’s fantastic skin cleansing formula. Typical residues like dirt, oil and makeup are easily removed, and common environmental pollutants are swept away for healthy, comfortable skin. Drunk Elephant goes as far as making sure to avoid the “suspicious 6” in all of the products the create which they believe to be the most common irritants for the skin. They focus on including only biocompatible ingredients that our skin can benefit from. I personally don’t find I have issues with some of the ingredients they avoid – but I appreciate their less is more approach and like a handful of their other products. I’ve used this cleanser the least out of this bunch- but have at least 3-4 weeks of use with this one and find it to be a wonderful cleanser.

Cruelty free • free of essential oils • drying alcohols • silicones •chemical sunscreens • fragrances •SLS • clean beauty brand at Sephora

Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser $18

Hands down my favorite cleanser of the bunch — and the one I’ve used the longest. I tried this last year through a PR shipment and fell in love with how it transformed my skin last winter. My skin felt incredibly dry and tight and I was afraid this would do nothing for me. To my surprise my skin felt it’s softest and cleanest ever. I used this cleanser exclusively for months! I only switched things up during the Summer when I sweat a lot more and needed something that treated acne more. This mineral mud based cleanser doesn’t suds up but feels SO good to massage into the skin. It easily removes makeup (but use something extra for WP mascara) and left my skin feeling it’s absolute best. I always thought of mud to be drying but this is the opposite. The formula also includes Rose oil, Avocado oil, Chamomile, and Aloe Vera that soothe and nourish the skin. If you’re skin is really going through a dry phase I suggest using their ceramide cream and layering the rose oil on top. Winter skin perfection — I’m telling you! I really can’t praise Pixi Beauty enough for it’s range of skincare products. I use EVERYTHING from their rose line. Everything. I will be writing about it on the My Beauty Bunny blog very soon! 

Cruelty free 

Is there a gentle cleanser you would add to this list? Share in the comment section below!

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