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Explaining different types of facial cleanser

Explaining different types of facial cleanser
No7 Beauty
Writer and expert1 year ago
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Gel, lotion, cream or foam – which cleanser is right for you? While it can be overwhelming to browse through so many different options, taking your skin type into account can help to narrow down the formulas to the ones that suit you best.

We’ll walk you through the different types of cleansers available on the market and what each one does for your skin – plus how to determine which will leave your skin feeling cleansed, soothed, hydrated and refreshed.

Gel Cleansers

Gel cleansers tend to have a thicker, jelly-like consistency and are usually translucent in colour. These water-based formulas are a good choice for maintaining optimal levels of hydration in your skin. They tend to be gentle, cleansing the skin effectively without stripping it, making them ideal for oily or combination skin.

If your skin is dry, try No7 Melting Gel Cleanser. This luxurious cleanser transforms as it’s applied, turning from a gel into a cleansing oil that will leave your skin looking radiant and healthy, and feeling silky soft.

Cream Cleansers

Luxurious and thick in texture, cream cleansers add an indulgent touch of self-care to your skincare routine. As they tend to be gentle and hydrating, they add a welcome boost of moisture to dry or sensitive skin. If you like to double cleanse, cream cleansers are a great choice for your second step after using a foam or oil cleanser first.

Treat your skin to a spa-inspired experience with No7 Hot Cloth Cleanser. This creamy cleanser melts away make-up and comes with a muslin cloth, used to gently polish and exfoliate the skin for a really thorough cleanse.

Foam Cleansers

If you have combination skin but only want to use one product, a foam cleanser might be your best bet. These bubbly cleansers lather up on the skin into a rich foam. Foam cleansers combine many of the benefits of gel and cream cleansers, gently lifting away impurities and clearing clogged pores.

Leave skin feeling super soft with No7 Foaming Cleanser. Suitable for all skin types, this formula includes No7’s Tri-Vit Complex and Red Ginseng to refresh and revitalise.

Oilier skin types or those prone to acne should try No7 Foaming Cleanser For Oily Skin. This formula includes No7’s Tri-Vit Complex and Meadowsweet to tighten pores and leave skin looking shine-free and feeling fresh.

Cleansing Milks and Lotions

Cleansing lotions and milks are generally thinner and lighter in texture than cream formulations, but they’re both gentle, non-stripping options. Cleansing lotions hydrate as they cleanse, and easily rinse or wipe clean.

Soothing and softening, No7 Cleansing Lotion is ideal for dry skin. The formula is infused with grapeseed oil, leaving skin looking healthier in just one week.

If you’re after brighter skin, try No7 Restore & Renew Dual Action Cleansing Lotion. This lotion easily removes make-up, oil and pollution, while AHAs revive, invigorate and gently exfoliate skin.

Oil Cleansers

Hands up who was taught not to use oil on oily skin? We were too – but luckily, now we know better. Oil-based formulas make a great, gentle cleanser, helping to remove dirt and impurities without compromising that all-important skin barrier – and as they won’t dry out your skin, it’s less likely to produce excess sebum to compensate. Oil cleansers are also great for removing long-wearing or waterproof makeup – think lip stains or mascaras – along with SPF products.

Combining the best of both cleansing oils and micellar technology, Radiant Results Nourishing Micellar Cleansing Oil easily dissolves make-up and excess sebum, leaving skin soothed and silky soft.

Exfoliating Cleansers

Sometimes referred to as scrubs, exfoliating cleansers contain particles that gently buff the surface of the skin, removing dirt and impurities and accelerating surface skin cell turnover.

Blended with natural apricot seeds, No7 Radiance+ Daily Energising Exfoliating Cleanser helps to unblock pores and improve skin texture for instantly brighter skin.

No7 Lift & Luminate Dual Action Cleansing Exfoliator is also formulated to reveal your skin’s natural radiance, with Vitamins C, E and B5.

Cleansing Water

Light in texture but packing some real cleansing power into every drop, cleansing water is ideal as a first cleanse in your routine, or for a quick on-the-go cleanse when you don’t have access to your bathroom cabinet. Gentle and non-stripping, cleansing waters suit all skin types, and many can be used to remove eye make-up.

No matter what your skin type is, No7 Micellar Water cleanses and refreshes in one easy step. Remove long-lasting face, lip and eye makeup in an instant while protecting your skin’s natural balance.

The delicate skin around your eyes calls for a gentle, conditioning formula, such as No7 Eye Make-Up Remover. Suitable for sensitive skin and eyes, this formula dissolves even waterproof mascara with ease.

For refreshed, luminous skin, No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Dual Action Cleansing Water is a perfect first cleanser. The blend of natural AHAs helps to gently exfoliate the skin by accelerating surface skin cell turnover to reveal a smoother, more refined texture.

Cleansing Balms

Rich and nourishing, cleansing balms are a great choice for dry skin. These oil-based formulas work to dissolve excess sebum and impurities, while lifting make-up and SPF products with ease. Simply massage into the skin, then rinse clean.

Leave skin clean, soothed and silky soft with No7 Cleansing Balm for Dry Skin, enriched with No7’s Tri-Vit Complex and Grapeseed Oil.

No7 Beauty
Writer and expert
View No7 Beauty's profile
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