How to choose the best face wash to reduce acne

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Le Thi Thu Hang - Dermatologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.

Washing your face is the first and most important step in any skin care routine. The main goal of face wash is to clean the face, remove makeup, dirt and excess oil from the skin. The ideal cleanser formulations depend on your skin type. Therefore, it is necessary to know how to choose the right cleanser, especially for acne-prone skin, to create an optimal skin protection foundation, both to clean the skin, reduce acne, and prevent dark spots left by acne.

When choosing a cleanser, knowing your skin type will make it easier to narrow down your choices. Cleansing is more than simply washing away dirt, makeup and excess oil, but this important skincare step can help address your skin's unique concerns and needs, especially acne-free. and reduce dark spots left by acne. Therefore, a basic understanding of skin is the first step to knowing how to choose a cleanser:
Normal skin: Has a skin surface that, when viewed or touched, is not overly dry or greasy. People with normal skin look more beautiful and smooth thanks to the absence of acne, less sensitive skin, and enlarged pores. Dry skin: Skin that lacks water and loses its natural oils will look dry. This type of skin can be encountered due to environmental changes or medical conditions. Observe that dry skin will have a rough texture, prone to showing signs of aging such as wrinkles due to loss of elasticity and hyperpigmentation spots. Dry skin requires special care, as washing your face with the wrong products can worsen dryness and flaking. Oily skin: Signs of oily skin are very noticeable with an oily shine, large pores, pimples like acne, blackheads. Combination skin: A type of skin with dry areas alternating with oily skin. The most common oily skin is the T-zone (forehead, nose, chin). This is the most common skin type. Sensitive skin: People with this skin type are very reactive to external factors, even the use of skin care products. Signs of sensitive skin are stinging, burning, and redness. Acne-prone skin is usually oily or combination skin, which means it produces an excess of oil (sebum). Acne then forms due to overactive sebaceous glands, resulting in hair follicles becoming clogged with a combination of dust, dead cells, and excess oil. Therefore, you need to pay attention to the ingredients on the facial cleanser that have effective oil control properties, to create an optimal skin protection foundation, both to clean the skin, reduce acne, and help reduce dark spots caused by acne. leave.

Once you understand your skin type, choosing the right cleanser for your skin becomes a lot easier. Most facial cleanser labels clearly state what skin type they are recommended for, so be sure to read the information carefully when you need to find the right cleanser to reduce dark spots caused by acne.
2.1. Gel cleanser Gel cleanser has a transparent jelly like consistency and usually needs to be rinsed off after using cleanser. This product provides a deep clean with just one wash and also unclogs pores, removes excess oil and clears acne-causing bacteria!
Gel cleansers can be formulated with additional ingredients such as hyaluronic acid to hydrate or maintain skin moisture.
However, you should look for a gentle gel cleanser that doesn't strip the skin of its natural oils.
Ideal skin type for gel cleanser: Oily, normal, combination and acne-prone skin
2.2. Cream Cleansers In addition to effectively removing makeup, dirt and excess oil, creamy cleansers also moisturize and soothe skin with a pleasant texture. When using a cream cleanser, it usually doesn't create a lot of lather or strip the skin of its natural oils, so it won't leave your skin dry and dehydrated.
Depending on the product, lotion and cream cleansers may foam and these formulations may also target specific skin problems. For example, a cleanser for dry skin will add hyaluronic acid; For acne-prone skin, it will add ingredients with antibacterial properties, inhibiting the growth of acne-causing bacteria such as Aloe vera extract (aloe vera extract), Allium cepa extract (purple onion extract), Arctium majus root extract (burdock root extract), benzoyl peroxide.
For those with dry, sensitive and acne-prone skin, a mild cream cleanser might be the best choice.
2.3. Foaming Cleansers Foaming cleansers can have varying degrees of foaming, from light foaming to heavy foaming. Foaming cleansers can start as a gel or cream. These cleansers often include a simple foaming cleanser. The foam will go in to unclog pores, remove dirt and remove makeup. The main ingredient that causes the foaming effect is sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). This cleanser helps to clean and remove makeup, rinses off easily and leaves skin smooth and soft.
Ideal skin types for foaming cleansers are oily and combination skin.
2.4. Makeup remover Water makeup remover can effectively clean the skin without the need to use water or rinse. Some additional ingredients in makeup removers can even cleanse the skin of excess oil, dirt and makeup without leaving the skin feeling stripped or disrupting the skin barrier.
This liquid cleanser has molecules called micelles that act like magnets to trap dirt and oil without rinsing. Using makeup remover is also suitable for the delicate skin around the eye area and has the added advantage of being able to be used in situations where you cannot clean your skin with regular water.
Ideal skin type for makeup remover: Dry skin, oily skin, normal skin and sensitive skin.
2.5. Makeup Remover Wipes Sometimes you just want to wipe your face to clean your skin or start the makeup removal process. Makeup remover wipes will make it easy for you to do without water or a sink.
Make-up remover wipes remove makeup while remaining gentle on skin, while providing moisturizing hyaluronic acid and barrier-fortifying ceramides.
Ideal skin type for cleaning with wipes: Oily skin, dry skin and normal skin.
2.6. Bar cleanser There is a big difference between “soap” and bar cleanser. Bath soaps contain a lot of caustic soda that can dry out the skin. But bar cleansers contain more moisturizing ingredients, so they can effectively remove makeup, dirt and excess oil while helping to nourish the skin and balance its pH.
So if you want to use soap to wash your face, use a bar cleanser to avoid the risk of dehydration, sensitivity and inflammation.
Ideal skin type for bar cleanser: Oily and combination skin.

Consider the following to choose a cleanser for oily acne-prone skin, to both clean dirt and remove excess oil on the skin; It also helps the skin fight acne-causing bacteria, preventing acne. Besides; With this product, you can also take care of and restore acne lesions, fade dark spots, scars as well as support moisture balance, maintain a naturally stable pH of the skin, take care of the skin. smooth.
3.1. Suitable for your skin The first factor in determining the ideal cleanser is to be suitable for your skin and non-comedogenic. Accordingly, cleansers for oily skin should not be heavy or contain oil. Choosing the wrong product can make your skin more oily and acne prone.
3.2. Deep Cleansing Instead of Surface Cleansing Facial cleansers for people with oily skin should have a deep cleansing function, not an over-cleansing function. By over-cleansing the surface, it removes the natural oils from the face and disrupts the pH balance of the skin.
Moreover, when choosing a cleanser for acne skin, it is also necessary to avoid ingredients that disrupt the skin's natural protective barrier. Because of this, the skin is susceptible to bacteria and other foreign substances to penetrate and damage.
3.3. Do not irritate the skin Want your cleanser to not contain chemicals that bring strong detergents, you should prioritize using products containing mainly ingredients from benign herbs. Likewise, avoid choosing cleansers with exfoliating ingredients in them. These ingredients can further irritate your skin, causing dryness after application.
In short, for those struggling with acne, daily skin care is a persistent process. The best line of defense should start with understanding how to choose a cleanser for acne-prone skin, which must both completely remove excess oil and dirt but also need to be gentle to avoid irritation. Accordingly, washing your face is not just about taking a bar of soap and scrubbing, but you should choose specialized products in acne treatment and skin care, with ingredient formulas and direct action mechanisms. causes acne, scars, dark spots; thereby providing a cleansing effect, preserving a brighter appearance for the skin.
3.4. The must-have ingredients in facial cleansers for acne-prone skin Strong cleansers tend to strip the skin of its natural oils, leaving the skin feeling tight and dry, which is detrimental to the skin. acne skin. Therefore, you should choose cleansers that have good main ingredients for acne-prone skin, with properties:
Helps unclog pores: Salicylic Acid, Aloe Vera Extract.. Bactericidal properties, Inhibits the growth of acne bacteria, especially has the ability to resist the direct growth of acne bacteria Propionibacterium acnes: Benzoyl peroxide, Purple onion extract, Burdock root extract... Anti-inflammatory... : Salicylic Acid, Purple Onion Extract Controls skin oil secretion: Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Burdock Root Extract Balances skin's natural pH: Aloe Vera Extract, Tea Tree Oil and Vitamin C Using a cleanser with these ingredients will help penetrate your pores, unclog pores, while reducing the size of existing blackheads and slowing the formation of new ones. .

Reference source: skinkraft.com; www.vogue.in; indianexpress.com; www.cerave.com; www.theskincareclinic.com.au